Mr William Benitez > Kirkland & Ellis LLP > Houston, United States > Lawyer Profile

Featuring a team of ‘consistent high performers’ who possess ‘incredible breadth’ across the oil and gas space, Kirkland & Ellis LLP continues to be a chief point of contact for both longstanding investors and new market entrants seeking counsel for big-ticket work. Bringing together sophisticated experience in M&A, private equity, joint ventures, and complex financing structures, the group has seen an influx of multi-billion-dollar transactions as major players seek to consolidate inventory, working with the likes of EQT, Ovintiv, ONEOK and Diamondback Energy, whilst also boasting an impressive array of mandates in the midstream space that involve energy-focused private equity entities such as I Squared Capital and Blackstone Energy Partners. Team head and founding partner of the firm’s Houston office Anthony Speier has deep-rooted connections to the local market and is equally well-equipped to advise across M&A, commercial, development, regulatory and financing matters. David Castro and Christopher Heasley are widely praised by clients for their ‘exceptional work ethic, problem solving, and industry knowledge’, with both practitioners holding M&A and private equity as the flagship components of their work, while Dallas’ Will Eiland is similarly praised by clients for his creative and constructive approach towards transactions. Andrew Calder handles acquisitions, disposals, investments and joint venture deals with a firm focus on LNG and natural gas-fired generation facilities, a practice akin to Sean Wheeler and William Benitez, who have engaged with blockbuster buyouts and mergers in the upstream space. Chad Smith showcases in-depth knowledge of both upstream and midstream oil and gas assets and is active on acquisitions of operating and non-operating interests in a multitude of basins and subbasins. Beyond her work as a strategic and commercial advisor to complex energy projects, Lindsey Jaquillard is also well-reputed for her M&A proficiency. Associate Isaac Bate has been a growing presence on the firm’s key mandates. Other than Eiland, the team is based in Houston.