Widely known for its advice to project and energy investors in China and across Asia, Baker Botts L.L.P. stands out for its regional upstream, midstream and downstream projects expertise. The group is highly rated for its advice on exploration and production developments, financing and M&A, in relation to oil, gas and LNG supply and transport arrangements and infrastructure. Its expertise extends to pipelines, LNG terminals and power generation and transmission projects, as well as the recently developed area of floating LNG projects. Michael Arruda is a projects and energy specialist in the Hong Kong office, where Russell Wilkinson and Joanne Du are also highly experienced projects partners. Jason Bennett heads the global projects group from Houston.

Upstream projects are a core strength of Baker Botts L.L.P.‘s practice, and the team is equally adept at handling midstream, downstream, and floating LNG projects for a number of prominent global energy sector companies. Houston-based Jason Bennett heads up the firm’s projects group; practitioners to note include Russell Wilkinson, who is well versed in handling oil and gas and LNG projects and Michael Arruda, who has expertise in advising on Indonesia-based projects. Associate Janet Zheng is also noted. Since publication, Joanna Du joined Mayer Brown in June 2o21.

Well versed in current market trends and able to draw upon the expertise of a strong pool of talent across all levels of seniority, Baker Botts L.L.P. handles a tremendous range and volume of transactional work in the sector for industry-side participants and private equity firms. Primarily based in Houston but able to leverage multi-disciplinary strengths throughout firm’s national network of offices, including Dallas, Austin and New York, the ‘incredibly collaborative‘ team has the critical mass, sector knowledge and diverse finance and corporate expertise, to handle transactions throughout the value chain, including a number of high-profile upstream and midstream mandates. Erin Hopkins regularly advises on oil and gas M&A; she recently acted for Murphy Exploration & Production Company on its $1.6bn acquisition of deep water Gulf of Mexico assets from LLOG Exploration Offshore and LLOG Bluewater Holdings. Scott Looper has a thorough understanding of the mechanics of the energy supply chain, relating to both crude oil and LNG, and handles both domestic and international upstream and midstream mandates. Dallas-based partner Jonathan Platt ‘provides excellent legal counsel’ to private and public companies and private equity firms engaged in oil and gas M&A. Jason Bennett advises on oil and gas-related development and finance work and, alongside New York-based corporate partner Mike Bengtson and Dallas-based corporate partner David Emmons, co-heads the firm’s overarching energy group, which was recently strengthened on the oil and gas transactional front by the arrival in January 2020 of Austin-based partner Gaye Lentz from Thompson & Knight LLP. All named practitioners are based in Houston unless otherwise noted.