Kaam Sahely > Vinson & Elkins LLP > Houston, United States > Lawyer Profile

The team at Vinson & Elkins LLP includes specialist construction practitioners, experienced trail arbitration attorneys, and transactional lawyers who represent a wide range of clients across the US. The practice also frequently oversees public and private energy and infrastructure projects. Kaam Sahely in Austin co-leads the team and is an expert in power generation, renewable and sustainable energy, alongside traditional hydrocarbons and infrastructure assets. Ferguson McNiel is a well-established litigator who possesses more than forty years of experience in representing clients in commercial, construction, energy as well as toxic tort cases. Alan Alexander’s practice focuses on joint ventures, project development, as well as project financings. Stephanie Coco is proficient in project and infrastructure construction and development, and her practice is particularly focused on structured transactions, joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions. All mentioned individuals are located in Houston unless stated otherwise.

Jointly led by energy transactions & projects head Danielle Patterson, as well as corporate co-heads and acquisition experts Kaam Sahely and Matt Strock, all based in Houston, Vinson & Elkins LLP‘s practice advises high-profile clients on the whole range of development, financing, acquisition, and sale of renewables projects, and is particularly ‘well-versed in tax equity financing and credit monetization techniques in general, as well as the new opportunities presented by the Inflation Reduction Act‘. In 2022, the firm advised Goldman Sachs Renewable Power in its separation from Goldman Sachs Asset Management to form MN8 Energy, the second largest U.S. independent solar and storage energy producer by capacity, with a deal value of approximately $3bn. Further notable members of the group are transactional lawyer Michael Joyce in Los Angeles, and Austin’s Sean Moran, who stands out as ‘veteran adviser in tax equity financing‘, as well as the ‘excellent’  M&A and private equity lawyer Matthew Falcone and Alan Alexander, whose practice areas include joint ventures and advising on energy projects in Latin America. Falcone and Alexander are both based in Houston. Lauren Collins in Los Angeles is another well regarded member of the team’s ‘first-rate tax team’, while John Connally left the practice in 2022.

Counting large-scale oil and gas exploration and production companies, pipelines, oilfield services companies, commercial banks and private equity firms among its key roster of clients, Vinson & Elkins LLP has a strong track record in handling high-stakes transactions, with experience in the purchase and financing of oil and gas assets and projects. Keith Fullenweider works with private equity firms on investments, financings and exit transactions. Kaam Sahely represents investors and developers in energy and infrastructure investments and projects, and Danielle Patterson is another key contact for handling M&A, private equity investments, joint ventures and project development transactions in the upstream and midstream oil and gas sectors. Bryan Loocke is another key contact in the group. All named lawyers are based in the firm’s Houston office. John Connally has left the firm.