Jay Hughes > Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP > Houston, United States > Lawyer Profile

Based in the firm’s Houston, New York and Washington DC offices, the practice at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP regularly advises on cross-border transactions in the oil and gas sector, including the acquisition and divestiture of upstream and midstream assets, joint ventures, project finance, private equity funds and corporate counselling. Archie Fallon, who advises on platform investments, M&A, project development and recapitalizations, jointly leads the team alongside Jay Hughes, who focuses on public and private M&A and distressed asset acquisitions. Brad Honeycutt recently joined from Baker Botts L.L.P. and advises on private financing transactions and corporate reorganizations. All named partners operate from the firm’s office in Houston.

Archie Fallon and Jay Hughes lead Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP’s power and renewable energy practice from the Houston office, where they have significant experience in transactional and project financing work, with Hughes focusing on public and private M&A, and Fallon also being noted for his expertise in advising on investments across the risk-return spectrum. The firm’s clients include lenders and sponsors, investors, and power producers, and it is well equipped to advise on current and forthcoming regulations in addition to its transactional work. Energy and commodities group co-chair Norman Bay is noted in Washington DC, where corporate and financial services partner Jorge Kamine is also recommended. David Aaronson left in May 2022 and Athena Eastwood retired in 2023.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP maintains clients on both sides of the debt finance market, with its notable borrower-side activities centered around high-value acquisition financings. Within this space, the team has conducted significant LBOs and advised on major take-private acquisitions. The firm boasts a large roster of private equity clients, serving as go-to counsel for Platinum Equity, and notably assisted corporate borrower Take-Two Interactive Software with a $2.7bn financing commitment for the acquisition of Zynga. In addition to acquisition financing work, the team also frequently assists investment-grade companies with asset-based loans and credit facility amendments. New York lawyers Andres Mena and Viktor Okasmaa co-lead the practice and are active on the firm’s most complex and high-value acquisition financing work. Outside New York, Archie Fallon and Jay Hughes are key names in a growing Houston-based team that advises borrowers in the energy sector, while Chicago-based Melainie Mansfield and Los Angeles-based Najeh Baharun are also recommended. Chicago-based associate Timothy Landwehr joined the team in May 2023.