Jeff M. Dobbs

Energy: Jeff guides energy industry clients in connection with the acquisition, financing, operation, and disposition of energy assets to help meet their commercial objectives. Jeff is a member of the Global Energy and Infrastructure Investment groups, adding to his extensive experience with upstream and midstream oil and gas companies, LNG companies, oilfield services and equipment companies, seismic services companies, conventional and renewable power generation companies and specialty chemicals companies.

Private Equity: Private equity funds, portfolio companies and management teams trust Jeff’s representation in structuring, negotiating and documenting line of equity commitments and other private equity investments in the energy industry. His counsel focuses on upstream oil and gas and energy infrastructure investments.

Joint Ventures: As a member of the Joint Ventures & Strategic Alliances practice, Jeff’s knowledgeable representation helps clients efficiently complete matters of structuring, negotiating, and documenting joint ventures. His role encompasses the development of domestic and cross-border joint ventures, including in oil and gas properties, specialty chemicals businesses, energy assets and other infrastructure assets.

Master Limited Partnerships: Issuers, investors and investment banks come to Jeff for clear, decisive counseling in matters involving master limited partnerships, including matters related to formation, financing, governance and mergers and acquisitions.

Capital Markets: Having served as designated underwriters’ counsel for offerings by several issuers, Jeff has experience representing issuers and investment banks in public offerings and private placements of debt and equity securities. He has also led liability management transactions for clients, including cash tender offers, exchange offers and consent solicitations.

General Corporate Practice: Jeff provides ongoing advice to clients regarding general corporate and securities matters, including Exchange Act reporting, fiduciary duties, corporate governance, defensive measures and NYSE and NASDAQ compliance.

• A private equity fund in connection with (i) the out-of-court restructuring of the outstanding indebtedness of a private equity-backed Permian Basin exploration and production company and (ii) its new money equity investment in the company. 
• The successor administrative agent in connection with the out-of-court restructuring of the outstanding indebtedness of a private equity-backed Williston Basin exploration and production company. 
• The sellers in connection with the drop down of certain oil and gas royalty assets to an affiliated master limited partnership in exchange for common units with a value of approximately $100 million.
• An upstream portfolio company of a private equity fund in connection with the sale of Niobrara shale oil assets in the North Park basin, Jackson County, Colorado, for approximately $190 million in cash.
• A private equity fund in connection with the sale of a subsidiary owning non-operated oil and gas interests in the Bakken and Three Forks formations in North Dakota.
• A national oil and gas company in connection with its purchase of a 30% interest in offshore oil and gas properties in the Gulf of Mexico.
• An offshore oil and gas exploration and production company in connection with the sale of its Mexican subsidiary owning two blocks in the Sureste Basin offshore Mexico.
• An exploration and production company in connection with the sale of certain onshore and offshore oil and gas properties for approximately $360 million.
• An exploration and production company in connection with its $200 million divestiture of Sacramento Basin oil and gas assets.
• A private equity fund in its acquisition of oil and gas properties located in North Dakota for approximately $60 million.
• A portfolio company of a private equity fund in connection with its approximately $50M acquisition of oil and gas interests in the Bakken formation in North Dakota.
• A private oil and gas company in connection with its acquisition of operated and non-operated oil and gas properties located in the Uintah Basin.
• A public energy company in connection with the sale of oil and gas properties located in Montana and North Dakota for approximately $132 million.
• A New York-based retirement fund in its acquisition of a Canadian publicly traded exploration and production company.
• The first lien lenders in connection with a borrower’s sale of oil and gas properties pursuant to Section 363 of the bankruptcy code.
• A portfolio company of a private equity fund in connection with multiple acquisitions of oil and gas royalty and mineral interests.
• An oil and gas royalty company in connection with its acquisition of a package of mineral interests across the U.S.
• A group of private trusts in connection with the divestiture of a package of royalty, mineral and non-operated working interests located in California.

Midstream Oil and Gas, LNG, and Master Limited Partnerships

Represented:

• A major North American energy company in connection with the sale of a 40% non-controlling equity interest in two pipeline systems for total cash proceeds of $3.9 billion.
• A master limited partnership in connection with a $1.6 billion dropdown of midstream assets and a related simplification transaction.
• A master limited partnership in connection with (i) the sale of its general partner in exchange for preferred units with a value of approximately $300 million and (ii) its acquisition of a 49.9% ownership interest in an interstate natural gas pipeline company in exchange for common units with a value of approximately $600 million.
• The principal financing and investing arm of a global financial services group in connection with its acquisition of a private equity-backed midstream company focusing on lateral distribution gas pipelines in North America.
• Multiple international oil and gas companies in connection with the separate sales of their minority ownership interests in a Peruvian pipeline company that transports natural gas and liquids from the Camisea field to the Peruvian coast.
• The energy investing and energy financing division of a multinational conglomerate corporation in connection with its preferred unit investment in a master limited partnership that used the proceeds to fund the construction of natural gas liquefaction facilities.
• A midstream portfolio company of a private equity fund in connection with multiple acquisitions of produced water infrastructure assets in the Permian Basin.
• A private oil and gas company in connection with its acquisition of a natural gas gathering and processing system located in the Piceance Basin.
• A master limited partnership in connection with the formation of its joint venture that acquired a natural gas liquids storage, fractionation, and transportation business for approximately $1.925 billion.
• A master limited partnership in connection with multiple investments in an intrastate gas pipeline system.
• The financial advisor to the conflicts committee of a master limited partnership in connection with the acquisition by the master limited partnership of several natural gas gathering and processing businesses from its parent company for approximately $420 million in a drop-down transaction.

Oilfield Services and Equipment

Represented:

• A public oilfield services company in connection with its acquisition of a provider of specialty coil tubing tools and services for the oil and gas industry for approximately $60 million.
• A public oilfield services company in connection with the sale of its surface safety valve business.
• A public oilfield and seismic services company in connection with the formation of its land seismic joint venture with a subsidiary of a Chinese national oil company and related financing transactions.
• An oilfield services company in connection with its framework agreement with a seismic services company providing for the licensing of seismic data for use in drilling and completions services activities.
• A public Canadian drilling company in connection with its merger with a public U.S. drilling company for $2 billion in cash and trust units.
• A public oilfield and seismic services company in connection with its cross-border $350 million purchase of all the outstanding shares of a private manufacturer of land seismic data equipment and its affiliated rentals unit.
• The independent committee of a public company in its acquisition of substantially all the assets of an affiliated provider of distressed petroleum collection, recycling, transportation, storage, and re-refining services.
• The financial advisor to the independent committee of an international oil and gas services company in its acquisition of an additional 90 percent stake in an operator of tender rigs.
• An international oil and gas company in a master services agreement in connection with the company’s sale of its drilling services business.

Private Equity

Represented:

• A start-up exploration and production company in connection with its formation, capital raise and multiple acquisitions of oil and gas properties in the North Park Basin.
• The management team in the formation and private equity financing for a company focused on acquiring producing mineral, royalty and overriding royalty interests across the U.S.
• The management team in the formation and private equity financing for an exploration and production company focused on the Bakken Formation, and the acquisition of the company’s initial assets.
• The management team in the formation and private equity financing for an exploration and production company focused on the Washakie Basin and the STACK play.
• The management team in the formation and private equity financing for an exploration and production company focused on the Raton Basin.
• The management team in the formation and private equity financing for a midstream company focused on the Haynesville shale formation.
• The management team in the formation and private equity financing for an upstream company focused on non-operated oil and gas working interests, operated oil and gas development financings and structured debt and equity investments in North America.

Power, Renewables and Energy Transition

Represented:

• A global renewable energy company in the acquisition of 100% of a holding company that indirectly owns two operating solar projects with aggregate 300 MWac capacity, including negotiation with debt and tax equity providers of certain amendments to and consents under the financing and tax equity documents.
• An independent developer of low-carbon solutions in its equity investment in a carbon capture and sequestration joint venture.
• A private equity-backed solar development platform in connection with the acquisition of a portfolio of solar projects.
• A global financial services group in connection with the sale of its growth equity investment in a renewable energy technology company.
• A multinational insurance company and financial services provider in connection with its acquisition of a portfolio of operational distributed solar generation and storage projects.
• A retirement and life insurance company in connection with a series of agreements with a U.S. utility scale solar developer, including a minority equity investment in the developer and the acquisition of a series of solar projects being developed by the developer.
• A renewable energy developer in connection with the sale of an interest in a 242.8-megawatt wind project to, joint venture ownership arrangements with, and a mezzanine loan provided by, a group of Danish pension funds.
• A private investment firm focused on energy infrastructure in its acquisition of a 369-megawatt portfolio of three natural gas-fired power generation facilities.
• A private investment firm focused on energy infrastructure in its acquisition of a 550-megawatt natural gas combined-cycle electric power generation facility located in west Texas.
• An international infrastructure fund in its acquisition of a 50% interest in an unregulated electric-generation holding company with ownership interests in 13 electric generation plants in the United States.
• A portfolio company of an infrastructure fund in connection with the acquisition of a solar panel installation company.
• A UK-based public company in its acquisition of a US-based developer of clean energy projects and gas-to-liquid facilities.
• A public exploration and production company in connection with the $224 million sale of its regulated natural gas local distribution utility.

Chemicals

Represented:

• A Fortune 50 chemical company in connection with the formation of its polystyrene joint venture valued at approximately $2 billion.
• A global chemical company in connection with the sale of a waste incineration facility.
• A multinational chemical company in connection with the formation of a sodium bicarbonate joint venture.

Telecommunications/Technology

Represented:

• A major telecommunications company in connection with the formation of its joint venture to establish a national mobile commerce network.
• A major telecommunications company in connection with its merger with a publicly traded internet provider for the hospitality industry.
• An international chemical and pharmaceuticals company in its multiple investments in a start-up technology company specializing in printed lighting, display, solar and other organic electronics.
• A Japan-based global manufacturer specializing in electronics and entertainment products in connection with its acquisition of a provider of communications solutions.
• A technology company focused on LED displays in connection with its seed equity offering.

Media/Entertainment

Represented:

• A multinational record label and entertainment distribution company in connection with the formation of a global independent film, television, and digital branded entertainment content studio.
• A Dubai-based investment firm in connection with its investments in a film financing and production joint venture.
• A Mexican telecommunications company in connection with the buyout of its joint venture partner’s equity interest in a Spanish-language phone directories business.
• A Spanish-language free-to-air television channel in connection with its acquisition of a minority interest in a Spanish-language broadcast company.

Healthcare

Represented:

• The physician sellers of a 51% ambulatory surgery center interest to a publicly traded national surgical center manager.
• The physician owners of a hospital and surgical center in connection with the purchase of assets from a joint venture in receivership.
• The physician owner of a pediatric practice in connection with the sale of its assets.
• A charitable foundation in connection with the formation and funding of a genomic medicine initiative through a collaboration agreement with academic institutions.
• A major insurance company in connection with its venture capital investment in a specialty medical malpractice insurance company.

Capital Markets

Upstream Oil and Gas

Represented:

• The underwriters in a public offering of $1.8 billion of senior notes by an exploration and production company as well as the dealer manager in a tender offer to purchase any and all of two series of the company’s outstanding senior notes.
• The underwriters in a public offering of $1.6 billion of senior notes by an exploration and production company.
• The underwriters in a public offering of $500 million of senior notes by an exploration and production company.
• An exploration and production company in a consent solicitation to amend the indenture governing an outstanding series of notes in connection with an asset sale.
• A public exploration and production company in connection with its private placement of perpetual preferred stock valued at $50 million.

Midstream Oil and Gas and Master Limited Partnerships

Represented:

• The underwriters in a public offering of $900 million of senior notes by a master limited partnership.
• The initial purchasers in a Rule 144A offering of $350 million of senior notes by a master limited partnership.
• The underwriters in a public offering of $150 million of common units by a master limited partnership.
• The underwriters in a public offering of $55 million of common units by a master limited partnership.
• The dealer manager in an offer to exchange up to $550 million of outstanding senior unsecured notes issued by the seller of a midstream business into an equivalent amount of senior unsecured notes with the same tenor, coupon and a comparable covenant package issued by the buyer of the midstream business.
• The sales agents in an “at-the-market” offering of up to $100 million of common units by a master limited partnership.
• The initial purchasers in a Rule 144A offering of $350 million of senior notes by a provider of natural gas compression products and services to natural gas pipelines.
• The underwriters in a public offering of $600 million of senior notes by a master limited partnership as well as the dealer manager in a tender offer to purchase any and all of the master limited partnership’s outstanding senior notes.
• The underwriters in a public offering of $500 million of senior notes by a master limited partnership.
• A master limited partnership in an offering of 12.075 million common units at a price of $19.12 per unit.
• A master limited partnership in a private placement of convertible preferred units for net proceeds of approximately $80 million.

Oilfield Services and Equipment

Represented:

• Two subsidiaries of one of the world’s largest oilfield services companies in their cash tender offers for and redemptions of five issues of institutionally-held investment-grade debt for aggregate consideration of more than $1.7 billion.
• A public oilfield and seismic services company in connection with its Rule 144A offering of $175 million of senior secured second priority notes.
• A public oilfield and seismic services company in connection with its offer to exchange its $175 million of outstanding senior secured second priority notes for new notes and common stock.
• The initial purchasers in a Rule 144A offering of $650 million of senior notes by an oilfield services company.
• A public oilfield and seismic services company in connection with its private placement of cumulative convertible preferred stock valued at $35 million.
• A public oilfield and seismic services company in connection with its private placement of 18,500,000 shares of common stock for gross proceeds of approximately $40.7 million.
• The underwriters in connection with an offering of $500 million of senior notes by an NYSE-listed contract drilling company.

Government Services and Technology

Represented:

• A global provider of professional services and solutions within the government services and technology sectors in a Rule 144A offering of $350 million of convertible senior notes.
• A global provider of professional services and solutions within the government services and technology sectors in a Rule 144A offering of $250 million of senior notes.

Manufacturing

Represented:

• The underwriters in connection with an offering of $300 million senior notes by an NYSE-listed manufacturing company.

Financial Services

Represented:

• The underwriters in an $800 million common stock offering by an NYSE-listed financial services company.