International law firm McDermott Will & Emery announced that Jack Langlois and Jibin Luke have joined the Transactions Practice Group as partners based in the Houston office. These hires diversify our robust energy practice and add strength in a geographically critical area as clients weigh business opportunities with potential federal energy regulations on the horizon. Jack and Jibin both join from DLA Piper where Jack served as US co-chair of the firm’s energy sector and managing partner in Houston.

“Jack is a high-profile dealmaker known in the Texas energy and legal circles, and we’re thrilled to welcome him and Jibin to McDermott. This group will provide clients a direct connection to the United States’ largest economic hub for oil and gas, paving the way for additional mergers and acquisitions and private equity deals,” Harris Siskind, global head of McDermott’s transactions practice group, said. “With this added expertise, we’re advancing our already high-impact, high-volume deal activity while diversifying our fast-growing energy practice. Our broader platform will make McDermott a destination firm for clients’ energy-related transactional and regulatory needs.”

“It’s clear that McDermott is an elite global firm in terms of clients, significant engagements and financial results, while prioritizing a great emphasis on fostering a collaborative environment—it is deeply woven into the culture and sets it apart from other firms,” Jack added. “Add this to an imperative to grow and diversify energy offerings in the US and around the world, and it’s an ideal fit for our group and our clients, as well as other lawyers in the Texas market desiring a successful platform [for themselves and their clients].”

Head of Strategy Michael Poulos noted, “Texas in general and Houston in particular is one of the leading markets in the legal industry, and we are very excited by our continued trajectory and growth in the market. From a client offering perspective, Jack and Jibin complement and diversify an already vibrant energy sector offering at the Firm – this made the decision to have them join us an easy one.”

Jack advises clients on investments in and financings of energy projects and assets, including mergers, joint ventures and acquisitions and dispositions of assets and stock of energy companies. Jack advises on mineral exploration and development projects, involving acquisition of exploration and development rights, pipelines, gathering, transportation, processing, storage and other infrastructure. He also represents oil and gas production companies in connection with the acquisition of oil and gas properties; and banks in connection with production payment acquisition and financing. Jack has significant experience handling international transactions, including representing drilling companies in connection with sales of drilling rigs in Brazil, Canada and Greece, and representing power producers with the development and financing of power projects in Latin America.

Jibin represents business owners and investors with structuring and negotiating mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, energy transactions, equity investments and other general corporate matters. He regularly advises clients on domestic and international transactions, corporate governance matters, private debt and equity financing, regulatory matters and portfolio company investments. Jibin represents clients in the acquisition and sale of energy, manufacturing, technology and service-related companies, and negotiating and securing financing. He has experience preparing and negotiating purchase and sale agreements, joint venture agreements, joint operating agreements, partnership agreements, limited liability company agreements, transportation and gathering agreements, employment and consulting agreements, credit and security agreements and master service agreements.

With the energy market poised for growth, McDermott has bolstered our renewable and conventional energy practices globally. Notable partner hires over the last year include Carl Fleming, Christopher Gladbach, Neil Levy, Bruce Richardson and David Tewksbury in Washington, DC; Lloyd MacNeil and Edward Zaelke in Los Angeles; and Shashank Krishna in London.

This group further supports the Firm’s growing private equity (PE) deal volume, building momentum on more than 360 deals closed in 2020. McDermott was recently ranked by Pitchbook in its 2020 league tables as #3 in PE in the US and #5 in PE globally.

McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.

Mark Fine, partner at law firm McDermott Will & Emery, said:

“The market trends in 2021 such as unprecedented government and central bank support coupled with investor demand and low borrowing costs have led to a huge swell of primary issuances this year. Both the high yield and leverage loan markets, to date, have been operating somewhat in contrast to the macro reality across Europe. With the US 10 year bond rallying and having a knock on effect to the equity markets, it is not surprising, that there are some early signs of jitters in the market. This combined with increased talk of inflation may now lead to a slight cooling off period in the high yield and leverage loan markets. As the earning’s season continues we may well see the secondary market beginning to open up again albeit, given what we saw last year, it is not clear for how long.”

Ranajoy Basu, partner at law firm McDermott Will & Emery, added:

“While there seems to be indications of price adjustments following the tremendous push for issuances since the start of the year, there still are very strong signs when one considers the pipeline of transactions coming through to suggest that the market will be resilient and that there is momentum for issuers, at least in the European high yield markets. This certainly holds true for numerous issuances that are being structured from refinancing or broader restructuring purposes. Corporate Trustees have also seen an extremely busy period with both “new money” issuances and refinancing of existing high yields.”