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T. Mark Kelly
T. Mark Kelly
Partner — Capital Markets and Mergers & Acquisitions
Partner — Capital Markets and Mergers & Acquisitions

T. Mark Kelly

T. Mark Kelly
Houston

Texas Tower
845 Texas Avenue
Suite 4700
Houston, Texas 77002

T. Mark Kelly

Experience Highlights

  • Frank’s International in its merger with Expro Group

  • Energy XXI in its $2.3 billion acquisition of EPL Oil & Gas Inc., creating the largest publicly traded independent oil and gas producer on the Gulf of Mexico Shelf

  • Nuevo Midstream in the $1.5 billion sale of the company to Western Gas Partners

  • Underwriters to 8point3 Energy Partners LP in its $420 million initial public offering of common units 

  • Underwriters to Cheniere Energy Partners LP Holdings, LLC in its $720 million initial public offering of common units

  • Concho Resources in its $1.65 billion acquisition of the oil and gas assets of Marbob Energy Corporation and affiliated entities

  • Crimson Exploration in its $800 million merger with Contango Oil & Gas

  • FMC Technologies in its $281 million acquisition of a 55% interest in Schilling Robotics

  • FMC Technologies in the $285 million acquisition of Pure Energy Services, a publicly traded Calgary-based provider of frac flowback services and wireline services

  • Riata Energy in its $1.5 billion acquisition of NEG Oil & Gas

  • Concho Resources in its $1 billion acquisition of Three Rivers Operating Company

  • Permian Mud Service in the $2.3 billion sale of Champion Technologies, a global energy specialty products and services company, to Ecolab

  • Frank’s International in its acquisition of Timco Services, a private company that provides tubular running services and rental equipment onshore in the southern United States and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico

  • U.S. counsel to Korean National Oil Corporation in its $4.1 billion acquisition of Harvest Energy Trust, a Canada-based oil and gas company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange

  • Frank’s International N.V. in its $759 million initial public offering of common stock

  • Pacific Drilling S.A. in its $57 million initial public offering of common stock

  • C&J Energy Services, Inc. in its $384 million initial public offering of common stock

  • Oasis Petroleum Inc. in its $676 million initial public offering of common stock

  • Underwriters to Crimson Exploration Inc. in its $100 million initial public offering of common stock

  • SandRidge Energy, Inc. in its $842 million initial public offering of common stock

  • Concho Resources Inc. in its $276 million initial public offering of common stock

  • Underwriters to GeoMet, Inc. in its $58 million initial public offering of common stock

  • Underwriters to Hercules Offshore, Inc. in its $212 million initial public offering of common stock

  • Republic Companies Group, Inc. in its $84 million initial public offering of common stock

  • Superior Well Services, Inc. in its $83 million initial public offerings of common stock

  • Underwriters to Bill Barrett Corporation in its $373 million initial public offering of common stock

  • Underwriters to Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. in its $80 million initial public offering of common stock

  • Underwriters to FMC Technologies, Inc. in its $221 million initial public offering of common stock

  • Golar LNG Partners, LP in its $310 million initial public offering of common units

  • Western Gas Partners, LP in its combined $1.1 billion public offerings of common units

  • Underwriters to Cheniere Energy Partners LP Holdings, LLC in its combined $950 million public offerings of common units

  • Gastar Exploration, Inc. in its $106 million public offering of common stock

  • Western Gas Equity Partners, LP in its $346 million public offering of common units

  • Concho Resources, Inc. in its $964 million public offering of common stock 

  • Underwriters to Baytex Energy Corp. in its $1.4 billion public offering of common stock

  • Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC in its $1.4 billion investment grade offering of senior notes

  • Underwriters to CONSOL Energy Inc. in its combined $900 million offerings of senior notes

  • Underwriters to Cheniere Energy, Inc. in its $625 million offering of convertible senior notes

  • LyondellBasell Industries N.V. in its $1 billion investment grade offering of senior notes

  • Anadarko Petroleum Corporation in its $1.25 billion investment grade offering of senior notes

  • Energy XXI Gulf Coast, Inc. in its combined $1.15 billion offerings of senior notes

  • Underwriters to Hercules Offshore, Inc. in its combined $700 offerings of senior notes

  • Western Gas Partners, LP in its $500 million offering of senior notes

  • Energy XXI Gulf Coast, Inc. in its $400 million offering of convertible senior notes

  • Concho Resources, Inc. in its $850 million sale of senior notes

  • Gastar Exploration Inc. in its $200 million offering of senior secured notes

  • Underwriters to Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. in its combined $825 million offerings of senior notes

  • Underwriters to Swift Energy Company in its $150 million offering of senior notes

  • Underwriters to Bristow Group Inc. in its $450 million offering of senior notes

  • FMC Technologies, Inc. in its $800 million offering of senior notes

  • Underwriters to Southwestern Energy Company in its $1 billion offering of senior notes

  • Endeavour International Corporation in its $500 million offering of first and second priority notes

  • Evercore Partners, as financial advisor to Kinder Morgan in the $76 billion buyout of El Paso Corporation

  • Goldman Sachs, as financial advisor to Apache Corporation in the $2.5 billion merger with Mariner Energy

  • Greenhill & Co., as financial advisor to BJ Services in connection with the $5.5 billion merger with Baker Hughes

  • Gastar Exploration in its shareholder activist fight against Global Undervalued Securities Master Fund LP

  • Goldman Sachs, as financial advisor to Schlumberger in the $11 billion acquisition of Smith International

  • Miller Energy Resources, Inc. against shareholder activists Lone Star Value Management LLC and Bristol Capital Management

  • Endeavour International Corporation against shareholder activist Talisman Group Investments

Credentials

  • Southern Methodist University School of Law, J.D., 1981 (Editor, SMU Law Review; Phi Delta Phi)
  • Texas A&M University, B.B.A. Accounting magna cum laude, 1978 (Beta Alpha Psi; Beta Gamma Sigma; Phi Eta Sigma; President, Sigma Chi; Province Balfour Award recipient)
  • Legal Media Group’s (Euromoney’s) Expert Guide to the World’s Leading Energy Lawyers, 2016
  • Legal 500 U.S., Finance: Capital Markets: Equity Offerings, 2009−2016, 2019, 2020, and 2024; High-Yield Debt Offerings, 2014, 2016 and 2020; Debt Offerings, 2011−2014, 2017−2020, 2022, and 2023; Technology: Transactions, 2013; M&A: Large Deals (National Firms), 2008; Finance: Capital Markets – Debt, 2018−2021
  • Chambers Global, “Senior Statespeople” in Corporate/M&A: International & Cross-border (USA), 2023 and 2024; Corporate/M&A: International & Cross-border (USA), 2002−2003, 2005−2023; “Eminent Practitioner” in Corporate/M&A: International & Cross-Border (USA), 2016 and 2017−2021; Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (USA), 2014−2015 and 2017−2019; “Eminent Practitioner” in Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (USA), 2016, 2017−2019; “Senior Statespeople” in Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (Central United States)(USA), 2023 and 2024
  • Chambers USA, Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (Nationwide), 2011−2019; “Eminent Practitioner” in Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (Nationwide), 2015−2018; Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (Texas), 2013−2019, 2021–2024; “Eminent Practitioner” in Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (Texas), 2015−2019, 2021, and 2022; Corporate/M&A (Texas), 2003−2024; “Eminent Practitioner” in Corporate/M&A (Texas), 2021 and 2022; Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (Central United States) (Nationwide), 2019−2024; “Eminent Practitioner” in Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (Central United States) (Nationwide), 2019, 2021, and 2022
  • The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC)“Lawyer of the Year,” (Houston): Corporate Law, 2014 and 2020; Mergers & Acquisitions, 2011 and 2020; Corporate Compliance Law, 2019−2021; Corporate Governance Law, 2014 and 2020
  • The Best Lawyers in America©(BL Rankings, LLC), (Houston): Corporate Law, Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Compliance Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, 1995−2025
  • Who’s Who Legal (Law Business Research Ltd.), Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate Governance, and Energy, 2007, 2008, and 2016; Capital Markets Law, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2016, and 2017; Energy: Oil & Gas, 2022
  • International Who’s Who of Oil & Gas Lawyers (Law Business Research Ltd.), 2009 and 2011
  • International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers (Law Business Research Ltd.), Oil & Gas, 2009 and 2010
  • International Who’s Who of Capital Markets Lawyers (Law Business Research Ltd.), 2010
  • Selected to the Texas Super Lawyers list, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters)2003−2024
  • “Go-To Lawyer” in Corporate Law, Texas Lawyer, 2002−2011
  • “Top 100 Houston Region Super Lawyer,” Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2007
  • IFLR1000, 2020–2023
  • Selected to the 500 Leading Lawyers in America, Lawdragon, 2021
  • Selected to the 500 Leading Dealmakers in America, Lawdragon, 2022 and 2024
  • Director: State Bar of Texas; Greater Houston Partnership; Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo
  • Board of Visitors: MD Anderson Cancer Center
  • Past President: Houston Bar Association; Houston Young Lawyers Association
  • Fellow: Houston Bar Foundation; Texas Bar Foundation
  • Member: American, Texas, and Houston Bar Associations; Vice Chairman, Parade Committee, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; Board of Trustees and Executive Committee Member, Houston Museum of Natural Science; City of Houston’s READ Commission; Leadership Houston, Class VIII
  • Past Chair: Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program; Houston Bar Foundation, Houston Lawyer Referral Service; Professionalism Committee, Hunger Relief Committee, and Local Affiliates Committee, Texas Young Lawyers Association; Houston Young Lawyers Foundation
  • Past Vice Chair: Center for Hearing and Speech
  • Past Director: Texas Young Lawyers Association
  • Texas
  • “NACD Peer Exchange: How the Board Can Plan for Uncertainty in 2017,” The National Association of Corporate Directors, April 6, 2017 (speaker)
  • Speaker, NASDAQ “IPO Readiness Forum,” October 2014
  • Panel Member, RR Donnelly “SEC Hot Topics Institute,” October 2014
  • Mark Kelly is a frequent speaker at both external and internal events, and has spoken at over one hundred events over the course of his career.