Douglas E. McWilliams
Texas Tower
845 Texas Avenue
Suite 4700
Houston, Texas 77002
Described as “commercial and brilliant from a technical perspective,” Doug is a nationally recognized attorney with an extensive corporate practice, advising on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and other strategic transactions. Doug’s clients classify him as “one of the preeminent energy lawyers across capital markets” having “…seen every type of transaction.” (Chambers USA, 2023) He is one of a few attorneys in the country to be recognized by Chambers USA for both capital markets and corporate M&A.
Doug has been consistently ranked as one of the leading lawyers in the country in representing operating companies in connection with their IPOs, having been involved in approximately 100 IPOs over the course of his career and more upstream IPOs than any other attorney in the country over the past decade. As a result, Doug has a 28-year history of advising boards of directors and management teams of public companies in connection with their most significant strategic transactions, including public M&A. He has particular experience with clients engaged in the energy industry, including oil and gas exploration and production, midstream, oilfield service, oilfield equipment manufacturing and supply and seismic companies.
Doug is head of V&E’s Equity Capital Markets Group.
Experience Highlights
Earthstone Energy in the $4.5 billion merger with Permian Resources
Denbury Inc. in its $4.9 billion sale to ExxonMobil
DoublePoint Energy in its $6.4 billion sale to Pioneer Natural Resources Company (NYSE: PXD) (2022 Finalist in D CEO’s $1 Billion + Deal of the Year Awards)
Brigham Minerals in its $4.8 billion business combination with Sitio Royalties
Parsley Energy in its $4.5 billion sale to Pioneer Natural Resources Company
WildHorse Resource Development in its $4 billion sale to Chesapeake Energy
Noble Energy in its $13 billion sale to Chevron
MN8 Energy, Inc. in its initial public offering of common stock (In Registration)
Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. in its $324 million initial public offering of Class A common stock
Brigham Minerals, Inc. in its $261 million initial public offering of Class A common stock
MN8 Energy, Inc. in its initial public offering of common stock (In Registration)
Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. in its $324 million initial public offering of Class A common stock
Brigham Minerals, Inc. in its $261 million initial public offering of Class A common stock
Berry Petroleum Corporation in its $183 million initial public offering of common stock
Ranger Energy Services, Inc. in its $85 million initial public offering of common stock
Underwriters to ProPetro Holding Corp. in its $402 million initial public offering of common stock
Ramaco Resources, Inc. in its $81 million initial public offering of common stock
Jagged Peak Energy Inc. in its $474 million initial public offering of common stock
WildHorse Resource Development Corporation in its $447 million initial public offering of common stock
Extraction Oil & Gas, Inc. in its $728 million initial public offering of common stock
Switchback Energy Acquisition, Switchback II Corporation, Sentinel Energy Acquisition, Vantage Energy Acquisition and the underwriters of Silver Run Acquisition, each special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), in their initial public offerings
Earthstone Energy in the $4.5 billion merger with Permian Resources
Denbury Inc. in its $4.9 billion sale to ExxonMobil
DoublePoint Energy in its $6.4 billion sale to Pioneer Natural Resources Company (NYSE: PXD) (2022 Finalist in D CEO’s $1 Billion + Deal of the Year Awards)
Brigham Minerals in its $4.8 billion business combination with Sitio Royalties
Parsley Energy in its $4.5 billion sale to Pioneer Natural Resources Company
Switchback II Corporation, a SPAC sponsored by an affiliate of NGP Energy Capital Management, in its $2.3 billion business combination with Bird Rides, a leader in shared short range environmentally friendly electric transportation
Switchback Energy Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC sponsored by an affiliate of NGP Energy Capital Management, in its $2.4 billion business combination with ChargePoint, a leading electric vehicle charging network
Noble Energy in its $13 billion sale to Chevron
Jagged Peak Energy in its $2.27 billion merger with Parsley Energy
Rice Energy in its $6.7 billion merger with EQT Corporation, creating the largest independent producer of natural gas in the United States
Felix Energy in its $2.5 billion sale to WPX Energy
Lario Oil & Gas Company in the $1.5 billion sale of Midland basin oil and gas assets to Diamondback Energy
KKR in the $5.7 billion merger between Independence Energy and Contango to form Crescent Energy Company
WildHorse Resource Development in its $4 billion sale to Chesapeake Energy
Memorial Resource Development in its $4.4 billion merger with Range Resources
RSP Permian in its $9.5 billion sale to Concho Resources, creating the largest unconventional shale producer in the Permian Basin
Patterson-UTI Energy in its $1.76 billion merger with Seventy Seven Energy
Deep Gulf Energy Companies, a deepwater oil and gas exploration and development business operating in the Gulf of Mexico and a portfolio company of First Reserve, in its $1.225 billion sale to Kosmos Energy
Sabine Oil & Gas in its merger with Forest Oil Corporation through an all-stock transaction
TPG in its $2.66 billion acquisition of assets from EnerVest in a SPAC business combination
Desert Peak Minerals in an agreement to combine with Falcon Minerals Corporation in a $1.9 billion transaction
Hiland Partners in the $3 billion sale of the company to Kinder Morgan
Extraction Oil & Gas, Inc. in its $400 million offering of senior notes
Underwriters to Tapstone Energy Inc. in its $300 million offering of senior notes
Covey Park Energy LLC in its $450 million offering of senior notes
Parsley Energy, Inc. in its $450 million offering of senior notes
WildHorse Resource Development Corporation in its $350 million offering of senior notes
RSP Permian, Inc. in its $450 million offering of senior notes
Parlsey Energy, Inc. in its $650 million offering of senior notes
Extraction Oil & Gas Holdings, LLC in its $550 million offering of senior notes
RSP Permian, Inc. in its $200 million offering of senior notes
Rice Energy, Inc. in its $400 million offering of senior notes
Credentials
- Harvard Law School, J.D. magna cum laude, 1995
- University of Texas, B.B.A., Finance with highest honors, 1992
- Legal 500 U.S., Energy Transactions, 2017; Capital Markets: Equity Offerings, 2012−2015, 2018, 2023 and 2024; Capital Markets: Debt Offerings, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2023 and 2024; US Taxes: Non-Contentious, 2019; Finance: Capital Markets: High-Yield Debt Offerings, 2022-2024; M&A/Corporate & Commercial: M&A: Large Deals ($1 Billion-Plus), 2023 and 2024; M&A/Corporate & Commerical: Private Equity Buyouts, 2024
- Chambers USA, Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (Texas), 2015−2019, 2021–2024; “Up and Coming” in Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (Texas), 2014; Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (Central United States)(Nationwide), 2019−2024; Corporate/M&A (Texas), 2021–2024; Capital Markets: High-Yield Debt (Texas), 2023 and 2024
- Chambers Global, Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (Central United States)(USA), 2021–2024
- Selected to the Texas Super Lawyers list, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2004, 2007–2024
- The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), (Houston), Corporate Law 2007–2015 and 2017–2025; Mergers and Acquisitions Law, 2025; Securities / Capital Markets Law, 2025
- The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), “Lawyer of the Year,” Corporate Law (Houston), 2020
- Selected to the Texas Rising Stars list, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2004
- H Texas Magazine, one of the “Lawyers on the Fast Track,” 2004
- IFLR1000, 2020–2023
- Selected to the 500 Leading Energy Lawyers, Lawdragon, 2023 and 2024
- Texas
- Rankings & AwardsSeptember 19, 2024
- Deals & CasesSeptember 9, 2024
- Deals & CasesAugust 19, 2024
- Deals & CasesAugust 5, 2024
- Deals & CasesJuly 30, 2024
- Deals & CasesJuly 29, 2024
- Deals & CasesJuly 10, 2024
- Deals & CasesJune 14, 2024
- Rankings & AwardsJune 12, 2024
- Deals & CasesJune 12, 2024
- Rankings & AwardsJune 6, 2024
- Deals & CasesJune 3, 2024
- Deals & CasesMay 16, 2024
- Permian Resources Corporation Announces Pricing of Secondary Public Offering of Class A Common StockDeals & CasesMay 14, 2024
- Deals & CasesApril 1, 2024
- Deals & CasesMarch 28, 2024
- Deals & CasesMarch 18, 2024
- Deals & CasesMarch 11, 2024
- Deals & CasesMarch 6, 2024
- Rankings & AwardsFebruary 15, 2024
- Deals & CasesFebruary 12, 2024
- Deals & CasesJanuary 8, 2024
- Deals & CasesDecember 21, 2023
- Deals & CasesDecember 20, 2023
- Deals & CasesDecember 18, 2023
- Deals & CasesDecember 13, 2023
- Deals & CasesDecember 8, 2023
- Deals & CasesDecember 6, 2023
- Deals & CasesOctober 3, 2023
- Deals & CasesSeptember 21, 2023
- Rankings & AwardsSeptember 18, 2023
- Deals & CasesSeptember 11, 2023
- Deals & CasesAugust 21, 2023
- Rankings & AwardsAugust 21, 2023
- Deals & CasesJuly 20, 2023
- Deals & CasesJuly 18, 2023
- Rankings & AwardsJuly 14, 2023
- Deals & CasesJuly 13, 2023
- Deals & CasesJune 20, 2023
- Rankings & AwardsJune 12, 2023
- Rankings & AwardsJune 1, 2023
- Deals & CasesApril 3, 2023
- Rankings & AwardsMarch 17, 2023
- Deals & CasesMarch 10, 2023
- Deals & CasesMarch 9, 2023
- Rankings & AwardsFebruary 16, 2023
- Deals & CasesFebruary 14, 2023
- Deals & CasesFebruary 1, 2023
- Deals & CasesJanuary 10, 2023
- Deals & CasesNovember 16, 2022
- Deals & CasesSeptember 13, 2022
- Deals & CasesSeptember 6, 2022
- IFLR1000 2022 Recognizes Vinson & Elkins in 21 Practice Categories, Recommends 49 Individual LawyersRankings & AwardsAugust 25, 2022
- Rankings & AwardsAugust 18, 2022
- Deals & CasesAugust 4, 2022
- Rankings & AwardsJune 16, 2022
- Deals & CasesJune 9, 2022
- Rankings & AwardsJune 1, 2022
- Deals & CasesApril 12, 2022
- Rankings & AwardsMarch 29, 2022
- Rankings & AwardsMarch 18, 2022
- Rankings & AwardsFebruary 17, 2022
- Deals & CasesFebruary 8, 2022
- Deals & CasesJanuary 12, 2022
- Deals & CasesOctober 21, 2021
- Deals & CasesJune 8, 2021
- Deals & CasesApril 1, 2021
- Deals & CasesJuly 20, 2020
- “Energy IPOs Market Update and Readiness Considerations,” 2017 Oil & Gas Institute presented by the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, July 17, 2017 (speaker)
- “Preparing for an IPO: Market Update, Process and Timeline,” V&E’s Houston Office, November 9, 2016 (speaker)
- “Thoughts for Officers and Directors of E&P Companies and MLPs in 2016,” V&E website, January 19, 2016 (co-author)