Brian M. Russell
Trammell Crow Center
2001 Ross Avenue
Suite 3900
Dallas, Texas 75201
Brian Russell is a transactional tax lawyer who focuses on the U.S. federal income tax aspects of domestic and cross-border transactions. He advises clients across industry sectors, including investment funds, real estate funds, public and private companies, Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs), real estate investment trusts (REITs), master limited partnerships (MLPs), and high-net-worth individuals. He also advises on a wide range of transactions, including partnership transactions, mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, and joint ventures. In addition, Brian has experience in capital market transactions, including public offerings and other financings, and in restructurings, workouts and bankruptcies.
Experience Highlights
The Sinclair Companies in the combination of Sinclair Oil’s refining, renewable diesel and logistics assets with those of HollyFrontier Corporation and Holly Energy Partners, L.P.
The parent company of EagleClaw Midstream, a Blackstone and I Squared Capital portfolio company, in a merger with Altus Midstream valuing the combined entity at $9 billion
Bonanza Creek Energy in its business combination with Extraction Oil & Gas to form Civitas Resources and Civitas’ subsequent acquisition of Crestone Peak Resources, creating a $4.5 billion combined company
Bonanza Creek Energy in its $376 million acquisition of HighPoint Resources Corporation
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)
Double Eagle Energy Permian in its $2.8 billion sale of certain undeveloped acreage and producing oil and gas properties in the core of the Midland Basin to Parsley Energy
ProFrac Holdings in the acquisition of FTS International, creating one of the largest completions-focused oilfield service companies in the U.S. oil and gas industry
Sunoco in the $3.3 billion sale of approximately 1,100 gas station/convenient stores located in 15 states to 7-Eleven
NorthStar Realty Finance in the approximately $16 billion combination with NorthStar Asset Management Group and Colony Capital in an all-stock merger of equals transaction to create a world-class, internally-managed, diversified real estate and investment management platform
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
Switchback II Corporation, a SPAC, in its $2.3 billion business combination with Bird Rides, a leader in shared short range environmentally friendly electric transportation
Tortoise Acquisition Corp., a SPAC, in the $1 billion business combination with Hyliion Inc., a developer and manufacturer of electrified powertrain solutions for Class 8 commercial vehicles that significantly reduce emissions
Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II in its $1.4 billion business combination with Volta Industries, an industry leader in commerce-centric electric vehicle charging networks
Queen’s Gambit Growth Capital in its $1.1 billion business combination with Swvl, a Dubai-based provider of transformative mass transit and shared mobility solutions
Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC, in its $2.1 billion business combination with Hyzon Motors, a global supplier of zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cell powered commercial vehicles
CENAQ Energy Corp., a SPAC, in a business combination with Bluescape Clean Fuels, a private company specializing in the supply of gasoline derived from renewable feedstocks
Blackstone in its acquisition of Sabre Industries from The Jordan Company
Blackstone Energy Partners in its majority investment in Geosyntec Consultants, a leading environmental engineering and design consulting firm
Liberty Oilfield Services in its acquisition of Schlumberger’s onshore hydraulic fracturing business
Targa Resources Corp. in its $3.55 billion acquisition of Lucid Energy from Riverstone Holdings and Goldman Sachs Asset Management
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
RSP Permian in the $2.4 billion acquisition of Silver Hill Energy Partners and Silver Hill E&P II
Plains All American Pipeline in its $1.438 billion sale of a 30 percent interest, and sale of a 20 percent interest by Magellan Midstream, for a collective 50 percent interest, in BridgeTex Pipeline Company to OMERS
Oncor Electric Delivery Company in its approximately $400 million asset swap with Sharyland Utilities and Sharyland Distribution & Transmission Services
Devon Energy in the $830 million sale of its assets in the Barnett Shale to Banpu Kalnin Ventures
Osaka Gas in its $610 million acquisition of 100% of the outstanding shares of Sabine Oil & Gas Corporation, a subsidiary of Sabine Oil & Gas Holdings
AltaGas in the $300 million sale of its non-core power assets in California to Middle River Power III
Direct Energy in its $300 million sale of Clockwork, a home services franchise platform, to Authority Brands
Omega Protein in its $500 million sale to Cooke, a global seafood company based in Canada
Unit Corporation, a diversified, publicly-traded energy company engaged in oil and natural gas exploration and production, contract drilling, and midstream services, and its affiliates in connection with its prearranged chapter 11 bankruptcy cases and preservation of net operating losses
Cloud Peak, a coal mine operator, in bankruptcy restructuring matters and the adoption of a NOL poison pill prior to the bankruptcy
Riverstone Holdings in its role as private equity sponsor in connection with the prepackaged chapter 11 bankruptcy cases of UTEX Industries, a leading sealant manufacturer
ProFrac Holding Corp. in its $288 million initial public offering of common stock
Switchback II Corporation, a SPAC, in its $316 million initial public offering of units
Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II, a SPAC, in its $345 million initial public offering of units
TortoiseEcofin Acquisition Corp. III, a SPAC, in its $345 million initial public offering of units
Quintana Energy Services Inc. in its $96 million initial public offering of common stock
TPG RE Finance Trust, Inc. in its $233 million initial public offering and multiple follow-on offerings
FMSA Holdings Inc. in its $400 million initial public offering of common stock by a selling stockholder
Cactus, Inc. in its $503 million initial public offering of common stock
Black Stone Minerals, L.P. in its $428 million initial public offering of common units
AltaGas Power in its $20 million sale of its interests in two biomass plants
Macquarie Capital in the launch of Aerogy, a platform to develop, operate and invest in renewable natural gas infrastructure projects and in the development and financing of Aerogy’s anaerobic digestion based RNG production facility at a leading dairy producer in Wisconsin
Synagro Technologies, a portfolio company of EQT Partners and a wastewater treatment business, in the acquisition of Nursery Products, owner of a composting facility in Southern California
Credentials
- Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, J.D. magna cum laude, 2012 (Order of the Coif; Phi Delta Phi; SMU International Law Review)
- Georgetown University Law Center, LL.M., Taxation with distinction, 2014 (Thomas Bradbury Chetwood, S.J. Prize for ranking first in the Tax LL.M. program; Graduate Tax Scholar)
- University of Oklahoma, B.B.A., Accounting, 2009
- D Magazine, “Best Lawyers Under 40,” 2020, 2021, and 2024
- The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), “Ones to Watch,” Tax Law (Dallas), 2021–2024
- Member: American Bar Association, Dallas Bar Association, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers
- Texas
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- “Tax Considerations on the Acquisition and Disposition of Midstream and Upstream Assets: Avoid the Big Traps,” American Institute of Certified Public Accountants AICPA Oil & Gas Conference, November 11, 2019 (panelist)
- “The New Era of Partnerships As Taxpayers,” American Investment Council, September 28, 2017, (co-author)
- “7-Eleven Asset Acquisition,” Corporate Counsel Magazine, July 2017 (co-author)