Archie Fallon

Willkie advised Easton Energy, a Houston-based midstream company and portfolio company of Cresta Fund Management, on the sale of its Gulf Coast Liquids Pipeline System to ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE) for approximately $280 million. On May 13, Easton announced that it entered into an agreement to sell its system of approximately 450 miles of natural gas liquids and hydrocarbon pipelines located throughout the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast midstream corridors to ONEOK, a leading midstream operator and S&P 500 company. Cresta Fund Management is a Dallas-based private equity firm providing growth equity for sustainable and conventional energy infrastructure solutions for the industrial, logistics and agricultural sectors. The firm has approximately $1.6 billion of assets under management. The Willkie team was led by partners Archie Fallon and Aaron Savella and included associate Ryan McNamara.

May 14

1 min

Willkie represented LS Power Equity Advisors, LLC in the successful sale of a portfolio of natural gas generation facilities and a commercial and industrial virtual power plant platform to NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE: NRG). LS Power recently announced that it completed the sale of 18 natural gas-fired facilities totaling approximately 13 GW of capacity, and of CPower, a leading commercial and industrial virtual power plant platform, to NRG in a cash and common stock transaction valued at approximately $13 billion. The milestone deal closed shortly after Willkie secured antitrust clearance for the transaction. The Willkie team was led by partner Adam Turteltaub with partners Archie Fallon, Giovanni Smedley and Christian Truman. The team also included partners Robert Lepore, Hannah Frank, Lisa Lind and Antonio Yanez, and counsel Christi Davis.

Feb 4

1 min

Willkie recently represented energy storage business Caliche Development Partners in its acquisition by Sixth Street, a leading global investment firm, announced on August 20. Caliche is a Houston-based energy company focused on the underground storage of natural gas, industrial gases like hydrogen and helium, and carbon sequestration. Sixth Street's investment includes the company's Golden Triangle Storage (GTS) facilities and carbon sequestration development project in Beaumont, TX, and its Central Valley Gas Storage facilities in Princeton, CA. The investment provides Caliche with additional resources to pursue new opportunities and to expand the GTS complex. Following the close of the transaction, Caliche's leadership will continue to oversee day-to-day operations and will remain investors in the company. Sixth Street's investment is subject to certain regulatory approvals. The Willkie deal team was led by partner Archie Fallon and included partners Kris Agarwal, Ryan Giggs, counsel Emerson Girardeau, and associate Zoe Sellman.

Aug 21

1 min

New York, NY (May 6, 2024)  --- Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP announced today the launch of its Dallas office. The office opening will be supported by a team of seven partners, three of whom just joined Willkie: Tom Tippetts, Brandon McCoy and Chase Proctor. In addition, Willkie partners Archie Fallon, Tony Johnston, Sarah McLean and Jessica Sheridan, who have strong private equity experience, will maintain offices in Dallas. Today’s announcement marks the latest development in the ongoing growth of Willkie’s Texas platform. Each member of the team supporting the opening has deep experience in the Dallas market, particularly in private equity and M&A across various industries. With the additions of Tom, Brandon and Chase, Willkie has added eight lateral partners in Texas since the start of 2023. Willkie Chairman Thomas Cerabino said: “Texas is a dynamic and thriving market, and an important pillar of our global strategy. While we’ve been in Texas for more than a decade, the decision to open a second Texas office in Dallas reflects Willkie’s commitment to the region, as well as the needs of our clients. Our Texas platform is focused on private equity, M&A and transactional work, in the energy sector and non-energy related sectors.” Archie Fallon, Managing Partner of Willkie’s Houston office commented: “Dallas clients have been encouraging us to open a Dallas office for some time. Tom, Brandon and Chase know the Dallas market well, and their stellar track record and experience will complement our strong M&A and private equity capabilities in Texas and across the Firm.” Tom Tippetts commented: “Willkie is an elite corporate firm with one of the most active private equity practices. The platform is a perfect fit for our practices now and into the future. We are thrilled to join Willkie at such an exciting time of growth for the firm and in the Dallas area.” Brandon McCoy commented: “Willkie has long been known as a private equity and M&A powerhouse, and we have been impressed by the firm’s collegiality and entrepreneurial spirit. Tom, Chase and I are proud to be part of the team that will continue to grow and develop Willkie’s platform in the Lone Star state.” Today’s announcement brings Willkie’s total number of offices globally to 15, and follows the launch of our Munich office earlier this year. This follows the successful openings of our Los Angeles (2021), Chicago (2020), San Francisco (2019) and Palo Alto (2018) offices. Biographical notes: Tom Tippetts focuses on domestic and cross-border complex business transactions for both private and public clients in a broad range of industries, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, carve-out transactions, divestitures, recapitalizations, equity and debt financings, joint ventures, and distressed transactions.  He also regularly advises clients on general corporate matters, including corporate governance issues. Brandon McCoy leads complex business transactions for private and public clients across a broad range of industries, with a focus on mergers, acquisitions, private equity investments, and joint ventures. He is also a certified public accountant. Chase Proctor has experience in domestic and international acquisitions, divestitures, securities transactions and other complex business transactions. He represents both corporations and private equity and venture capital firms in structuring, negotiating, documenting and closing investments, acquisitions and dispositions. They join from Haynes and Boone, LLP. ***************************************************** Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP provides leading-edge legal solutions on complex, business critical issues spanning markets and industries. Our approximately 1,200 attorneys across 15 offices worldwide deliver innovative, pragmatic and sophisticated legal services across approximately 45 practice areas. Learn more at www.willkie.com.

May 6

3 min

New York, NY (July 1, 2025) --- Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP today announced that Blake Winburne has joined the Firm as a partner in the Corporate & Financial Services Department. He is based in the Firm’s Houston office and will serve as Co-Chair of the Firm’s Energy and Infrastructure Practice. Blake is a market-leading transactional attorney who counsels clients on complex mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, investments and joint ventures, as well as the development, structuring and financing of large-scale infrastructure projects in the United States and internationally. He regularly handles transactions involving electric power generation and transmission assets – including fossil fuel-fired, renewable energy and battery storage projects – as well as oil, natural-gas, refined products and alternative fuels transportation and storage facilities, and data centers and other digital infrastructure.  Blake is highly recognized in the market, with accolades that include a Band 1 Chambers USA ranking in Power & Renewables: Transactional and recognition as a “Hall of Fame” practitioner in Energy Transactions: Electric Power by Legal 500 USA. Firm Chairman Matthew Feldman commented: “Blake maintains a sophisticated and broad M&A practice – including significant electric power, oil and gas, and renewables sector work – that brings depth to our growing energy and infrastructure platform. This is a pivotal time in the energy industry, and Blake’s extensive transactional experience will be a valuable resource for our clients.” Blake represents private equity and credit funds, energy companies, project developers and sponsors, borrowers and debt issuers, investment banks, and other capital providers and investors. Blake was previously a partner at Orrick, where he had various roles leading that firm’s global energy and infrastructure practice. “Willkie’s global energy and infrastructure platform is one of the most dynamic in the market, with a superb reputation and depth of practice in high-end M&A, financing, commodities and offtakes, restructuring, fund formation, and regulatory matters, all of which are tremendously important in today’s evolving energy landscape,” said Blake. “I look forward to contributing to the expansion of the Firm’s deep transactional capabilities in Texas and throughout the United States and internationally.” Archie Fallon, Managing Partner of the Houston office, noted:  “At a time of remarkable change in the energy sector, Willkie is committed to advising the market’s leading investors, developers and multinational companies on their most strategic transactions and substantial controversies, and has been growing the Firm’s Houston office and broader Texas platform to meet that need.  Blake will be a great addition to that platform, integrating with Willkie’s global energy and infrastructure team in New York, Washington DC, Paris and London, in addition to Houston and Dallas.” Blake is the latest partner addition to Willkie’s steadily growing cross-office energy team. In recent months, Willkie has continued its expansion of the team serving the energy and infrastructure sector, including the additions of capital markets partner Hannah Thompson Frank in Washington DC, and energy private equity partners Larry Hall and Jon Platt in Dallas. ***************************************************** Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP provides leading-edge legal solutions on complex, business critical issues spanning markets and industries. Our more than 1,200 attorneys across 15 offices worldwide deliver innovative, pragmatic and sophisticated legal services across approximately 45 practice areas. Learn more at www.willkie.com.

Jul 1

2 min