Jeff Kinney

JEFF KINNEY’s primary areas of practice include mergers and acquisitions and private equity, with an emphasis both on the renewable and conventional energy industries.

Jeff’s mergers and acquisitions experience spans the various sectors of the energy and infrastructure industries and includes representation of sellers and buyers in all aspects of a transaction. He also advises both management teams and private equity funds in connection with the formation of new portfolio companies. Jeff has developed particular experience with the acquisition and divestiture of energy and infrastructure projects at all stages of development, as well as the formation of joint ventures in support of project development. His diverse experience across the mergers and acquisitions, and private equity spheres provides invaluable insight that Jeff is able to bring to bear on behalf of his clients in each transaction.

Jeff earned his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law, cum laude, where he was an associate editor for the Northwestern University Law Review. He earned his B.A. in History from Texas A&M University.

Prior to completing his undergraduate degree, Jeff served for seven years in the Texas Army National Guard, achieving the rank of Sergeant. Among his many awards, he received the Army Achievement Medal in 2006 and 2009, as well as the Texas Medal of Merit in 2007.

Jeff’s recent representations include:

• Represented Conduit Power, LLC in the expansion of its joint venture with Riley Exploration Permian, Inc. to build new power generation and storage assets for the support of oil and gas development activities in West Texas.
• Represented Stonepeak in a preferred equity investment into Logistec.
• Represented Ensign Natural Resources in the sale of its Eagle Ford assets to Marathon Oil for US$3 billion.
• Represented EnCap Energy Transition in its divestiture of its interests in Triple Oak Power, a developer of renewable power generation projects.
• Represented Enbridge in a preferred equity investment in Divert Inc. to support development of wasted-food-to-renewable natural gas projects across the U.S.
• Represented Constellation Energy Generation, LLC, as lead external counsel, in the US$1.75 billion acquisition of NRG Energy, Inc.’s 44% participation interest in the South Texas Project Electric Generating Station, a 2,645-megawatt nuclear power facility in Matagorda County, Texas.
• Represented JERA Americas Inc. in the US$2.5 billion purchase of a 25.7% equity ownership interest from Global Infrastructure Partners in Freeport LNG Development, L.P. 
• Represented Ensign Natural Resources in its separate acquisition of Eagle Ford Shale assets from Pioneer Natural Resources, Newpek, LLC and Reliance Eagleford Upstream Holding LP.
• Represented WhiteWater Midstream in the acquisition of Sendero Midstream Partners LP’s Gateway Pipeline, a 24-inch interstate natural gas pipeline connected to WhiteWater’ Agua Blanca pipeline system in the Delaware Basin
• Represented Orion Mineral Royalty Fund and Anglo Pacific Group in their joint investment through the making of loans and purchase of royalty interests in an aggregate amount equal to US$140 million in a calcium carbonate mine located in the Dominican Republic and an associated processing facility located in Theodore, Alabama
• Represented Reliance Midstream, LLC in its sale of all of the equity interests of Reliance Gathering, LLC to a joint venture between affiliates of Oryx Midstream and Diamondback Energy, Inc., for a purchase price of US$355 million
• Represented General Electric Company in its joint venture with BlackRock Real Assets to design, build, own and operate distributed solar and storage solutions
• Represents various financial institutions in connection with providing long-term, asset secured wind hedges to support the financing and development of wind power projects
• Represented TerraForm Power, Inc. in connection with the sale of various wind and solar projects to Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
• Represented an investor in connection with its interest in a power generation facility through a leveraged lease arrangement
• Represented an investor in connection with its acquisition of a special purpose vehicle whose sole asset consists of an asset secured, term loan to a midstream pipeline company
• Represented an investor in connection with the financing of development of upstream oil and gas assets through its acquisition of a net profits interest
• Represented an energy focused private equity fund in connection with US$90 million acquisition financing for a 640-megawatt gas-fired peaking power generation facility
• Represented an energy focused private equity fund in connection with US$119 million revolving and term loan financing for a 484-megawatt gas-fired power generation facility
• Represented Denham Capital Management in connection with its investments in various upstream-focused portfolio companies
• Represented a management team in its negotiations with a private equity fund sponsor to form a new portfolio company
• Represented a midstream gathering company in connection with an equity investment by a private equity firm
• Represented a publicly traded midstream oil and gas company in connection with its sale of various terminal and storage assets
• Represented Macquarie Commodities in its acquisition of Cargill’s North American power and gas trading business
• Represented an investor in connection with its acquisition of an interest in an infrastructure manufacturing company
• Represented an infrastructure asset manager in connection with US$392 million sale of a natural gas storage facility
• Represented Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners in its acquisition of preferred securities of Targa as part of a US$1 billion issuance
• Represented Partners Group in its acquisition of a 25% stake in Sentinel Energy Center
• Represented United Airlines in connection with its 2015 investment in Azul S.A., a Brazilian airline
• Represented United Airlines in connection with the sale of its interests in a foreign joint venture among major airlines
• Represented a “social-purpose” focused pro-bono client in connection with a private placement of equity interests to support business growth in developing countries