Houston Business Journal Highlights Lawyers from Akin Gump’s Energy and IP Practices
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Houston Business Journal has featured several lawyers from Akin Gump’s Houston office in separate features on the largest energy and intellectual property law firms.
Oil and gas partners Chris LaFollette, who serves as partner in charge of the office, Michael Byrd and David Elder were highlighted in the energy law firm feature.
Speaking of the deals from their respective careers of which they are most proud, Byrd referenced the divestiture by Newfield Exploration Co. of its Granite Wash assets in 2014 to First Reserve-backed Templar Energy for $588.5 million. He noted the entire purchase and sale agreement were negotiated “under a 72-hour deadline, including a nonstop face-to-face meeting that lasted 28 consecutive hours.” Elder spoke of the initial public offering of Sanchez Energy Corp., which was “completed in near-record time, along with a related acquisition of acreage for common stock simultaneously.”
The largest intellectual property law firms feature included IP partner David Clonts and counsel John Grantham and Jamie Duncan.
When asked what case he was most proud of, Clonts said it was a “take-nothing defense verdict following a nine-week trial in a massive, nine-figure case between two heavyweights in the computer memory industry.” Grantham described a six-week trial over the licensed use of encryption technology in which the Akin Gump team secured a complete victory for the client. Going to trial, he said “is an amazing and fulfilling process to go through in and of itself, but achieving a great result for your client is an experience that cannot be beat.”