Chris Heasley, P.C.
Overview
Experience
Representative Matters
Since joining Kirkland, Chris has been involved in the following representations:
Renewables & Tax Equity Financings
- Hatch Renewables, a portfolio company of Ridgemont Equity Partners, in its battery storage partnership with Equilibrium Energy
- Pacolet Milliken, a sustainability-focused investment firm, in its joint venture investment with Evensol, a leading developer of renewable biogas assets
- Tailwater Capital, together with its portfolio company, Blue Tide Environmental, in the sale of a 49% interest in Blue Tide Environmental to Pennzoil-Quaker State, a subsidiary of Shell plc, to establish a joint venture that builds, owns and operates a global network of lubricant recycling facilities
- TPG Rise Climate, a global impact investing platform managed by TPG Global, in its 1/3 equity investment in Monarch Bioenergy, a joint venture between Roeslein Alternative Energy and Smithfield Foods that is a leader in capturing agricultural methane emissions and converting them into carbon-negative renewable natural gas
- Cypress Creek Renewables in the tax equity financing of the 270 MW Shakes solar project located in Dimmit County, Texas
- Private equity fund in a preferred equity investment in a direct air carbon capture business
- Private equity fund in the acquisition of a 150 MW solar project and 20 MW storage project
- Private equity fund in a joint venture to acquire royalty interests on wind generation projects
Technology
- Thoma Bravo in Riskonnect’s growth investment by TA Associates
- HGGC in its $240 million joint investment in Fullscript with Snapdragon Capital Partners
- Private equity fund in a private tender offer for a leading healthcare supplement provider
- Private equity fund in the acquisition of an enterprise software provider
Energy & Infrastructure
- Crescent Energy Company (NYSE: CRGY) in its $905 million acquisition of Central Eagle Ford assets from Ridgemar Energy
- Franklin Mountain Energy and Avant Natural Resources in the sale of certain assets in the Permian Basin to Coterra Energy (NYSE: CTRA) for a combined $3.95 billion
- Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: FANG) in the exchange of certain of its Delaware Basin assets and $238 million in cash for TRP’s Midland Basin assets
- Crescent Energy Company (NYSE: CRGY) in its $168 million acquisition of Central Eagle Ford assets
- Advised the seller of a package of natural gas properties in eastern Texas on a purchase and sale agreement with Diversified Energy Co. PLC (LSE: DEC; NYSE: DEC)
- Echo Minerals in its sale of mineral and royalty interests in the Permian and Anadarko basins to Sixth Street Partners
- Diversified Energy Company (NYSE:DEC) in the issuance of $610 million of asset-backed securities backed by producing wells, and the associated repayment of certain previously issued asset-backed securities
- Benchmark Energy II in multiple transactions, including:
- The investment of a majority interest in Benchmark by Acacia Research Corporation
- The acquisition of upstream oil and gas assets in the Western Anadarko Basin in Oklahoma and Texas from Revolution Resources
- Obtaining a new $150 million revolving credit facility from Frost Bank that refinances existing indebtedness, supports ongoing working capital needs, and helped Benchmark acquire significant upstream assets and related facilities within the Western Anadarko Basin
- Mach Natural Resources LP (NYSE: MNR) in its $815 million acquisition of certain interests in oil and gas properties, rights, and related assets located in certain counties in Oklahoma from Paloma Partners IV LLC
- Tall City Property Holdings III, a portfolio company of Warburg Pincus LLC, in the sale of its Delaware Basin assets to Vital Energy (NYSE: VTLE) for $285 million in cash and 1.58 million common shares
- Magnolia Oil & Gas (NYSE: MGY) in its $300 million acquisition of 48,000 net acres in Giddings
- Engine No. 1 in its proposed strategic partnership with Vale and Manara Minerals to invest in Vale Base Metals, the holding entity for Vale’s energy transition metals business
- Crescent Energy Company (NYSE: CRGY) in its $600 million acquisition of Western Eagle Ford assets from Mesquite Energy, Inc.
- Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: FANG) in its acquisition of all leasehold interest and related assets of Lario Permian, LLC and certain associated sellers in exchange for 4.18 million shares of Diamondback common stock and $850 million of cash
- Hatch Royalty LLC in Kimbell Royalty Partners, LP's (NYSE: KRP) approximately $290 million purchase of its mineral and royalty interests located in the Permian Basin
- Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: FANG) in its acquisition of all leasehold interest and related assets of FireBird Energy in exchange for 5.86 million shares of Diamondback common stock and $775 million of cash
- Diversified Energy Company plc (LSE: DEC) in its $240 million acquisition of certain upstream oil and gas assets and related facilities in Oklahoma and Texas from ConocoPhillips Company (NYSE: COP)
- Mesa Royalties II in its acquisition of a mineral and royalty portfolio containing ~15,000 net royalty acres in the core of the Haynesville Shale from an undisclosed seller
- RimRock Oil & Gas LP, a portfolio company of Warburg Pincus LLC, in its $865 million sale of leasehold interest and related assets in the Williston Basin to Devon Energy Corp. (NYSE: DVN)
- Formentera Partners in its acquisition of upstream oil and gas assets and carbon capture assets from Rockall Energy Holdings as part of the 363 sales process of the debtor seller
- Crescent Energy Company (NYSE: CRGY) in its $815 million all-cash acquisition of Uinta Basin assets from Verdun Oil Company II LLC
- APR Operating LLC in its sale of oil and gas assets in the Permian Basin to Petro-Hunt LLC
- Avenue Capital, a global investment firm focused on distressed securities and private equity, and Echo Energy, an independent oil and gas company, on their sale of oil and gas mineral interests to Brigham Minerals, Inc., (NYSE: MNRL), for a combination of cash and shares in MNRL
- Maverick Natural Resources in its $440 million acquisition of certain producing properties in the Permian Basin from ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP)
- Warburg Pincus and Chisholm Energy Holdings LLC in Chisholm’s $604 million divestiture of its Northern Delaware Basin assets to Earthstone Energy, Inc. (NYSE: ESTE)
- Private equity-backed oil and gas company in the $508.3 million divestiture of its assets to Lime Rock Resources
- GEP Haynesville, LLC in its $1.85 billion sale to Southwestern Energy (NYSE: SWN)
- JDH Capital in the sale of two peaker power plants to Rockland Capital
- HG Energy II Appalachia, LLC/Quantum in the $400 million sale of certain oil & gas assets to an affiliate of Wincoram Asset Management
- Warburg Pincus and Hawkwood Energy in Hawkwood’s $650 million acquisition by WildFire Energy I
- Extraction Oil & Gas, Inc. (NASDAQ: XOG) in Civitas Resources, Inc.’s $4.5 billion acquisition of Crestone Peak Resources
- Extraction Oil & Gas, Inc. (NASDAQ: XOG) in its approximately $2.6 billion all-stock merger of equals with Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc. (NYSE: BCEI)
- Mesa Minerals Partners, LLC in its sale of oil and gas mineral interests in the Haynesville natural gas play to a subsidiary of Franco-Nevada Corporation
- QL Capital Partners in the formation of an up to $550 million drilling partnership with Antero Resources Corporation
- Northern Oil and Gas Inc. in its acquisition of certain non-operated natural gas assets in the Appalachian Basin from a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd.
- Guidon Operating LLC in the divestiture of all leasehold interests and related assets to Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: FANG) for 10.63 million shares of Diamondback common stock and $375 million
- Maverick Natural Resources in its merger with FourPoint Energy LLC to create Unbridled Resources LLC
- BCE-Mach III LLC in its acquisition of Alta Mesa Holdings, LP and its subsidiaries’ upstream oil and gas assets and Kingfisher Midstream, LLC and its subsidiaries’ midstream assets as part of the 363 sales process of the debtor sellers
- Santa Elena Minerals, LP in its $150 million sale of certain mineral and royalty interests to Viper Energy Partners LP (NASDAQ:VNOM) in an all-equity transaction
- KKR/Spur Energy Partners LLC in its $925 million acquisition of assets in the New Mexico Shelf from Concho Resources Inc.
- Hilcorp Alaska in its $5.6 billion acquisition of BP’s (NYSE:BP) upstream and midstream business in Alaska
- Desert Royalty Company, LLC in its combination with Kimmeridge Energy Management Company, LLC to form Desert Peak Minerals, the largest pure-play mineral and royalty company in the Delaware Basin
- BCE-Mach II LLC in its acquisition of producing properties in Oklahoma and Texas
- Private operator in its $165 million drilling participation arrangement with a Development Capital Resources-managed subsidiary, capitalized by funds managed by affiliates of Ares Management Corporation, to jointly develop drilling locations in the Permian Basin’s Wolfcamp formation
- Gastar Exploration LLC/Ares in the Strategic combination and merger with Chisholm Oil and Gas LLC
- Ensign Natural Resources LLC/Warburg Pincus in the acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc.’s Eagle Ford Shale assets, including approximately 59,000 net acres and 14,400 net boepd
- Maverick Natural Resources in its acquisition of producing properties in the Overton field in East Texas, including approximately 11,000 net acres and 2,700 net boepd
- HG Energy II Appalachia, LLC/Quantum in the $400 million divestiture of producing, unconventional wellbores to Diversified Gas & Oil Corporation
- Vanguard Natural Resources, Inc. in the following divestitures of oil and gas assets: (i) sale of its interest in properties located in Mississippi to private equity backed oil and gas company and private oil and gas company; (ii) sale of its interest in properties located in the Permian Basin to private oil and gas company; (iii) sale of its interest in properties located in the Green River Basin to private equity backed oil and gas company; (iv) swap of its interest in properties in Wyoming with private oil and gas company; (v) sale of its interest in natural gas properties and associated midstream assets located in Potato Hills field in the Arkoma Basin to private oil and gas company; and (vi) sale of its interest in properties in Texas to private oil and gas company
- BCE-Mach LLC in its acquisition of Repsol E&P USA Inc.’s producing properties in Alfalfa, Garfield, Grant, Kay, Major, Harper, Noble, Pawnee, Payne, Woods and Woodward Counties, Oklahoma and Barber, Comanche, Finney, Ford, Gove, Gray, Harper, Hodgeman, Ness, Reno, Scott, Sumner and Wichita Counties, Kansas
- KKR/Venado Oil & Gas, LLC in the acquisition of operated assets in the Eagle Ford oil window of South Texas from Texas American Resources Company I, LLC
- FourPoint Energy in its formation of a new pure-play Midland Basin joint venture with Double Eagle Energy Holdings III LLC named DoublePoint Energy, LLC, with over 70,000 acres in Midland, Glassock, Martin, Howard, Upton and Reagan Counties, Texas
- PE-backed oil and gas company in its $553 million acquisition of Devon Energy Corporation’s (NYSE:DVN) oil and gas properties in the Barnett Shale
- Ares Management, L.P. in its majority investment into Admiral Permian Resources, LLC, a Texas-based independent oil and gas company and the related acquisition of more than 59,000 net acres from Three Rivers Operating Co. III LLC (3ROC) in the Delaware Basin
- HG Energy II Appalachia, LLC in its exchange transaction with CNX Resources Corp. and CNX Midstream Partners LP
- Warburg Pincus/RimRock Oil & Gas Williston, LLC in the $500 million acquisition of non-operated upstream assets in the Bakken Shale from Whiting Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: WLL)
- GSO/Sequel Energy Group LLC in the formation of $325 million drilling partnership to develop domestic unconventional resources in the Utica Shale with Eclipse Resources Corp. (NYSE: ECR)
- Alta Marcellus Development, LLC in its $1.24 billion acquisition of operated and non-operated upstream assets and operated midstream assets in the Marcellus Shale of north-central Pennsylvania from Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: APC)
- KKR in its $625 million divestiture of certain Eagle Ford Shale assets owned by KKR and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: APC) to WildHorse Development Corporation (NYSE: WRD) paid in cash and WRD common stock
- Private equity fund in its divestiture and unwind of an existing drilling partnership with a private oil and gas company to develop Eagle Ford Shale assets
- HG Energy II LLC/Quantum in the $1.23 billion acquisition of Noble Energy, Inc.’s (NYSE: NBL) upstream assets in the Marcellus Shale play
- KKR/Venado Oil and Gas, LLC in its $300 million acquisition of certain of EXCO Resources, Inc.’s (NYSE: XCO) producing and non-producing oil and natural gas properties in South Texas
- PE-backed oil and gas company in its substantial acquisition of certain non-operated oil and gas properties in the Eagle Ford Shale
- Indigo Haynesville in its agreement to purchase from Chesapeake Energy Corp. a portion of its acreage and producing properties in its Haynesville Shale operating area in northern Louisiana for approximately $450 million and associated placement of second lien and equity financing with a syndicate of private equity firms
- Samson Resources Corporation in its Chapter 11 restructuring in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Samson, a leading onshore oil and gas exploration and production company with headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, held oil and gas assets primarily located in Colorado, Louisiana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. In Chapter 11, Samson successfully executed on six simultaneous asset sales during its restructuring, with an aggregate purchase price of $650 million, and negotiated a global settlement with its major stakeholders, resolving all open issues in its bankruptcy. Samson’s plan of reorganization deleveraged its balance sheet by approximately $4 billion and positioned Samson for future success after emergence
- Independent oil and gas company in its formation of an acquisition partnership to acquire and develop oil and gas assets in the Permian Basin
- Private equity fund in its unwind of an existing drilling partnership with a private oil and gas company and associated acquisition of additional working interest in the Eagle Ford Shale
- KKR/Haymaker Resources LP in the acquisition of Chesapeake Energy Corporation’s (NYSE: CHK) producing and non-producing mineral and royalty interests associated with over 8,500 wells across 24 states and 324 counties
- Large global investment fund in its formation of drilling participation arrangement with Gastar Exploration Inc. (NYSE: GST) to jointly develop up to 60 Gastar-operated wells in the STACK play in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma
- Independent oil and gas company in its $423 million acquisition of Devon Energy Corporation’s (NYSE:DVN) oil and gas properties in the southern Midland Basin
- TPG Special Situations Partners, LLC in its formation of $400 million drilling partnership to develop domestic unconventional resources in the Midland Basin with Hunt Oil Company
- Private equity fund in its formation of drilling partnership to develop assets in the Permian Basin
- Indigo Minerals LLC in its $375 million equity capital raise and the acquisition of certain producing and undeveloped Cotton Valley and Haynesville properties from a private exploration and development company
- Independent oil and gas company in its divestiture of undivided working interest in large-scale position in the Permian Basin
- Seneca Resources Corporation in its formation of drilling partnership to develop unconventional resources in Pennsylvania with an affiliate of IOG Capital, LP and Fortress Investment Group, LLC (NYSE: FIG) and the subsequent modified extension of the original joint development agreement
- KKR/Fleur de Lis Energy, LLC in the acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation’s CO2 enhanced oil recovery properties in the Powder River and Green River Basins of Wyoming
- GSO Capital Partners LP in its formation of $500 million drilling partnership to develop domestic unconventional resources with Linn Energy (NASDAQ: LINE)
- Private equity fund in its formation of drilling partnership to develop unconventional resources in South Texas
- KKR in its formation of drilling partnership with Anadarko Petroleum to develop Eaglebine Shale assets
- East Resources and private oil company in the $1.75 billion divestiture of oil and gas assets in the Utica and Marcellus Shale plays to affiliates of American Energy Partners, LP
Prior to joining Kirkland, Chris was involved in the following representations:
Acquisitions, Divestitures and Joint Ventures
- Private equity fund formation of drilling partnership to develop Bakken Shale assets
- Carlyle Group in its formation of joint venture with Hilcorp Energy to develop Utica Shale assets
- KKR in its formation of multiple drilling partnerships to develop Eagle Ford Shale assets
- Dominion Resources Inc. in its farmout of 90,000 Marcellus Shale acres underlying gas storage fields to CONSOL Energy Inc.
Other Energy Project Development
- International oil company in its structuring of initial investments in U.S. Gulf of Mexico deep-water oil and gas assets
Prior Experience
Associate, Baker Botts L.L.P.
More
Thought Leadership
Publications
Energy: Oil & Gas 2024, Chambers and Partners: Law and Practice, August 2024
Energy: Oil & Gas 2023, Chambers and Partners: Law and Practice, August 2023
Energy: Oil & Gas 2022, Chambers and Partners: Law and Practice, August 2022
Energy: Oil & Gas 2021, Chambers and Partners: Law and Practice, August 2021
Dakota Access Pipeline Shutdown Order: What Happened and What’s Next, Energy Law Report, November 2020
Implications for the Energy Industry in Light of the U.S. Supreme Court Decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma, Energy Law Report, November 2020
Energy: Oil & Gas 2020, Chambers and Partners: Law and Practice
Oil And Gas Shut-Ins Risk Royalty Litigation, Law360, April 17, 2020
Dwindling Oil Storage Capacity and Impacts on Energy Companies, The Texas Lawbook, April 3, 2020
Energy: Oil & Gas 2019, Chambers and Partners: Law and Practice
INSIGHT: Price Stabilization, Private Equity Engagement to Bolster Oil & Gas M&A Activity, Bloomberg Environment and Energy Report, October 4, 2018
Applying Title Defects Under a Typical Purchase Agreement, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, September 2018
Dealing with Midstream Commitments or Acquisitions as a Private Equity Purchaser, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, April 2018
Energy: Oil & Gas 2018, Chambers and Partners: Law and Practice, July 2017
Trends and Issues with 'DrillCo' Transactions, Texas Lawyer, November 5, 2015
Seminars
“How Secure Is Your Performance Security? Performance Bonds, Parent Guarantees, and Letters of Credit,” The Foundation of Natural Resources and Energy Law Institute, July 21, 2023
“Applying Title Defects Under a Typical Purchase Agreement,” RMMLF Due Diligence in Oil & Gas and Mining Transactions, September 28, 2018
“Dealing with Midstream Commitments or Acquisitions as a Private Equity Purchaser,” RMMLF Midstream Oil & Gas from the Upstream Perspective, April 24, 2018
“Gathering Agreements - Nuts and Bolts,” CLE presentation to BHP Billiton, Houston, April 14, 2016
Recognition
Recognized for Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional) (USA) by Chambers Global, 2022–2024
Recognized for Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional) (USA) by Chambers USA, 2021–2024
Recognized for Energy Transactions: Oil and Gas by The Legal 500 United States, 2021–2024
Recognized as "Texas Rising Star" by Super Lawyers, 2021–2023
Recognized for M&A: Large Deals ($1bn+) by The Legal 500 United States, 2019–2020
Recognized for Energy Transactions: Conventional Power by The Legal 500 United States, 2019
Memberships & Affiliations
University of Chicago Law School Corporate Lab Alumni Advisory Board, Member
Houston Bar Association
Houston Young Lawyer Association
Houston Food Bank F.R.E.S.H. Young Professionals, Board Member
Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- Texas
Education
- University of Chicago Law SchoolJ.D.with Honors
Transactional Law Fellow
Joseph E. Green Scholarship
Edmund A. Spencer Scholarship
Corporate Lab Clinic, Director
- The George Washington UniversityB.A., International Affairs & Political Sciencemagna cum laude