Cephas Sekhar
Overview
Cephas Sekhar is a corporate partner in the Houston office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He routinely represents public and private companies across various industries, including private equity firms, in a range of complex M&A transactions including strategic mergers, joint ventures, take-privates and cross-border transactions.
Experience
Representative Matters
Since joining Kirkland, Cephas has been involved in the following matters:
- 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
- Team, Inc. (NYSE: TISI), a global leading provider of integrated, digitally-enabled asset performance assurance and optimization solutions, in its $280 million sale of its Quest Integrity business to Baker Hughes
- Bluescape Clean Fuels, LLC, in its definitive business combination agreement with CENAQ Energy Corp., a special purpose acquisition company focused on energy and energy transition
- Colgate Energy Partners III LLC in its $3.9 billion merger of equals with Centennial Resource Development Inc. (NASDAQ: CDEV) to create the largest pure-play E&P in the Delaware Basin
- Whiting Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: WLL) in its $6 billion merger of equals with Oasis Petroleum Inc. (NASDAQ: OAS)
- Noble Corporation (NYSE: NE) in its $3.4 billion all-stock merger of equals with Maersk Drilling (CSE: DRLCO)
- HealthCor Catalio Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: HCAQ), a special purpose acquisition company, in its $580 million combination with Hyperfine, Inc., creator of the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared portable magnetic resonance imaging device, Swoop™, and Liminal Sciences, Inc., a medical device development company dedicated to non-invasive measurement of key vital signs in the brain
- Ivanhoe Capital Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, in its $3.6 billion combination with SES Holdings Pte. Ltd., a developer and manufacturer of high-performance Hybrid Lithium-Metal (Li-Metal) rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles
- Catalyst Partners Acquisition Corp. [NASDAQ: CPARU], a special purpose acquisition company, in its $300 million initial public offering
- Noble Corporation in its acquisition of Pacific Drilling Co. LLC in an all-stock transaction
- Peridot Acquisition Corp. II, a blank check company sponsored by an affiliate of Carnelian Energy Capital Management, L.P in its upsized $360 million initial public offering
- Vector Acquisition Corporation II, a special purpose acquisition company that will target business in the technology and technology-enabled services sectors, with its upsized $450 million initial public offering
- Vector Acquisition Corporation in its $4.1 billion definitive merger agreement with Rocket Lab USA, Inc.
- Conflicts committee of the board of directors of the general partner of TC PipeLines, LP (NYSE: TCP) in its approximately $1.68 billion all-stock acquisition by TC Energy Corporation (NYSE: TRP)
- HighPoint Resources Corp. (NYSE: HPR) in its $376 million combination with Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc. (NYSE: BCEI)
- Brookfield Infrastructure in its $6.9 billion joint venture with Blackstone Infrastructure to acquire a 42% stake in Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE: CQP)
- Peridot Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, in its $300 million initial public offering. Peridot is sponsored by an affiliate of Carnelian Energy Capital Management, LP and will target businesses in the electrification, clean fuel transportation, self-directed and autonomous mobility and related infrastructure, energy storage and efficiency, smart grid technology and renewable energy sectors
- Vector Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition company that will target businesses in the technology and technology-enabled services sectors, in connection with its $300 million initial public offering
- WPX Energy, Inc. (NYSE: WPX) in its $12 billion all-stock merger of equals with Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE: DVN)
- Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB) in its sale of its North American onshore hydraulic fracturing business to Liberty Oilfield Services Inc. (NYSE: LBRT)
- Bristow Group Inc. in its all-stock business combination with Era Group Inc. (NYSE:ERA)
- Revolution II WI Holding Company, LLC, an affiliate of Mountain Capital Partners, LP, in its approximately $201.5 million acquisition of Jones Energy II, Inc. (OTC: JEII) in an all-cash transaction
Prior to joining Kirkland, Cephas' representative transactions included:
- OCI N.V. in its take-private of OCI Partners LP
- Mountain Capital Partners in several acquisitions
- JP Energy Partners LP in its merger with American Midstream Partners, LP
- Summit Midstream Partners, LLC in its drop down of operating assets
- BreitBurn Energy Partners L.P. in its $3 billion acquisition of QR Energy, LP
- Energy Transfer Partners LP in its $5.3 billion acquisition of Sunoco Inc.
- K-Sea Transportation Partners L.P. in its $600 million sale to Kirby Corporation
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Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- 2011Texas
Education
- University of Texas at Austin School of LawJ.D.with Honors2009
- Texas A&M UniversityM.A., English Literature2000
- Northwest UniversityB.A., Business Administrationmagna cum laude1997
News &
Insights
Kirkland Advises Diamondback Energy on its Midland Basin Acquisition