American Lawyer Lists Lande Spottswood, Bryan Loocke Among Top Texas Lawyers in 2025

Vinson & Elkins partners Lande Spottswood and Bryan Loocke are finalists in The American Lawyer’s 2025 Texas Legal Awards, nominated for Dealmaker of the Year and Energy Attorney of the Year, respectively.

The Texas Legal Awards honor attorneys who have made a significant impact on the legal landscape in Texas and delivered outstanding results for their clients. The American Lawyer evaluates nominees using a comprehensive selection process that considers the importance of the legal matters involved, the innovation or impact of the work, practice area, and contributions to pro bono efforts.

A Deputy Practice Group Leader of the firm’s Corporate practice group, Spottswood was named one of the state’s top dealmakers for her handling of multiple, billion-dollar mergers in 2024, including representing Sunoco LP in its $7.3 billion acquisition of NuStar Energy and Energy Transfer in its $3.25 billion acquisition of WTG Midstream Holdings. This is the second consecutive year The American Lawyer has ranked her among the state’s top dealmakers.

The Managing Partner of Vinson & Elkins’ Houston office, Loocke was named a finalist for Energy Attorney of the Year for his work on major upstream and midstream oil and gas transactions. His work included representing Grayson Mill Holdings in its $5 billion sale of Williston Basin assets to Devon Energy, advising EnCap Investments and Ameredev in a $1.905 billion Delaware Basin deal with Matador Resources, and representing EnCap and XCL Resources in the $2.55 billion sale of Uinta Basin assets to SM Energy and Northern Oil and Gas.

Together, Spottswood and Loocke are key members of Vinson & Elkins’ renowned Mergers & Acquisitions and Energy practice groups, which are widely recognized for delivering innovative legal solutions to clients.

To view the full list of Texas Legal Awards finalists and honorees, click here.