Bryan E. Loocke

Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions and Oil & Gas Transactions

“Often the deals I work on are not only complex, they are career-making transactions for my clients. We are just as focused as they are on getting that deal done, and getting it done correctly.”

Bryan E. Loocke

Overview

Bryan Loocke is an accomplished transactional lawyer who represents public and private clients in a variety of domestic upstream and midstream oil and gas transactions.

Bryan is highly experienced in leading complex deals that require multidisciplinary teams.

Over the course of nearly two decades he has been involved in a wide range of transactions including drilling participation agreements, farmouts, operating agreements, gathering and transportation agreements, rig agreements, production payments, preferred equity investments and traditional and mezzanine financings.

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Experience Highlights

  • Baytex Energy Corp. (TSX: BTE) (NYSE: BTE) in the $2.305 billion sale of its Eagle Ford assets

  • Flywheel Energy Operating, a portfolio company of funds managed by Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, in its $1.86 billion acquisition of all Fayetteville Shale and ARKOMA upstream and midstream assets of Southwestern Energy Company via the acquisition of 100% of the issued and outstanding securities in SWN Production (Arkansas), LLC and DeSoto Gathering Company, LLC

  • Deep Gulf Energy Companies, a deepwater oil and gas exploration and development business operating in the Gulf of Mexico and a portfolio company of First Reserve, in its $1.225 billion sale to Kosmos Energy 

  • PennEnergy Resources, LLC in connection with its purchase of substantially all of the assets of Rex Energy Corporation for $600.5 million and negotiation of a comprehensive global settlement to the chapter 11 case

  • Lucid Energy Group II in the $1.6 billion sale of the company, an EnCap Flatrock Midstream portfolio company, to a joint venture controlled by investment funds affiliated with Riverstone Holdings and the Goldman Sachs Group 

  • Brigham Resources in the $2.55 billion cash and stock sale of all of its leasehold interests and related assets to Diamondback Energy

  • Concho Resources in its $1.625 billion acquisition of oil and gas assets from Reliance Energy

  • Black Mountain Oil & Gas LLC in the $700 million sale of certain assets in the Permian’s Northern Delaware basin of New Mexico to Marathon Oil Corporation

  • Sentinel Peak Resources California, LLC, a portfolio company of Quantum Energy Partners, in the $592 million acquisition (with potential additional consideration of $150 million) of certain oil and gas leases, wells and related assets in California from Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas

  • Crestone Peak Resources LLC in the $900 million acquisition of oil and gas assets in the DJ/Wattenberg Basin including more than 1,600 wells and 51,000 net acres from an affiliate of Encana Corporation

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Credentials

Education

  • The University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 2002
  • St. Edward’s University, B.A., summa cum laude, 1999

Admissions

  • Texas

Recognitions

  • Energy Attorney of the Year, Texas Lawyer, 2025
  • Listed Among Top Texas Lawyers, American Lawyer, 2025
  • Legal 500 U.S., Energy: Transactions: Oil & Gas, 2018–2025; “Next Generation Lawyer” in Energy: Transactions: Oil & Gas, 2019–2025; “Next Generation Partner” in Energy: Transactions: Oil & Gas, 2026; “Leading Partner” in Energy: Transactions: Oil & Gas, 2026
  • Chambers Global, Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional) (USA), 2022–2026
  • Chambers USA, Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional)(Nationwide), 2019–2026
  • IFLR1000, 2020–2023
  • The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), Energy Law (Houston), 2023, 2026 and 2027
  • Selected to the 500 Leading Energy Lawyers, Lawdragon, 2023–2026
News & Achievements

Deals & Cases

Vinson & Elkins Represents EagleRock Land in $78.2 Million Intrepid Ranch Acquisition

Vinson & Elkins represented EagleRock Land, LLC (NYSE: EROK) in its acquisition of the Intrepid Ranch, a surface land asset …

August 14, 2026

August 14, 2026 • 1-minute read

Deals & Cases

Vinson & Elkins Advises Blackbeard Holdings in $2.2 Billion Combination

Vinson & Elkins advised Blackbeard Holdings, LLC (“Blackbeard”), a portfolio company of NGP Energy Capital Management, in its entry into …

July 29, 2026

July 29, 2026 • 2-minute read

Deals & Cases

Vinson & Elkins Advised EnCap Portfolio Companies in Asset Sales to Matador

Vinson & Elkins advised Paloma Permian, LLC (“Paloma”), a portfolio company of EnCap Investments L.P., in its entry into a …

July 23, 2026

July 23, 2026 • 1-minute read

Awards & Rankings

The Legal 500 US 2026 (Legalease Ltd.) Recognizes Vinson & Elkins in 47 Practice Categories, 146 Lawyers Recommended

The Legal 500 US 2026 recommended Vinson & Elkins as a leading law firm in 47 practice categories. In total, …

June 10, 2026

June 10, 2026 • 3-minute read

Awards & Rankings

Chambers USA 2026 Recognizes Vinson & Elkins in 66 Practice Categories, 170 Individual Lawyer Rankings

Vinson & Elkins announced today that it achieved 20 Band 1 rankings in Chambers USA 2026: Nationwide: Energy Transition; Energy: …

June 4, 2026

June 4, 2026 • 3-minute read