Keith Fullenweider
Our private equity lawyers have an excellent combination of technical skill and commercial practicality that enables us to understand what our clients are looking for, and to help them accomplish their goals. Keith Fullenweider is Chair of the firm. He is also a member of the firm’s Management Committee and the Diversity & Inclusion Executive Committee.
Keith advises private equity firms and their portfolio companies on their investments, financings, and exit transactions. In addition, he counsels private equity firms on structuring capital raises, new business opportunities and corporate development matters. Keith also has extensive experience in public company merger transactions, particularly those involving conflict, special committee processes and regulated businesses.
Keith’s clients include some of the world’s most prominent private investors including TPG, Blackstone, KKR, Crestview, Quantum and EnCap.
Keith served as co-head of V&E’s corporate department from 2016 to 2021, and prior to that, he led the firm’s private equity and M&A practice, from 2008 to 2016. During that time, the firm saw a significant expansion of its private equity representations. Under Keith’s watch, V&E became the country’s No. 1 private equity energy practice1 and solidified its position as a leading legal advisor to private equity firms across sectors. V&E also maintained its No. 1 ranking in energy M&A transactions during each year in this period.
1Mergermarket, Energy Private Equity Deals (volume), 2009-2019
Experience Highlights
Quantum Energy Partners and Post Oak Energy Capital in the $3.6 billion sale of Oryx Midstream to Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners
Blackstone Infrastructure Partners in its $3.3 billion acquisition of a controlling interest in Tallgrass Energy and subsequently, together with affiliates of Enagas, GIC, NPS and USS, the acquisition of all outstanding publicly-held shares
TPG in its $2.66 billion acquisition of assets from EnerVest in a SPAC business combination
TPG Growth in the $1.2 billion sale of Discovery Midstream to KKR and Williams
AltaGas in the $6.4 billion acquisition of WGL Holdings, owner of a regulated natural gas utility, a midstream franchise and non-regulated contracted power and energy marketing businesses throughout the United States
The founder of Drunk Elephant and a consortium of majority equity holders in the sale of Drunk Elephant, a skincare company, to Shiseido Company, an international personal care company
FleetPride, a TPG portfolio company, in its sale to American Securities
Select Energy Services, an affiliate of Crestview Partners, in its $1.3 billion merger with Rockwater Energy Solutions
Blackstone in the $2 billion acquisition of Eagle Claw Midstream Ventures from EnCap Flatrock Midstream
Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. in its business combination with Perella Weinberg Partners
Vantage Energy in its $2.7 billion sale to Rice Energy
Nexeo Solutions, a chemicals and plastics distributor and TPG Capital portfolio company, in its $1.575 billion merger with WL Ross Holdings Corp. in a SPAC business combination
Credentials
- The University of Texas School of Law, J.D. with high honors, 1988 (Chancellors; Order of the Coif; Texas Law Review)
- Princeton University, A.B., History summa cum laude, 1985
- Law 360’s MVP List for Energy, 2014
- Chambers Global, Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional) (USA), 2011−2013, 2019−2021; Corporate/M&A: International & Cross-Border (USA), 2020 and 2021
- Chambers USA, Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional) (Nationwide), 2010−2021; Corporate/M&A (Texas), 2010−2021; Corporate/M&A: Private Equity (Texas), 2021; “Spotlight Table” in Corporate M&A: Private Equity (Texas), 2021
- Legal 500 U.S., M&A/Corporate & Commercial: M&A: Large Deals, 2015–2021; Venture Capital and Emerging Companies, 2017; M&A/Corporate & Commercial: Private Equity Buyouts, 2011-2021; Energy: Transactions, 2014, 2016-2020; Finance: Project Finance, 2018-2021; “Leading Lawyer” in Energy: Transactions – Oil & Gas, 2020 and 2021
- The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), “Lawyer of the Year” in Mergers & Acquisitions (Houston), 2013, 2016, 2018 and 2020
- The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), Mergers and Acquisitions Law (Houston), 2007−2022
- Selected to the Texas Super Lawyers list, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2003−2020
- IFLR1000, 2020 and 2021
- Texas
- Deals & CasesOctober 21, 2021
- Deals & CasesSeptember 20, 2021
- IFLR1000 2021 Recognizes Vinson & Elkins in 21 Practice Categories, Recommends 52 Individual LawyersRankings & AwardsAugust 25, 2021
- Deals & CasesJune 8, 2021
- Rankings & AwardsMay 12, 2021
- Deals & CasesApril 13, 2021
- InsightMarch 3, 2021
V&E Energy Regulatory Update
- Rankings & AwardsFebruary 18, 2021
- Deals & CasesJanuary 29, 2021
- Deals & CasesJanuary 6, 2021
- Deals & CasesDecember 10, 2020
- Rankings & AwardsOctober 19, 2020
- InsightOctober 12, 2020
V&E Restructuring and Reorganization Update
- Rankings & AwardsOctober 2, 2020
- Rankings & AwardsAugust 20, 2020
- Rankings & AwardsJune 16, 2020
- Rankings & AwardsApril 23, 2020
- Rankings & AwardsFebruary 13, 2020
- V&E+ First published on V&E+
- V&E+March 18, 2019
- V&E+March 4, 2019
- V&E+October 22, 2018
- “Playing the Recovery in Midstream & Natural Gas Markets,” SuperReturn Energy 2017 – Where Private Equity Investors Meet to Shape the Future of Energy Investment, June 12-13, 2017 (speaker)
- “Thoughts for Officers and Directors of E&P Companies and MLPs in 2016,” V&E website, January 19, 2016 (co-author)