Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE: VLO) entered into a drop-down transaction with Valero Energy Partners LP (NYSE: VLP), pursuant to which VLP acquired membership interests in certain subsidiaries of VLO for total consideration of about $671 million, including approximately $100 million of common and general partner units of VLP. More >>

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, a leading counselor to global financial institutions and corporations, today announced that Chad Mills is joining the firm as Partner in its Energy & Commodities Practice in Houston. Mills is a leading practitioner in structured energy transactions and related energy trading agreements, project infrastructure development, mergers and acquisitions, and other corporate transactions for clients including energy providers, developers, investors and underwriters in gas, electric power and oil.

“Chad’s addition demonstrates our firm’s continuing ability to attract top talent,” said Patrick Quinn, Managing Partner. “Chad is a great fit with our firm’s emphasis on coordinating our expertise across all our practice areas to produce the best results for clients on their most complex matters. He embraces the opportunity to combine his energy transactional experience with our regulatory, financial, corporate and other strengths to best serve our clients, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have him join us.” More >>

Jackson Walker is pleased to welcome attorney Nick Spiliotis. He joins the Houston office as a partner in the Labor & Employment group. More >>

Akin Gump advised the conflicts committee of the board of directors of Rose Rock Midstream, L.P.’s general partner in the partnership’s $325 million purchase of the remaining crude oil assets of SemGroup Corporation, which include the Wattenberg Oil Trunkline System and SemGroup’s 50 percent interest in the Glass Mountain Pipeline. More >>

Sidley Austin LLP announced today that Robert G. Stephens has joined the firm’s Houston office as a partner in the Global Finance and Energy practices. He will have a leadership role in the Finance practice in Houston. Mr. Stephens is a highly regarded finance and energy lawyer whose practice is principally focused on structured energy transactions, including secured financings and derivatives transactions and energy asset acquisitions. More >>

Regency Energy Partners LP (NYSE: RGP) and Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ETE) announced a definitive agreement under which Regency and Energy Transfer Partners will combine in a unit-for-unit transaction plus a one-time cash payment to Regency unitholders that collectively implies a value for Regency of approximately $18.0 billion, including the assumption of net debt of $6.8 billion. More >>

Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, announced today that the firm represented J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., RBS Securities Inc. and The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., as joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as the administrative agent, in connection with a $3 billion revolving credit facility and a $2 billion 364-Day revolving credit facility for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. More >>