Baker Botts lawyers represent Halliburton in one of the largest energy deals of 2014.

Under the deal, Halliburton will acquire all the outstanding shares of Baker Hughes in a stock and cash transaction. The transaction is valued at $78.62 per Baker Hughes share, representing an equity value of $34.6 billion and enterprise value of $38.0 billion, based on Halliburton’s closing price on November 12, 2014, the day prior to public confirmation by Baker Hughes that it was in talks with Halliburton regarding a transaction. Upon the completion of the transaction, Baker Hughes stockholders will own approximately 36 percent of the combined company. More >>

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP today announced that it is opening an office in Houston, Texas. The office will be the New York firm’s first new domestic office opening in more than 30 years. Willkie has a substantial client base in Texas including a number of the most highly regarded energy-related funds and most active industrial buyout firms in the region. This move furthers the firm’s strategy to combine the strengths of its existing relationships, the private equity, leveraged finance, M&A and capital markets skills of a traditional Wall Street firm and the talents of Houston-based attorneys specializing in energy and buyout transactions.

Launching the Houston office will be Willkie corporate partner Bruce Herzog, together with Michael Piazza, who joins from Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, and Angela Olivarez, who joins from Jones Day. More >>

King & Spalding represented real estate owner and developer Edens Investment Trust in its acquisition of all outstanding shares of AmREIT, Inc., in an all-cash transaction valued at $762 million. The deal was unanimously approved by AmREIT’s board of directors. It is expected to close in the first quarter of 2015. More >>

Vinson & Elkins advised Nuevo Midstream, LLC in the sale of the company to Western Gas Partners, LP for $1.5 billion in cash. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2014. More >>

Western Gas Partners, LP (NYSE: WES) (“WES” or the “Partnership”) announced that it agreed to acquire Nuevo Midstream, LLC (“Nuevo”), a leading Delaware Basin gas gatherer and processor, for $1.5 billion. The Partnership expects the acquisition will close in the fourth quarter of 2014, subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions. More >>

Akin Gump advised Western Gas Partners, LP in its planned $1.5 billion acquisition of Nuevo Midstream, LLC, a leading Delaware Basin gas gatherer and processor. More >>

Shell Midstream Partners, L.P., a limited partnership formed by Royal Dutch Shell, announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 40,000,000 common units representing limited partner interests at $23.00 per common unit. The underwriters of the offering have a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 6,000,000 common units from Shell Midstream Partners. The common units will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on October 29, 2014 under the ticker symbol “SHLX.”　 The offering is expected to close on or about November 3, 2014, subject to customary closing conditions. More >>

Earlier today, The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE: WMB), Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE: WPZ) and Access Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ACMP) announced that Williams Partners and Access Midstream Partners have entered into a merger agreement to combine the two master limited partnerships in a transaction valued at approximately $50 billion. The merger would create a premier large-cap MLP with expected 2015 adjusted EBITDA of approximately $5 billion and expected 10% to 12% annual distribution growth through the 2017 guidance period. More >>