Eric Otness is head of the M&A/Corporate Group in Skadden’s Houston office. He advises on corporate transactions across a range of industries, with a particular focus on acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and other structured investments in the energy and infrastructure sectors.
Otness regularly represents public and private companies, private equity firms and other investors and financing sources in their most complex domestic and international transactions. In addition to his practice, Otness serves as a member of Skadden’s Policy Committee, the firm’s highest governing body.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Global Leaders in Energy | 2026 | M&A |
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America | 2026 | M&A, Energy |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Energy Lawyers | 2025 | M&A |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Energy Lawyers | 2024 | M&A |
His relevant experience includes representing:
- Brookfield Asset Management in connection with various investments in the energy and infrastructure sectors, including:
- Brookfield Renewable in its sale of the 50% interest in Smoky Mountain, a 378 MW U.S. hydroelectric portfolio, to Argo Infrastructure Partners
- Brookfield Infrastructure Partners in its joint venture with GATX Corporation to acquire Wells Fargo & Company’s railcar leasing fleet for $4.4 billion
- Valaris Limited in its pending all-stock transaction with Transocean Ltd. to create a $17 billion combined company
- Mobile Energy Rentals LLC in its acquisition by Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure, Inc.
- Five Point Energy LLC in a variety of matters, including:
- the formation of PowerBridge LLC, a platform to develop, build and manage gigawatt-scale data center campuses, power infrastructure and network connectivity throughout North America
- its strategic midstream joint venture with Matador Resources to create San Mateo Midstream II, LLC
- NGL Energy Partners, L.P. in connection with its approximately $3 billion refinancing of its revolving loan, secured and unsecured notes
- Deep Blue Midland Basin LLC in its $750 million acquisition of Environmental Disposal Systems, LLC (EDS) from Diamondback Energy, Inc.
- ONEOK, Inc. in its $1.2 billion sale of three interstate natural gas pipeline systems to DT Midstream, Inc.
- Southwestern Energy in its:
- $1.9 billion acquisition of GEP Haynesville, LLC
- $2.7 billion acquisition of Indigo Natural Resources, LLC
- $849 million acquisition of Montage Resources
- Devon Energy Corporation in its merger of equals with WPX Energy, Inc.
- EMAS Chiyoda Subsea in connection with the sale of assets to Subsea 7 in connection with its Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization
- Five Point Capital Partners LLC and affiliates of GSO Capital Partners LP, in their acquisition of a 50% interest in Twin Eagle Resource Management, LLC from Chesapeake Energy Corporation and LS Power Group
- Compagnie Générale de Géophysique in its $3.1 billion acquisition of Veritas DGC, Inc.
- Vulcan Capital, a private equity firm, in its $219 million sale of its 50% indirect interest in PAA/Vulcan Gas Storage, LLC to Plains All American Pipeline, L.P.
- Santos TPY Inc. in its sale of Santos USA Corp to IPR Exploration, Inc.
- Theo Bean in the sale of Mississippi Hub LLC to EnergySouth Midstream and certain funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group LLC