Michelle helps sponsors, private and public borrowers, financial institutions and other investors structure, negotiate, execute and comply with complex financings and transactions. As a partner in our Houston office, she has significant experience in energy and infrastructure.
Williamson’s practice covers acquisition financings, investment-grade lending, cash flow-based lending, asset-based lending (including reserve-based lending and securitizations for oil and gas transactions), mezzanine financings, private credit, and subordinated debt financings.
Clients turn to Michelle for practical guidance on transactions that support acquisitions, operations and growth, in addition to general corporate governance. She focuses on translating business objectives into workable financing terms, helping clients manage closing deliverables, capital needs and risk allocation.
Michelle also advises clients in liability management and restructuring scenarios, workouts, bankruptcies and recapitalizations, including debtor-in-possession and exit financing matters. Her experience across both performing and distressed scenarios gives her a practical perspective on how financing terms govern through a company’s life cycle.
Michelle maintains an active pro bono practice and is very involved with community and philanthropic organizations in Houston.
- Representation of a public energy company in a $3.1 billion all-stock acquisition of another public energy company.*
- Representation of a public energy company in the issuance of $530 million of asset-backed securities backed by producing wells, and the associated repayment of previously issued asset-backed securities and an outstanding term loan.*
- Representation of a public energy company in the issuance of $610 million of asset-backed securities backed by producing wells, and the associated repayment of previously issued asset-backed securities.
- Representation of an energy infrastructure company in its acquisition of a midstream service provider of butane blending and energy marketing services.
- Representation of an infrastructure joint venture in its acquisition of a provider of port logistics infrastructure and services.
- Representation of an energy company in the issuance of $636 million of asset-backed securities secured by more than 9,000 producing oil and gas wells across six states, as part of a master trust.*
- Representation of a global offshore energy infrastructure company in its debtor-in-possession credit facility and subsequent financing of seven exit credit facilities totaling nearly $1.6 billion in connection with its emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.*
- Representation of a private equity-backed oilfield technology company in the upsizing of its existing asset-based loan facility and addition of an export-related sublimit guaranteed by the Export-Import Bank of the United States.*
- Representation of a public exploration and production company in its revolving credit facility with $5.0 billion of maximum commitments, a $2.0 billion borrowing base and $1.5 billion of elected commitments.*
- Representation of a private equity investor in a $400 million investment in a market-infrastructure platform for global carbon and environmental commodities.*
- Representation of a public energy company in its unsecured revolving credit facility with $2.5 billion aggregate commitments.*
- Representation of a public energy company in its reserve-based revolving credit facility with $3.5 billion maximum commitments and $2.0 billion elected commitments, with investment grade fallaway provisions.*
- Representation of a public energy company in an $815 million all-cash acquisition of upstream oil and gas assets.*
- Representation of an offshore contract drilling services company and certain subsidiaries in a multi-jurisdictional restructuring of approximately $6.1 billion of funded debt, one of the largest Chapter 11 filings of 2021.*
- Representation of a private equity sponsor in its acquisition of a provider of environmental remediation and geotechnical construction services.*
- Representation of an energy transition company in the debt financing related to the closing of a business combination involving two renewable natural gas platforms.*
- Representation of a private equity portfolio energy finance company in an internal reorganization of domestic energy-related real property assets, including the refinancing of eight separate credit facilities with one $850 million reserve-based lending credit facility and $500 million of senior notes.*
- Representation of a public energy company in a $12 billion all-stock merger of equals with another public energy company.*
- Representation of an exploration and production company in prepackaged Chapter 11 cases that eliminated more than $840 million in funded debt obligations, including a $230 million debtor-in-possession credit facility and a $230 million reserve-based revolving credit facility upon exit.*
- Representation of an exploration and production company in an uptier exchange of $250 million unsecured notes for $130 million second lien notes, related amendment to its $700 million reserve-based credit facility and negotiation of related intercreditor arrangements.*
- Representation of a natural resources company in a prepackaged plan of reorganization, including $130 million debtor-in-possession financing and a $415 million exit credit facility.*
- Representation of an offshore services company in a prepackaged plan of reorganization to restructure $1.2 billion of funded debt obligations, including $75 million of debtor-in-possession financing and first and second lien exit term loan credit facilities.*
- Representation of a coal producer and certain affiliates in the marketing and sale of substantially all of their assets pursuant to section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code.*
- Representation of a private equity investor in an investment of up to $500 million in a full-cycle water management and infrastructure services provider focused in the Permian Basin.*
- Representation of an investment manager in the sale of a remote communications and multi-network infrastructure provider to a global communications and IT services provider.*
- Representation of a private equity sponsor in a $300 million capital commitment to an Oklahoma-based oil and gas company.*
- Representation of a private equity investor, as part of a consortium, in a joint venture and drilling program to drill up to 14 specified projects in the Gulf of Mexico.*
- Representation of an oil and gas company in its offering of $750 million of senior unsecured notes and concurrent tender offer to repurchase $500 million of outstanding senior notes.*
- Representation of a private equity sponsor in a $150 million capital commitment to a Midland-based oil and gas exploration and production company focused on the Central Basin Platform of the Permian Basin.*
* The above matters were handled by Ms. Williamson prior to joining McGuireWoods LLP.