Winston & Strawn reinforces Houston office new hires

Winston & Strawn reinforces Houston office new hires

James Brown and Douglas Lionberger, Capital markets and energy specialists join as partners from Thompson & Knight

Winston & Strawn has reinforced its Houston office with a double partner hire of James Brown and Douglas Lionberger from Thompson & Knight as more and more law firms have started to consolidate their strength in Texas.

Brown and Lionberger join the firm's corporate and capital markets practices as Partners. They carry with them experience in both corporate finance and securities law, with a focus on the energy sector as the region has started to acquire a critical place in the energy sector.

Together they advise on securities offerings, SPAC deals, private equity, M&A and corporate governance, working with both issuers and underwriters in debt and equity offerings.

"More and more companies in the energy sector are looking for a path to transition their business model towards more renewable forms of production. Making this transition requires a great deal of capital, and James' and Doug's considerable experience at the intersection of corporate transactions and the energy sector will be a great asset to our clients as they navigate this process," Douglas Atnipp, Winston & Strawn's Managing Partner in Houston, said.

Both Brown and Lionberger were associated with Thompson & Knight for a short spell after joining the firm in September last year. Before that, both of them were with Vinson & Elkins. While Brown spent 13 years at Vinson & Elkins, Lionberger was associated with Vinson & Elkins before for a decade.

"The volume and complexity of corporate transactions native to Houston continues to increase in line with the state's growth in a post-Covid environment. As more companies make Texas their home, there is a corresponding demand for legal expertise that can help clients navigate complex deal structures with an informed understanding of the region's critical place in the energy sector," Brown said.

Winston Chairman Tom Fitzgerald had words of praise for the duo saying: "James and Doug are outstanding additions to our Houston team and underscore Winston's ability to provide complex corporate transactional work across the global capital markets."