Debbie P. Yee, P.C.
Overview
Debbie P. Yee is a partner in the Houston office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. She primarily advises public and private companies in the energy industry on strategic acquisitions and divestitures, as well as on capital raising transactions and corporate governance matters.
Debbie has been recognized as a Texas Rising Star by Super Lawyers since 2016. She has also been honored as one of the 500 Leading Dealmakers in America by Lawdragon, Up and Coming by Chambers Global and Chambers USA, a Law360 Energy Rising Star, and as Dealmaker of the Week by The Am Law Daily.
Experience
Representative Matters
Since joining Kirkland, Debbie has been involved in the following transactions:
Mergers & Acquisitions
- ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE) in its acquisition of the outstanding publicly held common units of EnLink Midstream, LLC (NYSE: ENLC) for $4.3 billion in ONEOK common stock
- ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE) in its $3.3 billion acquisition of Global Infrastructure Partners’ entire interest in EnLink Midstream, LLC (NYSE: ENLC)
- ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE) in its $2.6 billion acquisition of Global Infrastructure Partners’ equity interests in Medallion Midstream, LLC
- Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (NYSE: HP) in its $1.9725 billion all-cash acquisition of KCA Deutag International Limited
- Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. (NYSE: DO) in its $1.6 billion sale to Noble Corporation plc (NYSE: NE)
- Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO) in its $22.5 billion all-stock sale to ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP)
- Callon Petroleum Company (NYSE: CPE) in its $4.5 billion all-stock sale to APA Corporation (NASDAQ: APA)
- Permian Resources Corporation (NYSE: PR) in its $4.5 billion all-stock acquisition of Earthstone Energy, Inc. (NYSE: ESTE)
- Energy Transfer LP (NYSE: ET) in its $7.1 billion acquisition of Crestwood Equity Partners LP (NYSE: CEQP)
- ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE) in its $18.8 billion acquisition of Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE: MMP)
- Ranger Oil Corporation (NASDAQ: ROCC) in its $2.5 billion acquisition by Baytex Energy Corp. (TSX, NYSE: BTE)
- Iconic Sports in its investment in London-based group Eagle Football, which acquired a significant controlling stake in Olympique Lyonnais Groupe SA
- Bluescape Clean Fuels, LLC, in its definitive business combination agreement with CENAQ Energy Corp., a special purpose acquisition company focused on energy and energy transition
- Special Committee of ProFrac Holding Corp.’s Board of Directors in the all-stock acquisition of U.S. Well Services, Inc.
- Colgate Energy Partners III LLC in its $3.9 billion merger of equals with Centennial Resource Development Inc. (NASDAQ: CDEV) to create the largest pure-play E&P in the Delaware Basin
- Whiting Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: WLL) in its $6 billion merger of equals with Oasis Petroleum Inc. (NASDAQ: OAS)
- Blackstone on the $1.9 billion all-stock merger of Desert Peak Minerals and Falcon Minerals Corporation
- Noble Corporation (NYSE: NE) in its $3.4 billion all-stock merger of equals with Maersk Drilling (CSE: DRLCO)
- Power & Digital Infrastructure Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: XPDI), a special purpose acquisition company, on its approximately $4.3 billion combination with Core Scientific Holding Co., a 100% net carbon neutral, vertically integrated blockchain infrastructure and mining company, and Blockcap, Inc., a leader in digital asset mining
- Ivanhoe Capital Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, in its $3.6 billion combination with SES Holdings Pte. Ltd., a developer and manufacturer of high-performance Hybrid Lithium-Metal (Li-Metal) rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles
- Penn Virginia Corp. (NASDAQ: PVAC) in its $370 million merger with Lonestar Resources US Inc. (OTCQX: LONE)
- HealthCor Catalio Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: HCAQ), a special purpose acquisition company, in its $580 million combination with Hyperfine, Inc., creator of the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared portable magnetic resonance imaging device, Swoop™, and Liminal Sciences, Inc., a medical device development company dedicated to non-invasive measurement of key vital signs in the brain
- Noble Corporation in its acquisition of Pacific Drilling Co. LLC in an all-stock transaction
- Vector Acquisition Corporation on its $4.1 billion definitive merger agreement with Rocket Lab USA, Inc.
- Peridot Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: PDAC) on its $1.67 billion combination agreement with Li-Cycle Corp
- Penn Virginia Corporation (NASDAQ:PVAC) in Juniper Capital Advisors, L.P.’s $188 million strategic investment in the company, including $150 million of cash and certain oil and gas assets, in exchange for 59 percent of Penn Virginia’s equity
- WPX Energy, Inc. (NYSE: WPX) in its $12 billion all-stock merger of equals with Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE: DVN)
- Bruin E&P Partners, LLC and its subsidiaries in connection with their prepackaged Chapter 11 cases
- Special Committee of the Board of Directors of TerraForm Power, Inc., in Terraform Power’s $1.58 billion sale to Brookfield Renewable Partners
- Bristow Group Inc. on its all-stock business combination with Era Group Inc.
Capital Markets
- Power & Digital Infrastructure Acquisition II Corp. (NASDAQ: XPDB), a blank check company sponsored by XPDI Sponsor II LLC, on its $250 million initial public offering
- Portage Fintech Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, in its $240 million initial public offering
- Shelter Acquisition Corporation I, a special purpose acquisition company, in its $200 million initial public offering
- Corner Growth Acquisition Corp. 2, a special purpose acquisition company, in its $185 million initial public offering
- Orion Biotech Opportunities Corp., a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by affiliates of MSD Partners, L.P. and Panacea Venture Healthcare in its $200 million initial public offering
- MSD Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by an affiliate of MSD Partners, L.P., in its $575 million initial public offering
- Lead Edge Growth Opportunities Ltd, a special purpose acquisition company, in its $300 million initial public offering
- Accelerate Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, in its $400 million initial public offering
- Peridot Acquisition Corp. II, a blank check company sponsored by an affiliate of Carnelian Energy Capital Management, L.P in its upsized $360 million initial public offering
- Vector Acquisition Corporation II, a special purpose acquisition company that will target business in the technology and technology-enabled services sectors, with its upsized $450 million initial public offering
- Corner Growth Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by an affiliate of Corner Ventures and focusing on target businesses in the technology industry, in its upsized $400 million initial public offering
- Power & Digital Infrastructure Acquisition Corp., a blank check company sponsored by XPDI Sponsor LLC, on its upsized $300 million initial public offering
- Pontem Corporation (NYSE: PNTM), a special purpose acquisition company, in its $690 million initial public offering
- Authentic Equity Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: AEAC), a special purpose acquisition company, in its $230 million initial public offering
- Peridot Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, in its $300 million initial public offering. Peridot is sponsored by an affiliate of Carnelian Energy Capital Management, LP and will target businesses in the electrification, clean fuel transportation, self-directed and autonomous mobility and related infrastructure, energy storage and efficiency, smart grid technology and renewable energy sectors
- Vector Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition company that will target businesses in the technology and technology-enabled services sectors, in its $300 million initial public offering
- Centennial Resource Development, Inc. in its $254 million debt-for-debt exchange
Prior to joining Kirkland, Debbie was involved in the following transactions:
Mergers & Acquisitions
- Energy Transfer LP – $5.1 billion acquisition of Sem Group
- Enagás – Co-investment in $3.3 billion acquisition of the GP interest and 44% LP interest in Tallgrass
- Energy Transfer LP – $24.9 billion acquisition of Energy Transfer Partners
- Silver Run Acquisition Corporation II – $3.8 billion acquisition of Alta Mesa Holdings, LP and Kingfisher Midstream, LLC
- Andeavor Logistics, LP – $1.8 billion acquisition of Western Refining Logistics, LP
- Ensco plc – $860 million acquisition of Atwood Oceanics, Inc.
- Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. – $20 billion acquisition of Energy Transfer Partners by Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P.
- Centennial Resource Development Inc. – $855 million acquisition of the leasehold interests and related upstream assets in Reeves County of Silverback Exploration
- Riverstone Holdings LLC / Silver Run Acquisition Corporation – $1.575 billion acquisition of an 89% stake in Centennial Resource Production
- Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. – $18 billion acquisition of Regency Energy Partners LP
- Buckeye Partners – $1.15 billion acquisition of 50% stake in VTTI
- Plains Exploration & Production Company – $9 billion acquisition by Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. of Plains Exploration & Production Company and McMoRan Exploration Company
- Suburban Propane Partners LP – $1.8 billion acquisition of Inergy Propane LLC
- Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. – $9.2 billion acquisition of Southern Union Company
- Questar Corporation – $5 billion spin-off to its shareholders of QEP Resources, a natural gas and oil exploration, production, and midstream field services company
- Plains Exploration & Production Company – $450 million sale of a 20% interest in Plains Offshore Operations, Inc., the US-based Gulf of Mexico assets of Plains Exploration & Production Company
Capital Markets
- RMG Acquisition Corp. – $200 million IPO
- Centennial Resource Development, Inc. – $340 million PIPE offering
- PennTex Midstream Partners, LP – $30 million pre-IPO convertible preferred offering
- PennTex Midstream Partners, LP – $225 million IPO
- Enduro Royalty Trust – $290 million IPO
- Energy Transfer Operating, L.P. – multiple debt and common and preferred equity offerings totaling over $20.6 billion in aggregate
- Sunoco LP – multiple debt offerings and PIPE totaling more than $2 billion in aggregate
- Regency Energy Partners LP – multiple debt and equity offerings totaling over $3.55 billion in aggregate
- Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. – multiple debt offerings totaling over $1 billion in aggregate
- Rosetta Resources Inc. – multiple debt and equity offerings totaling over $2 billion in aggregate
- Underwriters – IPO of Enviva Partners, Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc., Enable Midstream Partners, LP, Eclipse Resources Corporation, and EP Energy Corporation
Prior Experience
More
Thought Leadership
Seminars
Presenter, M&A Webinar Series - Session One - Market Trends, Fiduciary Duties and Structuring, 2023
Presenter, Take Private Transactions in the Oil and Gas Industry, Webinar, 2020
Presenter, M&A Strategies for Energy Companies in a Time of Market Distress, Webinar, 2020
Presenter, Structuring Solutions in Challenging Times, Webinar, 2020
Recognition
Chambers Global, Capital Markets: Debt & Equity: Central United States (USA), 2023–2024
Chambers USA, Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (Texas), 2021–2023
Chambers USA, Capital Markets: Debt & Equity: Central United States (USA), 2021–2023
Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- Texas
Education
- New York Law SchoolJ.D.magna cum laude2006Executive Articles Editor, New York Law School Law Review
- New York UniversityB.S.2003