Jonathan Newton heads the corporate section of the Firm’s Houston office. Mr. Newton practices in the areas of corporate and securities law where he represents companies in a broad range of corporate and transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, as well as securities offerings, Securities and Exchange Commission reporting obligations and corporate governance issues. He also handles internal corporate restructurings, venture capital financings, joint ventures and other general corporate law matters. Mr. Newton has previously been recognized as a leading practitioner in his field by H Texas Magazine and The Rising Star edition of Texas Super Lawyers.

In addition to his law practice, Mr. Newton currently serves as commissioner for the Finance Commission of Texas, which oversees banks, savings and loan institutions and consumer credit matters. Mr. Newton speaks Spanish fluently.

Practice Focus

Mr. Newton spends a significant portion of his practice on energy-related transactions. He has extensive experience in complex cross-border and other multijurisdictional transactions, including in the area of stock and asset acquisitions and dispositions, mergers and redomestication transactions.

Mr. Newton also represents clients in a variety of registered and private offerings of debt and equity securities, including convertible and straight debt offerings, secondary and follow-on equity offerings and Rule 144A and Regulation S offerings, as well as tender offers, exchange offers and consent solicitations.

While his emphasis is on energy-related matters, Mr. Newton’s representation of clients encompasses companies and transactions in a variety of industries and includes the representation of both domestic and foreign issuers.

Representative Legal Matters

• Represented an NYSE-listed company in its EUR690 million acquisition of a Spanish company with multijurisdictional operations.
• Represented an NYSE-listed company in its complex cross-border disposition of assets in exchange for a venture-style equity investment in the purchaser.
• Represented an NYSE-listed company in its acquisition of a domestic energy technology company.
• Represented an NYSE-listed company in its redomestication from Delaware to the UK (valued at USD4.29 billion).
• Represented an NYSE-listed company in its USD1.3 billion registered offering of senior notes.
• Represented an NYSE-listed company in its concurrent USD1.4 billion registered offering of senior notes and USD700 million tender offer for senior notes.
• Represented an NYSE-listed company in its USD490 million acquisition of a Russian oil field services company.
• Represented a dual listed TSX and NYSE Amex company in its successful fight against a hostile takeover bid.
• Represented an ASX-listed company in its AUD350 million acquisition of a US private company.
• Represented a private company in its sale to a large NASDAQ-listed software company.

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Professional Associations and Memberships

• State Bar of Texas
• Houston Bar Foundation
• Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals

Admission

Texas~United States (1993)

Education

University of Texas at Austin  (J.D.) (1993)
Cornell University  (B.A. cum laude) (1990)