Nick Nicholas is a partner in the corporate and securities section of Porter & Hedges. He has been selected as a “Texas Super Lawyer” in Securities/Corporate Finance Law in surveys conducted by Texas Monthly since 2004. In 2008, Mr. Nicholas was named in Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition in the area of Securities and Corporate Finance. During his 30+ years of private practice, Mr. Nicholas has gained the first-hand experience and practical judgment necessary to successfully complete the most challenging engagements in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, SEC reporting and compliance, and negotiated settlements of business disputes. He has represented clients engaged in a diverse array of businesses, including industrial products manufacturing, environmental treatment and disposal, securities trading, death care, and computer software and technology. Mr. Nicholas also has in-depth experience in representation of publicly-held companies in upstream energy and oil field service industries.

Representative Experience

• MBO of environmental treatment, storage and disposal (TSD) subsidiary from publicly-held parent corporation and related equity investment by new investor and subsequent resale to offshore buyer.
• $1.2 billion merger of land drilling contractor with Canadian oilfield services company.
• Merger of equals of two publicly-held oilfield services companies, including response to three unsolicited, competing offers.
• $480 million in two equity public offerings for offshore drilling contractor.
• $200 million equity public offering for land drilling contractor.
• $3 billion merger of NYSE offshore drilling contractor with NYSE oilfield service company.
• IPO of oil and gas exploration company.
• IPO by provider of computer services and hardware.
• Public and Rule 144A offerings of $400 million of debt securities and convertible debt securities for drilling contractor.
• Underwriter's counsel in IPO of downhole tool company.
• Public offering of convertible preferred stock by oil and gas exploration company.
• Leveraged acquisition of electrical cable manufacturing plant, and subsequent disposition to publicly-held company.
• Leveraged acquisition program financed by $20 million in multiple investment rounds by three venture capital firms and $65 million of senior, secured loans for a consolidator of funeral homes and cemeteries.
• Buyout of dissident partner of securities brokerage firm to settle litigation in control struggle.
• Acquisition of financially troubled, publicly-held oil and gas exploration company for publicly-held acquiror.
• Private placement and public offerings of limited partnership interests (over 100) to finance projects in upstream energy, improved real estate, raw land, restaurants and biomedical businesses.
• Independent counsel to boards of directors of public companies, including in a $480 million “conflict of interest” transaction with a controlling shareholder
• Independent counsel in an internal investigation regarding a stockholder derivative action alleging accounting improprieties, and in an investigation of improper influence of company personnel by vendors.

Professional / Civic Affiliations

• Martindale Hubbell AV Rated Attorney
• American Bar Association, Section on Corporations, Banking and Business Law, Federal Regulation of Securities Committee
• State Bar of Texas, Business Law Section
  

News

• 2009 Texas Super Lawyers Announced (9/28/2009)
• Firm Represents Vantage Drilling Company in $75 Million Public Offering and $100 Million Loan Agreement (9/2/2009)
• Precision Drilling Trust Companies Completes Acquisition of Grey Wolf, Inc. (12/23/2008)
• 2008 Super Lawyers Announced (9/17/2008)
• Porter & Hedges' Attorneys Named in Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition (8/13/2008)
• Grey Wolf, Inc. and Basic Energy Services, Inc. Agree to Combine in “Merger of Equals” Transaction (4/21/2008)
• Seventy percent of Porter & Hedges' Attorneys Named as 2007 Texas Super Lawyers (9/17/2007)
• 27 Porter & Hedges' Attorneys Named as 2006 Texas Super Lawyers (9/25/2006)
• Seventy Percent of Porter & Hedges' Partners Selected as Super Lawyers (10/1/2005)
• The Internal Investigation: Pitfall or Safety Net for Your Company? (10/8/2003)