The Legal 500 Ranks Porter Hedges Among the Leading Firms in the Country for Energy Transactions, Construction, Bankruptcy, and M&A in 2026

The Legal 500 has once again recognized Porter Hedges among the nation's leading firms in its 2026 U.S. law firm rankings. The ranking recognized the firm’s oil and gas transactions, construction, bankruptcy, and M&A practices.

Energy Transactions: Oil and Gas Mid-Market ($0-$500M)

Advising energy clients on public and private E&P, oilfield services, and midstream and downstream companies. The team has experience in asset-backed securitizations, advising debtors, creditors, and bidders on the sale of oil and gas assets in bankruptcy proceedings, and with joint venture structuring. James Thompson and Jeremy Mouton lead the practice, with Thompson specializing in upstream and oil and gas transactions and Mouton acting as a key advisor to E&P companies, private equity firms, and lenders in upstream and midstream mandates. Other key practitioners include the upstream M&A specialist Michael Byrd. Benjamin Rajabi and David Mann support the practice’s upstream and midstream transactional ability.

Real Estate and Construction: Construction (including Construction Litigation)

Porter Hedges LLP’s construction group represents a varied client base of owners, contractors, and design professionals, Porter Hedges LLP is adept at handling the full lifecycle of a construction project, from contract formation to dispute resolution. The team has brought their experience to bear on an array of projects including roadways, water facilities, and residential real estate developments. Practice head Amy Wolfshohl is highly skilled at handling disputes arising out of industrial and energy projects. John Hawkins is proficient in advising on all manner of disputes work, including dispute avoidance, arbitration proceedings, and litigation, while Sean M McChristian covers a myriad of contractual mandates spanning EPC and design-build agreements.

Restructuring (including bankruptcy)

Porter Hedges LLP advises on Chapter 11 cases, out-of-court workouts, distressed M&A, and creditors’ rights across energy, healthcare, and hospitality sectors. The team represents debtors, noteholder groups, committees, trustees, and creditors in national proceedings. Practice head Joshua Wolfshohl focuses on corporate reorganizations in energy and healthcare. John Higgins handles restructurings, acquisitions, and litigation. Eric English represents debtors and creditors at all capital levels and Aaron Power advises debtors, lenders, and trustees in litigation and appeals. Shane Johnson counsels debtors, trustees, and committees, while Megan Young-John guides reorganizations, liquidations, and acquisitions.

M&A/Corporate and Commercial: Middle-Market ($0-$250M)

The corporate team at Porter Hedges LLP advises both domestic and international clients in a variety of matters, including mergers and acquisitions, as well as joint ventures. The team frequently work on both the buy-side and sell-side, representing companies ranging from start-ups to larger businesses. The team is spearheaded by Kevin Poli, who offers a wealth of experience in capital markets, SEC compliance and divestitures and co-managing partner James Cowen who is a key contact in the oil and gas industry for matters regarding securities, finance and corporate transactions. Joe Morrel represents both public and privately traded companies in acquisitions with proficiency in handling Section 363 bankruptcy proceedings.

The Legal 500 is a series of guides to elite law firms worldwide. It is a data-driven, AI-optimized research platform which benchmarks, informs and connects providers and users of legal services in over 100 countries worldwide. The Legal 500 series has been one of the largest referral guides for more than 30 years for commercial and private companies, corporate counsel, CEOs, and professional advisers. The publication interviews in-house counsel and lawyers globally to compile its annual guides.

For the full firm rankings, please see The Legal 500 website.