King & Spalding  continues to expand its energy practice with the addition of transactional oil and gas lawyer Peter Hays who joins the firm today as partner in Houston. Hays represents companies and entrepreneurs in upstream, midstream and downstream transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and project development.

“Pete’s lengthy deal sheet is a testament to his skills, experience, creativity and reputation in the global upstream sector,” said Tracie Renfroe, head of the firm’s energy practice and the Houston office managing partner. “We are excited to introduce Pete to our domestic and international energy clients and to share our enhanced range and depth of transactional expertise.”

In Hays’ M&A and joint venture practice, he works on all types of acquisitions and divestitures of energy assets, including the sale of mineral interests, oil and gas leases, government concessions and PSCs, gathering and processing systems, pipelines and capacity on pipelines (including tolling capacity) and refineries, both in the U.S. and internationally. Hays also assists clients internationally with structuring and negotiation of country-entry investments, including analysis of legal regimes and stakeholder issues. On the project development side, Hays works on field unitizations, LNG liquefaction and regasification projects, processing and refining plants, fuel supply for power projects, hydrocarbon and refined product off take arrangements, and the development and commercialization of hydrocarbon discoveries. He also regularly advises clients on gathering, processing and transportation arrangements for hydrocarbons, as well as the long-term sale/supply of oil, gas, natural gas liquids and LNG.

“My practice fits perfectly in the firm’s global energy platform,” said Hays. “King & Spalding’s commitment to its U.S. and international energy practice, the momentum of its corporate practice in Houston and its dynamic partners made joining the firm a compelling opportunity for me.”

Hays clerked for Chief Judge Hayden Head of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. He is board certified in Oil, Gas and Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is ranked by Legal 500. Hays received his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.

Hays was previously a partner at Morgan Lewis & Bockius.

Since the beginning of the year, King & Spalding has added nine partners in Texas. In February, David Runnels, Darren Inoff, Jason Peters, Cindy Lin, Stuart Zisman and Roxanne Almaraz joined the firm’s energy practice in Houston. In April, Lana Varney, Lisa Horvath Shub and Stephen Huffaker joined as partners in the life sciences practice in the firm’s Austin office.

With over 110 lawyers in Texas and over 85 in Houston, King & Spalding’s Houston office is among the largest offices for firms founded outside Texas. The firm’s Houston office has a leading energy practice, being named one of Law360’s energy practice groups of year for the last two years and Energy Advisory Firm of the Year (Legal) by Petroleum Economist for two of the last three years.