Simpson Thacher & Bartlett represented a consortium of six private equity firms that purchased a $10.1 billion stake in a newly created gas pipeline from Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. [ADNOC] on Tuesday. The value of the share, which has rights to 38 pipelines, is estimated to be $20.7 billion.

The Simpson team included New York M&A partners Eli Hunt and David Lieberman and associates Jihyun Chung, Michael Schaeppi and Benjamin Bertan; London-based M&A partner Amy Mahon and associates Alexander Yeagley, Luca Sportelli and Jenny Leung; and New York tax partner Jonathan Goldstein and associate Tyler Robbins.

Several other law firms also advised in the deal. Latham & Watkins represented the consortium on financing. U.K.-based Ashhurst represented ADNOC in the deal. Dentons was counsel to Italian private equity investor Snam, while Dubai-based Al Tamini & Company was local counsel for the group of investors.

The private equity firms in the deal are mostly familiar names in the big deal space. Global Infrastructure Partners, Brookfield Asset Management, the Ontario Teacher's Pension Board, Singapore-based GIC, NH Investment & Securities and Italian private equity firm Snam round out the list. 

The deal will inject $10.1 billion of foreign direct investment into Abu Dhabi, which according to S&P Global Ratings is looking at a 7.5% contraction in gross domestic product for the calendar year.

The investment will cover a 49% stake in the new pipeline, with ADNOC holding on to the remaining 51%.

ADNOC CEO Sultan al-Jaber told The New York Times that the company needs to "focus on the things we know we can control and that is of course our cost, we need to remain agile."

Al-Jaber also told the Times that the OPEC+ pact to cut oil supply could produce a tighter oil market in the coming weeks. Fueled by pandemic-related travel restrictions and economic shutdowns, oil prices bottomed out at $11.26 per barrel of crude on April 26 before bouncing back to $47.30 on June 23. 

While M&A deal volume and value has been down in 2020, there have been a few larger deals that have managed to push through. 

For example, Cravath, Swaine & Moore represented Just Eat Takeaway.com N.V. in its acquisition of Grubhub for $7.3 billion on June 10. Grubhub was represented by Kirkland & Ellis. 

But even though some deals are coming through, the outlooks isn't great. The Harvard Business Review published a survey on June 10 stating that 51% of respondents said they anticipated "remaining on a temporary pause  until the timing and nature of economic recovery is evident through late 2020."

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