John D. Pitts

Partner, Kirkland & Ellis, Houston

As a corporate partner in the Houston office of Kirkland & Ellis, John Pitts handles large-scale energy deals involving some of the biggest energy companies and private equity firms in Houston and nationwide. He has also served as an infantry officer in Iraq and volunteers for Team Rubicon. Professionally, he recently had a lead role on the Sanchez Energy Corp. 50/50 partnership with Blackstone Energy Partners to acquire Anadarko Petroleum Corp.'s working interest in approximately 318,000 gross acres in the Western Eagle Ford for approximately $2.3 billion. Pitts also represented Alta Marcellus Development in connection with both its $1.24 billion acquisition of operated and nonoperated upstream assets and operated midstream assets in the Marcellus Shale of Pennsylvania from Anadarko Petroleum and its $207 million acquisition of oil and gas assets in the Marcellus Shale of Pennsylvania from Mitsui E&P USA. He also counseled Indigo Haynesville on its agreement to purchase from Chesapeake Energy a portion of its acreage and producing properties in its Haynesville Shale operating area in northern Louisiana for approximately $450 million and associated placement of second lien and equity financing with a syndicate of private equity firms. And he represented Indigo Minerals in its $375 million equity capital raise and the acquisition of certain producing properties and undeveloped acreage in the core of the Cotton Valley and Haynesville from a private exploration and development company, and Evercore, as financial adviser to two portfolio companies managed by Kimmeridge Energy Management, in a $1.5 billion sale to PDC Energy.