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Profile Picture

Michael P. Darden

Michael
Darden

Partner

CONTACT INFO

mpdarden@gibsondunn.com

TEL:+1 346.718.6789

FAX:+1 346.718.6999

Houston

811 Main Street, Suite 3000, Houston, TX 77002-6117 USA

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PRACTICE

Oil and Gas Energy Mergers and Acquisitions Power and Renewables

BIOGRAPHY

Michael P. Darden is a partner in the Houston office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.  Mr. Darden is Chair of the firm’s Oil & Gas practice group, a member of the firm’s Energy and Infrastructure, and Mergers and Acquisitions practice groups, and previously served as Partner-In-Charge of the Houston office.  His practice focuses on:

  • International and U.S. oil and gas ventures (including LNG, deep-water and unconventional resource development projects)
  • International and U.S. infrastructure projects
  • Asset acquisitions and divestitures
  • Energy-based financings (including project financings, reserve-based loans and production payments)
  • Carbon capture, utilization and sequestration projects

Before joining Gibson Dunn, Mr. Darden served as the global chair of the oil and gas transactions practice and co-chair of the global oil and gas industry team at Latham & Watkins as well as the firmwide chair of the global oil and gas practice at Baker Botts.  Prior to Baker Botts, Mr. Darden was Vice President, Business Development, for Nuevo Energy Company, with responsibility for U.S. and international business development, international new ventures, international legal and negotiations matters, international mergers and acquisitions, as well as real estate portfolio management and land matters in the United States.  He has also worked in the international legal and/or negotiations areas for Tenneco Oil Company, BHP Petroleum and Hunt Oil Company.

Mr. Darden has been recognized in the following publications:

  • Chambers USA – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional), 2005-2022
  • The Legal 500–Hall of Fame in Energy Transactions–Oil and Gas, 2021-2022 ; The Legal 500–Tier 1 leading lawyers in the U.S. in the practice of Energy: Transactions – Oil & Gas, 2015-2020; The Legal 500, 2012–2014
  • The Best Lawyers in America©, 2007–2023
  • Who’s Who Legal Oil & Gas, 2010–2022
  • Chambers Global, 2011-2022
  • Law360 Energy MVP, 2012, 2018, 2019, 2021
  • Law & Politics as a “Texas Super Lawyer,” 2003–2004, 2006–2022; Top 100 “Houston Super Lawyers List,” 2018-2022
  • Who’s Who Legal Project Finance, 2012–2014, 2017-2022
  • The Houston Business Journal Who’s Who in Energy, 2012, 2014

Mr. Darden is a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators, in which he has served as an officer, director and committee chairman and was co-chair of the committee that developed the model form international farmout agreement.  Mr. Darden is Board Certified in Oil and Gas Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and a member of the Houston Bar Association.

Representative Matters*

Domestic U.S.

  • Representation of seller in divestiture of 63,000 net acres of productive and exploratory leasehold in the Wolfcamp Shale of the Permian Basin, along with seller’s interest in certain mid-stream gathering assets, for US$2.5 billion
  • Representation of purchaser of 12,000 net acres of productive Spraberry and Wolfcamp leasehold in the Permian Basin for $600 million
  • Representation of seller in divestiture of Spraberry and Wolfcamp leasehold in the Permian Basin for $980 million
  • Representation of purchaser of 36,860 net acres of Wolfcamp leasehold in the Permian Basin for $855 million
  • Representation of buyer in its US$2 billion investment in exchange for 30% of seller’s interest in approximately 650,000 net acres in the Cline shale and the Midland-Wolfcamp Shale of the Permian Basin
  • Representation of seller in divestiture of Eagle Ford Shale-focused midstream company for $2.15 billion
  • Representation of seller in divestiture of 120,000 net acres of productive and exploratory leasehold in the Eagle Ford Shale formation in South Texas, along with the seller’s interest in certain mid-stream gathering assets, for US$1.45 billion
  • Representation of largest seller in multi-company divestiture of approximately 32,000 gross acres in the Bakken Shale formation of North Dakota for US$1.4 billion
  • Conveyance of US$5 billion of onshore exploration and production assets in relation to spin-off of exploration and production company from regulated utility
  • Representation of producer (gas owner) in terminaling agreement for counterparty to store and transport producer’s natural gas stream to producer’s terminal and to process the natural gas stream to produce and deliver ethane to producer’s ships at the terminal for overseas delivery
  • Representation of buyer in acquisition of interests in producing deepwater Gulf of Mexico leases, along with associated capacity rights in offshore infrastructure and interests in related contracts, for $2.15 billion
  • Representation of buyer in acquisition of interests in 28 deep-water Gulf of Mexico leases and structuring, negotiating and implementing (i) Participation Agreement calling for a minimum expenditure of US$600 million and (ii) Management Services Agreement
  • Representation of buyer in acquisition of several producing deepwater Gulf of Mexico fields (23 leases encompassing five field areas), along with associated capacity rights in offshore infrastructure and interests in related contracts, for US$5.55 billion

International

  • Extensive work on petroleum exploration, development and/or production projects outside the United States in all regions of the world, including several LNG projects. Involvement at all stages of petroleum projects, working with governments, industry partners, contractors, suppliers, lenders and insurers
  • Drafting and negotiation of production-sharing contracts, licenses, technical evaluation agreements, confidentiality agreements, joint bidding agreements, farmout agreements, purchase and sale agreements, joint operating agreements, drilling contracts and service contracts for exploration and production activities in more than 60 countries
  • Countries, by region, include:  Canada; Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Venezuela; Albania, France, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Russia, Turkey and the United Kingdom; Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Tunisia and Yemen; Angola, Benin, Congo, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sudan and Zambia; Australia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Tonga and Vietnam

Education

Mr. Darden received his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center, an M.B.A. from Rice University and a B.B.A. in Petroleum Land Management from The University of Texas.

* Includes matters handled prior to joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher

EDUCATION

Rice University - 2002 MBA

University of Houston - 1986 Juris Doctor

University of Texas - 1980 B.A. Business Administration

ADMISSIONS

Texas Bar

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Firm News - January 9, 2023 | Who’s Who Legal Recognizes 39 Gibson Dunn Partners in its Inaugural Thought Leaders USA Guide
Firm News - October 7, 2022 | Expert Guides Best of the Best United States 2022 Recognizes Ten Gibson Dunn Partners
Firm News - October 3, 2022 | Expert Guides Recognizes Three Gibson Dunn Partners
Client Alert - August 16, 2022 | The Inflation Reduction Act Includes Significant Benefits for the Carbon Capture Industry
Firm News - June 22, 2022 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in 2022 U.S. Legal 500
Firm News - June 16, 2022 | Who’s Who Legal 2022 Recognizes Gibson Dunn Partners in Energy
Firm News - June 1, 2022 | Gibson Dunn Earns 101 Top-Tier Rankings in Chambers USA 2022
Firm News - September 8, 2021 | Law360 Names Six Gibson Dunn Partners as 2021 MVPs
Firm News - August 10, 2021 | Who’s Who Legal 2021 Recognizes Gibson Dunn Partners in Energy
Firm News - June 29, 2021 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in 2021 U.S. Legal 500
Client Alert - June 29, 2021 | Supreme Court Holds That Private Parties Can Sue States To Seize State Property Along Federally Approved Pipeline Routes
Firm News - May 20, 2021 | Gibson Dunn Earns 94 Top-Tier Rankings in Chambers USA 2021
Firm News - August 12, 2020 | Who’s Who Legal 2020 Asset Recovery, Energy, and Product Liability Defence Guides Recognize Eight Gibson Dunn Partners
Firm News - July 14, 2020 | Who’s Who Legal 2020 Project Finance Recognizes Five Gibson Dunn Partners
Firm News - July 6, 2020 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in 2020 U.S. Legal 500
Client Alert - May 27, 2020 | Texas Supreme Court Rules That “Anti-Washout” Clause Purporting to Extend Overriding Royalty Interests to a “New Lease” Violates Rule Against Perpetuities
Webcasts - May 7, 2020 | Webcast: Maintenance of Oil and Gas Leases in These Troubled Times
Firm News - April 24, 2020 | Gibson Dunn Earns 84 Top-Tier Rankings in Chambers USA 2020
Client Alert - April 14, 2020 | Force Majeure Primer and Flowchart for Oil and Gas Leases
Firm News - November 12, 2019 | Law360 Names Nine Gibson Dunn Partners as 2019 MVPs
Firm News - November 6, 2019 | Who’s Who Legal Recognizes Ten Gibson Dunn Partners in Project Finance, Product Liability, Energy, and Asset Recovery in 2019
Client Alert - October 24, 2019 | Texas Supreme Court to Address “Anti-Washout” Clauses for Overriding Royalty Interests
Webcasts - October 22, 2019 | Webcast: The New Norm: Non-traditional Financing Structures in the Oil and Gas Space
Firm News - August 15, 2019 | Gibson Dunn Lawyers Recognized in the Best Lawyers in America® 2020
Firm News - July 11, 2019 | Gibson Dunn Ranked in 2019 U.S. Legal 500
Webcasts - January 24, 2019 | Webcast: The Current (and Future) State of Oil and Gas M&A (2019)
Firm News - November 28, 2018 | Law360 Names Eight Gibson Dunn Partners as MVPs
Firm News - November 9, 2018 | Gibson Dunn Transaction Named M&A Deal of the Year by D CEO
Firm News - August 1, 2018 | Who’s Who Legal Recognizes Nine Gibson Dunn Partners
Firm News - July 2, 2018 | Who’s Who Legal Recognizes Five Gibson Dunn Partners in Energy
Firm News - May 3, 2018 | Gibson Dunn Earns 70 Top-Tier Rankings in Chambers USA 2018
Article - March 1, 2018 | Drilling Down on DrillCos
Webcasts - January 10, 2018 | Webcast: The Current (and Future) State of Oil and Gas M&A (2018)
Article - October 2, 2017 | Private Equity JVs: Part 1 – DrillCos
Article - September 1, 2017 | An Overview of DrillCo Transactions and Select Drafting Considerations
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