Print 
Sidley Austin LLP announced that David B. Denechaud and Joe F. Flack III have joined the firm as partners. Mr. Denechaud will be a member of Sidley’s Private Equity practice and Mr. Flack, a member of its Energy practice. Both will reside in Sidley’s Houston office. Mr. Denechaud focuses his practice on private equity and energy (oil and gas) M&A transactions, while Mr. Flack has built his practice around oil and gas acquisition and disposition transactions.
Mr. Denechaud’s experience includes representing private equity clients, providing capital to the exploration and production, midstream, oilfield services and alternative energy sectors. He has broad transactional experience, including advising private and public companies on financial and strategic acquisitions and dispositions, and financings. In addition, he counsels companies and management teams on private equity transactions and regularly represents private equity sponsors and related portfolio companies looking to buy and sell companies and assets.
Mr. Flack has represented a range of clients in energy transactions, including both sellers and buyers in oil and gas acquisitions and dispositions and counterparties in joint venture arrangements. His experience includes the negotiation of exploration and development agreements, farmout agreements, participation agreements, joint operating agreements and oil and gas leases. Mr. Flack is also experienced in handling midstream-related contracts, including gathering and processing agreements.
Chris Abbinante, co-global leader of the firm’s Private Equity practice, commented: "David and Joe have deep first-hand experience assisting private equity and energy clients in navigating a broad range of extremely complex transactions. They are skilled negotiators and talented lawyers, and we are very excited to welcome them to Sidley."
Prior to joining Sidley, both Mr. Denechaud and Mr. Flack were lawyers with a Houston-based international law firm. Mr. Denechaud served as the co-chair of his prior firm’s private equity and infrastructure funds group.
Jim Rice, co-managing partner of Sidley’s Houston office and co-global coordinator of the firm’s Energy practice, added: "With the continued vibrancy we’re seeing in energy transactions, adding David and Joe to the team here in Houston will help take our already strong transactional capabilities to the next level. David’s range of transactional experience and private equity knowledge, combined with Joe’s extensive experience with upstream and midstream-related issues, will enhance our ability to provide our clients with the full spectrum of services designed to best meet their transactional and commercial legal needs."
Sidley opened its Houston office in 2012. The founding partners are comprised of a strong team of highly experienced lawyers who have practiced in Houston for many years and have extensive experience in achieving results for clients in every sector of the domestic and international energy industry. Since opening, the office has grown to 34 lawyers.