Mayer Brown announced that Sam Patranella joined the firm’s Houston office as a partner in the Corporate & Securities practice, where he will focus on energy and private equity transactions. Previously, Mr. Patranella was vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary for Luxe Energy LLC and Luxe Minerals LLC, where he was also an initial member.

“As a highly-regarded lawyer and successful entrepreneur, Sam brings a unique set of skills and relationships to our firm,” said Kevin Sheridan, a co-leader of Mayer Brown’s global Corporate & Securities Practice. “We are delighted to welcome Sam to the firm’s established energy team in Houston, where his experience with domestic, international and private equity companies will be a great asset.”

Patranella has significant experience negotiating and closing complex transactions. His practice consists of representing public and private companies in their transactions in the oil and gas space, including M&A involving upstream and midstream assets, alternative financings and joint ventures. Mr. Patranella also advises startups and private equity backed clients on strategic legal issues arising during their life cycle from founding to exit.

“I am excited to return to private practice with a preeminent global law firm,” said Patranella. “My experience complements an outstanding energy transactional team that I have previously had the pleasure of working with. I look forward to working alongside my new partners to provide practical solutions for our clients’ legal needs.”

“We have a long history of working with Sam and know the quality of his work and his entrepreneurial drive,” said Neil Wasserstrom, the managing partner of Mayer Brown’s Houston office. “Sam is well-known and well-respected by our entire team and will be a tremendous asset as we continue to build out our energy and transactional capabilities in Houston.”