Baker Botts is a recognized industry leader in representing a wide array of stakeholders in pipeline projects, particularly those used to transport crude oil, other liquid hydrocarbons and natural gas. Our typical role is to serve as project counsel, but we often represent principal investors, producer consortia, pipeline companies, end-user owners, lenders, operators, shippers, construction contractors and acquirers in relation to existing and new pipeline projects. We also represent shippers and capacity rights holders with respect to their need for pipeline services.
Our project teams are multidisciplinary, and include lawyers intimately familiar with tax, project development, business organization, relevant regulatory regimes and the project agreements themselves, as well as health, safety and environmental commitments; business competition laws; and project finance. Internationally, these projects involve not only the development and negotiation of all of the various project agreements, but include arranging for required concessions, host government agreements and treaty regimes necessary to support the project. On U.S. projects, relevant federal and state regulations must be addressed depending on the nature of the product transported and the areas the pipeline will traverse.
Examples of Matters and Projects
- Drafting and negotiating a wide range of governmental agreements to support cross-border pipeline projects
- Developing and financing pipeline projects
- Negotiating all project agreements
- Assisting consortia and other sponsor groups in identifying and developing appropriate business structures for project ownership and operation
Examples of Agreements