People

Luke Weedon
Luke A. Weedon
Partner | Section Chair - Finance (Firmwide)

Overview

Luke Weedon devotes a significant part of his practice to secured and unsecured syndicated bank financings, including the representation of agent lenders and borrowers in connection with working capital facilities, acquisition financings, bridge loans, asset-based loans, first lien/second lien financings, letter of credit facilities and project financings. In addition, Mr. Weedon devotes a substantial part of his practice to the representation of issuers and underwriters in secured and unsecured high-yield debt offerings, including liability management transactions.

Private placements of securities constitute another component of Mr. Weedon's practice, primarily representing institutional purchasers in transactions involving senior secured and unsecured note offerings, mezzanine investments and other forms of junior capital.

Mr. Weedon also represents clients in connection with structured receivables arrangements, ISDA master agreements, bilateral guarantee facilities, workouts, debt restructurings and debtor-in-possession financings.

From an industry standpoint, a majority of Mr. Weedon's practice involves domestic and cross-border energy finance, in particular midstream, offshore drilling, offshore construction and oilfield services. He also has significant experience with technology and manufacturing companies.

Mr. Weedon serves as partner in charge of the firm's Dallas office.

Admissions & Affiliations

  • State Bar of Texas
  • New York State Bar
  • Dallas Bar Association
  • American College of Investment Counsel - Treasurer (2020-2021); Board of Trustees (2017-2019); Vice President (2022-2023); President (2024)
  • Southwest Association of Bank Counsel
  • J.D., Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law 2001
    magna cum laude
    Order of the Coif
    Articles Editor, SMU Law Review
  • B.S., Economics, Texas A&M University 1997

Experience

Bank Financings and High-Yield Debt Offerings

  • Lead arranger, administrative agent and underwriters – $500 million first lien revolving credit facility, $750 million second lien term loan, $750 million second lien Rule 144A debt offering, each secured by offshore drilling rigs; $500 million revolving credit facility to finance construction of offshore drilling rig
  • Lead arranger and administrative agent – $1.0 billion unsecured credit facility and $2.0 billion 364-day facility for a midstream energy company
  • Lead arranger and administrative agent – $2.5 billion unsecured credit facility for a midstream MLP
  • Lead arranger and administrative agent – $1.35 billion secured credit facility for a gas storage company
  • Lead arranger and administrative agent – $424 million unsecured credit facility for the general partner of a midstream MLP
  • Lead arranger and administrative agent – $125 million secured credit facility for a clothing manufacturer
  • Lead arranger and administrative agent – $140 million secured credit facility for a technology company to fund its acquisition of a publicly traded U.K. company
  • Asset-based lender, as administrative agent – multiple asset-based loans (most in the $25-$100 million range) for private and public companies operating in the energy, chemicals, manufacturing and retail industries
  • Underwriter – multiple offerings of senior notes by public E&P company, including registered exchange offer of one series of senior secured notes and two series of senior notes for three new series of senior secured notes
  • Wireless communications company – $2.1 billion secured credit facility; secured and unsecured bridge loans aggregating $1.5 billion; $1 billion Rule 144A debt offering; multiple follow-on debt offerings
  • Offshore drilling contractor – $3 billion unsecured credit facility; $900 million credit facility secured by ultra-deepwater drillships; $625 million Rule 144A debt offering of notes secured by ultra-deepwater drillship; $600 million Rule 144A debt offering of notes secured by ultra-deepwater drillship
  • Technology company – $50 million multi-currency secured credit facility
  • Offshore drilling contractor – $1.55 billion credit facility secured by offshore drilling rigs; $450 million Rule 144A debt offering
  • Offshore drilling contractor and liftboat service provider – $1.15 billion credit facility secured by a fleet of vessels; $300 million secured Rule 144A debt offering; $200 million unsecured Rule 144A debt offering; $75 million secured credit facility; $400 million secured credit facility to facilitate exit from bankruptcy
  • Offshore oil and gas construction company – $810 million credit facility secured by vessels and real property; $69 million project financing for the construction of a new vessel; $105 million unsecured performance guarantee issuance facility; $25 million secured letter of credit facility; $500 million Rule 144A offering of second lien notes; $200 million secured Rule 144A debt offering; various factoring arrangements
  • Subsea engineering and applied technology company – $800 million unsecured credit facility
  • Power generation company – $600 million secured credit facility to facilitate spin-off; $700 million secured credit facility; $650 million secured credit facility to facilitate exit from bankruptcy
  • Supplier of nuclear components and fuel – $900 million secured credit facility
  • Midstream MLP – $1.5 billion unsecured credit facility; multiple unsecured Rule 144A debt offerings
  • General partner of midstream MLP – $250 million credit facility secured by units in a publicly-traded MLP
  • Midstream MLP – $450 million credit facility secured by real property and other assets
  • E&P company – $750 million unsecured borrowing base credit facility; $500 million unsecured bridge loan; multiple Rule 144A debt offerings
  • Offshore drilling contractor – $800 million credit facility secured by a fleet of offshore drilling rigs
  • Midstream MLP – $665 million credit facility secured by vessels and real property; multiple Rule 144A debt offerings
  • Joint Venture – $125 million project financing to develop, engineer, construct and operate an underground natural gas storage facility
  • Hydrocarbon storage and transportation company – $355 million credit facility secured by vessels, real property and units in a publicly-traded MLP
  • Residential home builder – multiple secured credit facilities aggregating over $150 million

Private Placements

  • Institutional purchasers – purchases of aggregate $237.5 million senior notes issued by a diversified homebuilding and land development company
  • Institutional purchasers – purchase of $25 million senior secured notes, subordinated notes and equity issued by a privately owned E&P company
  • Institutional purchasers – purchases of aggregate Cdn. $320 million of senior notes issued by a pipeline company
  • Institutional purchasers – purchase of $49.5 million of senior secured notes, subordinated notes and equity issued by a privately owned manufacturer of educational products
  • Institutional purchasers – purchase of $58 million of senior notes issued by public utility company
  • Institutional purchasers – purchase of $100 million of senior secured notes issued by an owner and operator of natural gas systems and facilities
  • Institutional purchasers – purchase of $34 million of senior secured notes, subordinated notes and equity issued by a privately owned pipeline servicing company
  • Institutional purchasers – purchase of $20 million of senior secured notes issued by a specialty chemicals company
  • Frozen food manufacturer – private placement of $85 million of senior subordinated notes
  • Convenience store owner and operator – private placement of $140 million of senior secured notes
  • Offshore drilling contractor – private placement of $410 million of senior secured notes

Structured Financings

  • Office building owner – $103 million lease-based securitized financing of an office building
  • Oil and gas company – $1.2 billion trade receivables securitization
  • Institutional investors – restructure of a $47 million credit tenant lease for the corporate headquarters of a public company that provides professional technical services


Awards and Community

Listed in Chambers USA, 2009-2024

Named "Lawyer of the Year in Project Finance Law in DFW" by The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward White, Inc.), 2023

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward White, Inc.), 2009-2025

Named one of the "Best Lawyers in Dallas" by D Magazine, 2011, 2013-2015, 2017-2024

Recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer (Thomson Reuters), 2017-2019, 2023-2024

Recommended in The Legal 500 U.S., 2013