Based in our Houston office, Breen Haire is Co-Head of the Firm’s Energy and Infrastructure Practice. Breen focuses on mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions across the infrastructure sector, including in the energy, digital infrastructure and transportation industries. His energy experience includes representing major operating companies and investors in the power, renewables and oil and gas exploration and production, midstream, oilfield services, contract drilling and petrochemicals sectors. A leading practitioner in the region, Breen was named a 2020 “Texas Trailblazer” by Texas Lawyer.
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Work Highlights
- KKR in its acquisition of a non-controlling interest in Sempra Infrastructure Partners
- Goldman Sachs Asset Management in connection with its acquisition of ImOn Communications, LLC
- KKR in connection with its acquisition of a majority stake in Refresco Group B.V. a global independent beverage solutions provider
- Atlantic Aviation in its acquisition of three fixed-base operations at Omaha, Nebraska; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; and Hartford, Connecticut
- KKR in connection with its acquisition of a majority stake in Telefónica Chile’s existing fiber optic network to establish Chile’s first open access wholesale fiber optics company
- KKR in the formation of Global Technical Realty, a build-to-suit and roll-up acquisition data center platform in Europe
- KKR in connection with its commitment to acquire commercial aircraft in partnership with Altavair AirFinance
- Vistra Energy Corp., the parent company for TXU Energy and Luminant, in its completed merger with Dynegy Inc.
- KKR in its investment in MetroNet, Inc.
Accolades
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“Texas Trailblazer,” Texas Lawyer, 2020
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“Texas Rising Star,” Texas Monthly, 2007–2012
Education
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Boston University, 1994 B.F.A.
summa cum laude
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New York University School of Law, 1999 J.D.
magna cum laude; Editor, New York University Law Review; Order of the Coif
M. Breen Haire is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Corporate Department and Co-Head of the Firm’s Energy and Infrastructure Practice.
Breen represents private equity investors and public and privately-held parties in negotiated acquisitions and dispositions, controlled auctions and investments. He works on transactions in the infrastructure sector, including in the energy, digital infrastructure and transportation industries. Breen’s experience in the energy sector includes representing operating companies and investors in the power, renewables and oil and gas exploration and production, midstream, oilfield services, contract drilling and petrochemicals industries.
Breen’s representative transactions include:
- KKR in its acquisition of a non-controlling interest in Sempra Infrastructure Partners
- Goldman Sachs Asset Management in connection with its acquisition of ImOn Communications, LLC
- KKR in connection with its acquisition of a majority stake in Refresco Group B.V. a global independent beverage solutions provider
- Atlantic Aviation in its acquisition of three fixed-base operations at Omaha, Nebraska; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; and Hartford, Connecticut
- KKR in connection with its acquisition of a majority stake in Telefónica Chile’s existing fiber optic network to establish Chile’s first open access wholesale fiber optics company
- KKR in connection with its acquisition of a majority stake in Telefónica Colombia to establish Colombia’s first independent nationwide open access wholesale digital infrastructure company
- KKR in the formation of Global Technical Realty, a build-to-suit and roll-up acquisition data center platform in Europe
- A special committee of the board of directors of Keane Group, Inc. in Keane’s definitive agreement with C&J Energy Services, to combine in an all-stock merger of equals
- KKR in connection with its commitment to acquire commercial aircraft in partnership with Altavair AirFinance
- Vistra Energy Corp., the parent company for TXU Energy and Luminant, in its completed merger with Dynegy Inc.
- KKR in its investment in MetroNet, Inc.
- KKR in connection with its $1.2 billion acquisition of Discovery Midstream through a newly formed joint venture with Williams
- Marathon Oil Corporation in its Permian basin acquisitions of over 90,000 net mineral acres for $1.8 billion
- KKR in its acquisition of oil and gas infrastructure assets of Pemex
- An affiliate of Investindustrial in the combination of Polynt Group and Reichhold to form a global company in the coating and composite resins industry
- KKR in its joint venture with Monterra Energy to pursue investments in the midstream energy sector in Mexico
- KKR and its preferred equity investment in Genesis Energy, L.P. in connection with Genesis’ acquisition of all of Tronox Limited’s trona business
- PPL Corporation in its Reverse Morris Trust transaction with Riverstone Holdings creating Talen Energy Corporation
Transactions on which Breen has worked prior to joining Simpson Thacher include the representation of:
- Regency Energy Partners LP in connection with its $5.6 billion acquisition of PVR Partners, L.P.;
- TPC Group in connection with its $1 billion acquisition by First Reserve and SK Capital;
- Schlumberger Limited in connection with its $11 billion acquisition of Smith International, Inc.;
- Waste Connections, Inc. in connection with its $1.3 billion acquisition of R360 Environmental Solutions, Inc.;
- Schlumberger Limited in connection with its subsea joint venture with Cameron International Corporation;
- Mariner Energy, Inc. in connection with its $3.9 billion acquisition by Apache Corporation;
- McMoRan Exploration Co. in connection with its $818 million acquisition of Gulf of Mexico shelf properties from Plains Exploration & Production Company;
- Mariner Energy, Inc. in connection with its reverse Morris trust spin/merge transaction with Forest Oil Corporation’s Gulf of Mexico operations;
- EGL, Inc. in connection with its $2 billion sale to Apollo;
- Pacific Energy Partners, L.P. in connection with its $2.5 billion acquisition by Plains All American Pipeline, L.P.;
- Valero Energy Corporation in connection with the sale of a refinery to Suncor Energy Inc.;
- Link Energy LLC in connection with its sale of North American crude oil and pipeline operations to Plains All American Pipeline, L.P.;
- PricewaterhouseCoopers in connection with its $3.5 billion divestiture of PwC Consulting to IBM;
- Johnson & Johnson in connection with its $2.4 billion acquisition of Scios, Inc.;
- OfficeMax, Inc. in connection with its $1.3 billion acquisition by Boise Cascade Corporation;
- Johnson & Johnson in connection with its $88 million acquisition of 3-Dimensional Pharmaceuticals, Inc.;
- IBM in connection with its acquisition of Productivity Solutions, Inc.; and
- IBM in connection with its acquisition of Green Pasture Software.
A leading practitioner in the region, Breen was named a 2020 “Texas Trailblazer” by Texas Lawyer, and has been recognized as a “Rising Star” by Texas Monthly.
Breen received his J.D., magna cum laude, from New York University School of Law where he was an Editor of the New York University Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif. He received his B.F.A., summa cum laude, from Boston University. Breen is admitted to practice in Texas.