Close

People

David Runnels maintains a diversified business transactions practice with an emphasis on the renewable energy, conventional energy and real estate industries. As a partner in our corporate practice, David counsels clients in a variety of business transactions. With more than 35 years of experience, his representative transactions include various complex asset-based financings, project developments, dispositions and acquisitions. He also has particular experience in business and investment fund formation, business acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity investments, debt restructuring, energy outsourcing and derivative transactions.

Credentials

J.D., The University of Texas School of Law, honors, Selected to join Texas Law Review

B.B.A., The University of Texas at Austin, high honors

Texas

Duchesne Academy – Board of Trustees (2006-2012)

Houston Bar Association

Houston Bar Foundation - Past Board Member and Treasurer

Law360 - Energy Editorial Advisory Board Member (2019)

Post Oak Bank - Advisory Board Member (2005-2019)

Texas General Counsel Forum - Board Member (2001-Present)

Recognized as a Stand-out Lawyer


Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers, 2024

Recognized as a Leading Energy Lawyer in The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Energy Lawyers


Lawdragon, 2024

Recognized as a Best Lawyer 2024 in Corporate Law and Energy Law


The Best Lawyers in America, 2024

Recognized as a Best Lawyer 2023 in Corporate Law and Energy Law


The Best Lawyers in America, 2023

Recognized as a Super Lawyer 2017


Super Lawyers, 2017

Profiled as a leading Real Estate lawyer


Legal 500 US, 2014–2016

Who’s Who in Law, Energy


Houston Business Journal, 2015

Rated as AV Preeminent


Martindale-Hubbell, 2015

Profiled as a leading Project Finance lawyer


Legal 500 US, 2014

Profiled as a leading Renewables and Alternative Energy lawyer


Legal 500 US, 2014

Profiled as one of Texas’ Top Rated Lawyers in Real Estate


ALM, 2012

Close

Recognition

Recognized as a Stand-out Lawyer


Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers, 2024

Recognized as a Leading Energy Lawyer in The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Energy Lawyers


Lawdragon, 2024

Recognized as a Best Lawyer 2024 in Corporate Law and Energy Law


The Best Lawyers in America, 2024

Recognized as a Best Lawyer 2023 in Corporate Law and Energy Law


The Best Lawyers in America, 2023

Recognized as a Super Lawyer 2017


Super Lawyers, 2017

Profiled as a leading Real Estate lawyer


Legal 500 US, 2014–2016

Who’s Who in Law, Energy


Houston Business Journal, 2015

Rated as AV Preeminent


Martindale-Hubbell, 2015

Profiled as a leading Project Finance lawyer


Legal 500 US, 2014

Profiled as a leading Renewables and Alternative Energy lawyer


Legal 500 US, 2014

Profiled as one of Texas’ Top Rated Lawyers in Real Estate


ALM, 2012

Matters

Representation of General Motors in its relocation from the Renaissance Center to the Hudson’s building and related transactions.

Representation of LyondellBasell in the sale of its ethylene oxide and derivatives business to INEOS Americas.

Acquisition of the third largest wind farm in the U.S. in 2021.

See more

Close

Matters

Representation of General Motors in its relocation from the Renaissance Center to the Hudson’s building and related transactions.

Representation of LyondellBasell in the sale of its ethylene oxide and derivatives business to INEOS Americas.

Acquisition of the third largest wind farm in the U.S. in 2021.

Greenfield development of methanol plants in Louisiana and Texas.

Joint Venture representing an equity investor in a wind farm in development in Oklahoma.

Disposition of 6 gas fired power plants in California for a private equity client.

Acquisition of 6 wind farms in New York state for a private equity client.

Development of the world's largest post-combustion industrial scale carbon capture and sequestration project together with an enhanced oil recovery component.

Acquisitions and dispositions of intrastate and interstate pipelines.

Representation of equity investors and developers in wind and solar energy generation, battery storage and financing transactions across the U.S., including the greenfield development of the largest contracted wind farm in the U.S. in 2012.

Acquisition and development of healthcare industry business and assets.

Decommissioning of a gas fired cogeneration power plant.

Acquisitions and dispositions of healthcare industry businesses and assets.

Development of natural gas to gasoline and methanol facilities in Louisiana, Texas and Illinois.

Acquisition of one of the largest mortgage loan servicers in the U.S.

Restructuring of cogeneration facility arrangements, including the sale of NOx emissions reduction credits.

Representation of an equity provider in investment in oil and gas properties, including structuring of complex multiparty partnership agreement.

Implementation and financing of a multiuse integrated office infrastructure project with payments totaling over $4 billion.

Development and financing of a mixed use Westin franchised residential, hotel and garage using a commercial condominium structure.

Fund formation and domestic and international energy industry acquisitions for investment fund principals.

Negotiating power purchase agreements, derivatives and renewable energy credit purchases for a retail electric provider.

Taking renewable energy collateral in securing an energy trading arrangement for an energy investor.

Project and construction financings of over $6.0 billion.

Representation of equity providers and developers in the hospitality industry.

Formation of blind pool equity funds for real estate.

Acquisition of construction industry-related businesses.

Acquisition of a currency exchange business.

Site acquisition and evaluation of mineral rights and entitlements for a master planned residential development for a national developer.

Refinancings of over $3.1 billion in office properties for a national property owner.

Greenfield development of three power plants in midwestern U.S. for a Fortune 500 company.

Structuring incentive-based compensation arrangements for portfolio acquisitions for a national investment company.

Restructuring master lease and management arrangements for office properties covering 900,000 square feet for the property owner.

Insights

Article · Source: Texas Lawyer

November 28, 2023
Are Wind Rights A New Stick in the Bundle?

View all

Matters

Representation of General Motors in its relocation from the Renaissance Center to the Hudson’s building and related transactions.

Representation of LyondellBasell in the sale of its ethylene oxide and derivatives business to INEOS Americas.

Acquisition of the third largest wind farm in the U.S. in 2021.

See more

Close

Matters

Representation of General Motors in its relocation from the Renaissance Center to the Hudson’s building and related transactions.

Representation of LyondellBasell in the sale of its ethylene oxide and derivatives business to INEOS Americas.

Acquisition of the third largest wind farm in the U.S. in 2021.

Greenfield development of methanol plants in Louisiana and Texas.

Joint Venture representing an equity investor in a wind farm in development in Oklahoma.

Disposition of 6 gas fired power plants in California for a private equity client.

Acquisition of 6 wind farms in New York state for a private equity client.

Development of the world's largest post-combustion industrial scale carbon capture and sequestration project together with an enhanced oil recovery component.

Acquisitions and dispositions of intrastate and interstate pipelines.

Representation of equity investors and developers in wind and solar energy generation, battery storage and financing transactions across the U.S., including the greenfield development of the largest contracted wind farm in the U.S. in 2012.

Acquisition and development of healthcare industry business and assets.

Decommissioning of a gas fired cogeneration power plant.

Acquisitions and dispositions of healthcare industry businesses and assets.

Development of natural gas to gasoline and methanol facilities in Louisiana, Texas and Illinois.

Acquisition of one of the largest mortgage loan servicers in the U.S.

Restructuring of cogeneration facility arrangements, including the sale of NOx emissions reduction credits.

Representation of an equity provider in investment in oil and gas properties, including structuring of complex multiparty partnership agreement.

Implementation and financing of a multiuse integrated office infrastructure project with payments totaling over $4 billion.

Development and financing of a mixed use Westin franchised residential, hotel and garage using a commercial condominium structure.

Fund formation and domestic and international energy industry acquisitions for investment fund principals.

Negotiating power purchase agreements, derivatives and renewable energy credit purchases for a retail electric provider.

Taking renewable energy collateral in securing an energy trading arrangement for an energy investor.

Project and construction financings of over $6.0 billion.

Representation of equity providers and developers in the hospitality industry.

Formation of blind pool equity funds for real estate.

Acquisition of construction industry-related businesses.

Acquisition of a currency exchange business.

Site acquisition and evaluation of mineral rights and entitlements for a master planned residential development for a national developer.

Refinancings of over $3.1 billion in office properties for a national property owner.

Greenfield development of three power plants in midwestern U.S. for a Fortune 500 company.

Structuring incentive-based compensation arrangements for portfolio acquisitions for a national investment company.

Restructuring master lease and management arrangements for office properties covering 900,000 square feet for the property owner.

Insights

Article · Source: Texas Lawyer

November 28, 2023
Are Wind Rights A New Stick in the Bundle?

View all

Credentials

J.D., The University of Texas School of Law, honors, Selected to join Texas Law Review

B.B.A., The University of Texas at Austin, high honors

Texas

Duchesne Academy – Board of Trustees (2006-2012)

Houston Bar Association

Houston Bar Foundation - Past Board Member and Treasurer

Law360 - Energy Editorial Advisory Board Member (2019)

Post Oak Bank - Advisory Board Member (2005-2019)

Texas General Counsel Forum - Board Member (2001-Present)

Recognized as a Stand-out Lawyer


Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers, 2024

Recognized as a Leading Energy Lawyer in The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Energy Lawyers


Lawdragon, 2024

Recognized as a Best Lawyer 2024 in Corporate Law and Energy Law


The Best Lawyers in America, 2024

Recognized as a Best Lawyer 2023 in Corporate Law and Energy Law


The Best Lawyers in America, 2023

Recognized as a Super Lawyer 2017


Super Lawyers, 2017

Profiled as a leading Real Estate lawyer


Legal 500 US, 2014–2016

Who’s Who in Law, Energy


Houston Business Journal, 2015

Rated as AV Preeminent


Martindale-Hubbell, 2015

Profiled as a leading Project Finance lawyer


Legal 500 US, 2014

Profiled as a leading Renewables and Alternative Energy lawyer


Legal 500 US, 2014

Profiled as one of Texas’ Top Rated Lawyers in Real Estate


ALM, 2012

Close

Recognition

Recognized as a Stand-out Lawyer


Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers, 2024

Recognized as a Leading Energy Lawyer in The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Energy Lawyers


Lawdragon, 2024

Recognized as a Best Lawyer 2024 in Corporate Law and Energy Law


The Best Lawyers in America, 2024

Recognized as a Best Lawyer 2023 in Corporate Law and Energy Law


The Best Lawyers in America, 2023

Recognized as a Super Lawyer 2017


Super Lawyers, 2017

Profiled as a leading Real Estate lawyer


Legal 500 US, 2014–2016

Who’s Who in Law, Energy


Houston Business Journal, 2015

Rated as AV Preeminent


Martindale-Hubbell, 2015

Profiled as a leading Project Finance lawyer


Legal 500 US, 2014

Profiled as a leading Renewables and Alternative Energy lawyer


Legal 500 US, 2014

Profiled as one of Texas’ Top Rated Lawyers in Real Estate


ALM, 2012