Brock T.  Niezgoda
Partner, Corporate/ Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group Leader

Clients appreciate my strong work ethic and solution-driven approach to closing deals and protecting their businesses. I help them avoid overcomplicating problems and understand not only how a particular strategy will resolve the issue at hand, but also how it will impact their entire business.

Brock Niezgoda serves as Gray Reed's Corporate/ Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group Leader. Brock is a corporate and transactional lawyer with a broad practice designed to handle the diverse needs of mid-size companies, family-owned businesses, publicly traded corporations, private equity firms and startups. He has experience negotiating and structuring a wide range of complex transactions from both sides of the deal, including mergers and acquisitions, financing transactions, energy-related secured lending, project finance and acquisition financing, and private and public securities offerings. Brock’s practice covers numerous industries, from midstream and upstream energy, oil and gas services and manufacturing to retail, healthcare, restaurant franchising and many more.

In addition to his transactional practice, Brock advises management teams and business owners on a variety of general corporate and ongoing operational matters, including efficient entity structuring, reorganizations, corporate governance and formalities, SEC reporting and compliance issues, and resolution of internal issues between company stakeholders.

Representative Experience
  • Represented IRISNDT, a global provider of non-destructive testing (NDT), inspection and integrity engineering services, in its sale from First Reserve, a global private equity investment firm, and various minority owners to Apave Group, an international technical risk management firm. Click here for a press release.
  • Represented Joseph T. Ryerson & Son, Inc., the operating subsidiary of Ryerson Holding Corporation (NYSE: RYI), in the acquisition of a metals fabricator based out of Fresno, California.
  • Represented midstream infrastructure services provider with divestiture of legacy service lines, accompanying renegotiation of term and abl credit agreements, and documentation of significant equity infusion from sponsor.
  • Represented Joseph T. Ryerson & Son, Inc., the operating subsidiary of Ryerson Holding Corporation (NYSE: RYI), in the acquisition of Howard Precision Metals, Inc., one of the largest aluminum distributors in the Midwest. Click here for the press release.
  • Represented Joseph T. Ryerson & Son, Inc., the operating subsidiary of Ryerson Holding Corporation (NYSE: RYI), in the acquisition of Ford Tool Steels, Inc., a tool steel processor based out of St. Louis, Missouri. Click here for the press release.
  • Represented owner of franchise system and franchisor of more than 70 restaurant locations in the sale of the franchise system.
  • Represented a national provider of functional employment testing, safety, environmental, and occupational health services in connection with the sale of a majority of its equity to a consortium of physical therapy and occupational therapy companies.
  • Represented a Houston-based construction company that has handled large civil construction projects for over 40 years in connection with a sale of all of its assets to a family-office equity fund.
  • Represented Joseph T. Ryerson & Son, Inc., the operating subsidiary of Ryerson Holding Corporation (NYSE: RYI), in connection with its acquisition of Specialty Metals Processing, Inc., a toll processor of stainless steel, aluminum, titanium and nickel alloy products located in Stow, Ohio. Click here for the press release.
  • Represented buyer in a 12 day, three-way transaction whereby it acquired the outstanding debt and all of the membership interests of a private equity portfolio company with oil and gas producing assets primarily in West Texas. In a simultaneous transaction, the client secured acquisition financing from a bank and equity commitments from an Oklahoma City-based family office to complete the transactions.
  • Represented Houston-based home builder in its acquisition of the real estate assets of an Austin, Texas-based home builder including over 100 homes under construction, over 350 finished lots and control of approximately 150 additional finished lots that will be available for future sales.
  • Represented management in connection with negotiation of a $100 million capital commitment by a private equity fund in a newly-formed partnership formed to invest in and provide development capital to renewable energy and energy storage projects in North America.
  • Represented a heavy equipment rental company in connection with acquisition of two dealerships from one of the nation's leading underground utility construction equipment companies.
  • Represented the owner of title insurance company in connection with sale of company to publicly traded title insurance and real estate services company.
  • Represented a midstream developer in acquisition of LNG terminal assets in Nova Scotia, Canada from Australian company being liquidated in bankruptcy.
  • Represented Tri-State Vacuum and Rental in connection with its acquisition of Key Energy's Haynesville shale waste water management division, and the financing of the acquisition provided via seller financing and an equity investment by CIC Partners, a Dallas-based private equity firm.
  • Represented a Dallas-based oil and gas company in refinancing its existing credit facility with a new reserved-based term loan issued under the Main Street Lending Program.
  • Represented a pipeline integrity and maintenance service company in its acquisition of a California-based consulting firm specializing in planning, permitting and regulatory compliance in the energy, midstream and utilities industries.
  • Represented a Houston-based cloud transformation technology services company with operations in the US and India in its sale to a Silicon Valley-based IT service management company.
  • Represented environmental remediation, waste storage, transportation and disposal services company in sale of a majority equity stake to a private equity fund.
  • Represented Global Healthcare Alliance in its sale to Cedar Gate Technologies, a portfolio company of Chicago-based private equity fund GTCR.
  • Represented the owner of trucking and saltwater disposal companies in the sale of entities to and creation of a joint venture with a national trucking company creating a new saltwater disposal company with trucks, pipelines and saltwater disposal wells in multiple states.  
  • Represented seller in the $17.3 million sale of the operating assets of five franchised restaurants. 
  • Represented a Dutch-based company specializing in fire suppression products and services and aircraft safety component repairs for the commercial aviation market in the acquisition of an aircraft safety equipment provider and servicer with full-service facilities in Houston, Dallas, Indianapolis, Atlanta and Tampa.
  • Represented a Dutch private equity firm in connection with the acquisition by one of its portfolio companies of a U.S. holding company and its U.S. and U.K. subsidiaries engaged in the business of providing horizontal directional drilling services and products.
  • Represented publicly-traded midstream company in connection with its acquisition of salt water disposal wells and associated facilities in North Dakota.
  • Represented the owner and operator of water gathering pipelines and disposal facilities in the development of a $100 million strategic financial partnership with a credit-oriented private equity firm.
  • Represented agents, lenders and borrowers in oil and gas reserve based financings, including acquisition financings and financings secured by both onshore and offshore properties.
  • Represented agents and lenders in project finance transactions, including the development of a crude loading terminal and solar power generation facilities.
  • Represented NYSE company in acquisitions of 77 convenience stores in New York and 22 convenience stores in Texas.
  • Represented borrowers in industries including oil and gas exploration, manufacturing and chemicals in negotiating term loans, revolving credit facilities, second lien financings, working capital facilities and other financing arrangements, both in the U.S. and internationally.
  • Represented project developer and private equity fund in funding and development of North Dakota rail terminal.
  • Represented numerous privately held companies in acquisitions by private equity funds and strategic buyers.
  • Represented management team in recapitalization of company by multiple private equity funds.
  • Represented publicly traded company in PIPE transaction and subsequent S-1 registration statement filing.
  • Represent and advise publicly traded companies with respect to SEC and exchange reporting and compliance issues.
Thought Leadership / News
Honors
  • Named to Hart Energy's "Forty Under 40" List (2024)
  • Named a Rising Star by Texas Super Lawyers (a Thomson Reuters company) as published in Texas Monthly and Texas Super Lawyers magazines (2018 - 2024)
  • Named a Houstonia Magazine Top Lawyer in Houston (2018 - 2023)
Organizational Involvement

Professional Activities, Memberships and Affiliations

  • State Bar of Texas
    • Business Law Section
  • Houston Bar Association
    • Mergers and Acquisitions Section
  • Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
  • Association for Corporate Growth
    • Board of Directors 

Community Involvement, Memberships and Affiliations

  • The Ex-Students’ Association of The University of Texas - Texas Exes Houston Chapter
    • Board of Directors (2013 – 2020)
    • President (2019 – 2020)
    • Scholarship Gala Chair (2018 – 2019)
    • Scholarships Chair (2014 – 2017)
  • Texas Cowboys Alumni Association
Education
  • J.D., The University of Texas School of Law (2011)
  • B.B.A., The University of Texas at Austin (2008)
Bar Admission
  • Texas
When I Feel Most At Home
  • Hosting my tailgate in Austin for all Texas Longhorn football games
  • Trying Texas Monthly’s top 50 BBQ joints
  • Hanging out with my Great Dane and Bernese Mountain Dog