David Peterman
Partner
For over 30 years, I’ve worked at some of the largest law firms in the U.S., handling complex, high-stakes transactions for mostly large national and international companies.  Today, I use my experience to help owners and founders at private, closely held, and family owned businesses who need an advisor with big law skills and experience at billing rates that match their budgets.  My clients often say they appreciate my capacity to stay calm and focused under pressure and my ability to successfully work with people to get a deal done and avoid wasting time (and money) on irrelevant issues that stir up pointless conflict.
 

David Peterman is a skilled dealmaker and business advisor with over 30 years of experience guiding clients through buying and selling companies, raising money, day-to-day operations, complex projects, stockholder deadlocks and disputes, and securities offerings and compliance. Companies of all sizes and buyers, sellers, issuers, and investors rely on David to negotiate and structure a variety of transactions and corporate projects, including acquisitions and dispositions of stock, assets, and business divisions, carve-outs, and public and private securities transactions, and to solve and achieve operational challenges and objectives. He also has deep experience handling offerings, periodic reporting and providing strategic advice to public company boards and management.

David’s clients include major corporations, small and middle-market companies, closely held businesses, family-owned businesses, private equity funds and investors across every industry sector, from energy, manufacturing and industrial services to retail, media, hospitality, technology and many more.

Counseling clients on everyday legal and business concerns is also a significant strength of David’s practice. He provides strategic guidance on general commercial deals, corporate governance, employment issues, regulatory matters and proactive dispute resolution to avoid litigation. When a problem or opportunity falls outside of his practice focus, David gives clients access to the best resources available, whether it involves making a referral to an experienced lawyer in the firm or managing a versatile team of professionals that can achieve a positive outcome.

Representative Experience
  • Represented Iron Mountain Energy, LLC in its sale to Select Water Solutions. Iron Mountain engaged in the water and wastewater disposal business, including ownership and operation of saltwater disposal wells, land rights, and associated facilities, equipment, and contractual rights.
  • Represented Ravago Americas LLC in the creation of Blue Polymers, LLC, a joint venture with Republic Services that is developing a network of facilities designed to produce 100% post-consumer recycled products to supply plastic manufacturers’ growing demand for sustainable solutions. The new facilities will utilize recycled polyethylene and polypropylene from Republic Services’ Polymer Centers to create high-quality, recycled resin for consumer packaging and other solutions.
  • Resolution of numerous stockholder deadlocks and disputes.
  • Representation of co-founder of solar business in sale to other co-founder.
  • Represented holder of convertible notes in conversion into cash and stock with contingent value rights (downside protection).
  • Represented private equity fund in its purchase of a company that provides land transportation and logistics services.
  • Represented upstream oil and gas company in the sale of offshore oil and gas assets for total consideration comprised of cash, an overriding royalty interest, and assumption of the related plugging and abandonment liabilities.
  • Represented the management team in the sale of a marketing solutions company to a private equity fund, together with management equity rollover, employment agreements, and grants of performance units in the continuing company.
  • Represented the family owners of an upstream oil and gas company in the sale of the company.
  • Represented a high end distilled spirits company in its seed round of funding.
  • Recapitalization of a closely held industrial services business including a buyout of minority shareholders.
  • Represented a private investor in his investment in convertible notes of a high tech company.
  • Represented Genesis Park in its sale of Texas Monthly magazine to Enterprise Products.
  • Represented Lime Rock Partners in multiple transactions, including the sale of GEODynamics, Inc. to Oil States International.
  • Represented Tubal-Cain, a family owned business, in its sale to VLS Recovery Services, LLC, a portfolio company of Aurora Capital Partners.
  • Represented the leading consolidator of the RV retail sector in its acquisition of the #2 volume RV dealer in Texas.
  • Represented private equity funds and management teams in connection with private equity sponsorship of management teams to find, acquire, and develop oil and gas assets and mineral interests.
  • Represented a leading project developer in developing a novel financing structure in which a private equity fund provided an equity commitment to support investment obligations of the project developer in connection with the construction and development of a natural gas gathering system.
  • Representing a project developer in a project to joint venture with existing power plants to develop CO2 capture capability in compliance with Section 45Q requirements and related tax equity financing.
Thought Leadership / News
April 29, 2022 
 Speeches and Presentations
Recent M&A Proposed Federal Legislation and Delaware Caselaw Developments

Continuing Legal Education

April 19, 2022 
 Blogs
Delaware Court Provides Clarity Regarding Anti-Bootstrapping Rule
M&A Insights
December 21, 2021 
 Blogs
Caution: Court Finds Fiduciary Waivers Ineffective
M&A Insights
Honors
  • Selected by his peers for inclusion in Woodward/White, Inc.'s The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of Corporate Law (2007 - 2024) and Venture Capital Law (2007 - 2024)
  • Chambers USA, Texas: Technology: Corporate & Commercial  (2004 - 2013)
  • Texas Top Rated Lawyer, LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell (2013 - 2014)
  • Legal 500 U.S., Leading lawyer, M&A: Middle-Market (2016)
  • Legal 500 U.S., Recommended lawyer, M&A: Middle-Market (2013 - 2016)
  • The Best Lawyers in America – Corporate Law and Venture Capital Law (2007 - 2023)
  • Texas Super Lawyer (Thomson Reuters) (2006 - 2011, 2014 - 2018)
  • BTI Client Service All-Star, BTI Consulting Group (2010)
  • Named a Houstonia Magazine Top Lawyer in Houston (2022 - 2023)
Organizational Involvement
  • State Bar of Texas
  • Houston Bar Association, Mergers & Acquisitions Section
    • Organizing Committee Member
  • Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
Education
  • J.D., with honors, The University of Texas School of Law (1985)
  • B.B.A., Finance, The University of Texas at Austin (1982)
Bar Admission
  • Texas
When I Feel Most At Home
  • Reading books – recent favorites include City of Thieves, All the Light We Cannot See, and The Dutch House.
  • Enjoying outdoor activities – hunting, fishing, golfing and just about anything that allows me to spend time outdoors.