Bracewell

Bracewell LLP is a global firm with approximately 350 lawyers covering a range of practices across the firm’s 10 offices. The firm’s roots in the Lone Star state are still strong as demonstrated by its four Texas locations and impact on the energy sector.

Hailing from Houston

Bracewell started as a glimmer in the eyes of four Houston attorneys (three of whom bore the surname Bracewell) in 1945. J.S. Bracewell, his sons Searcy and Fentress, and Bert H. Tunks established a practice that was quickly associated with Texas movers and shakers. Searcy Bracewell was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1947 and Senate in 1949. Harry Patterson joined in 1951 and ascended to name partner in 1966. Originally a litigation shop, the firm established a corporate practice in 1971 to serve the many commercial clients drawn to the state’s booming economy.

Branching Out

Over time, the firm continued to add niche practices in response to Houston’s growth as a regional business hub. Commensurately, Houston’s sprawling growth benefited Bracewell, mostly by driving the creation of its preeminent Energy practice. Bracewell represents companies such as Kinder Morgan, Inc.; Apache Corporation; Phillips 66; and Cheniere.

Moreover, Bracewell grew strategically since the mid-1970s by opening offices in Washington, DC, and Austin to advise clients on state and federal regulatory matters. The firm went on to open offices in Dallas, San Antonio, New York, and Seattle. The firm’s London office provides a vital platform from which attorneys serve energy clients in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The Dubai office is a base for U.S. and foreign clients involved in public-private partnerships; infrastructure; engineering, procurement, and construction; and power and renewables deals, as well as general corporate matters. In 2024, the firm opened an office in Paris, further diversifying its global energy platform.

• Bracewell advised Tallgrass Energy on the conversion of the existing Trailblazer natural gas pipeline into a CO2 transportation system.
• Bracewell helped secure a defining victory on In re Winter Storm Uri Litigation (multidistrict) in March 2026 when the Texas Supreme Court denied a writ of mandamus without oral argument or written opinion, effectively extinguishing the core category of winterization claims that had animated the litigation for years. A parallel set of claims alleged that the natural gas industry manipulated markets during the storm, driving prices so high that shortages became inevitable. Bracewell took the lead on those claims as well.
• In one of the most consequential cross-border energy transactions of 2025, Bracewell advised Harbour Energy on its $3.2 billion acquisition of LLOG Exploration Company.
• Bracewell secured the voluntary dismissal of an unprecedented EPA Clean Air Act ligation against Denka Performance Elastomer, deploying a litigation, rulemaking, and government relations strategy that defeated the agency’s injunction request, compelled targeted discovery over EPA objections, obtained a two-year rulemaking extension at the state level, and secured a Fifth Circuit stay blocking EPA’s effort to override the extension. In March 2025, after a series of setbacks, the EPA voluntarily dismissed its case.

• 140 practice and individual rankings, 2026—Chambers USA
• Texas Legal Powerhouse, 2024-2025—Law360
• Work-Life Balance North America Firm of the Year, Women in Business Law Awards, 2026—IFLR
• Most Innovative Law Firm for Infrastructure Law, Innovative Lawyers Awards North America, 2025—Financial Times