HOUSTON, June 7, 2021 – Baker Botts L.L.P., a leading international energy, technology and life sciences law firm, announced today that Gerry Morton has been elected as a partner in the Energy Projects & Transactions Section of the Global Projects Department in the Houston office. Prior to joining the firm as a special counsel in 2020, Morton spent the previous 12 years as General Counsel and Vice President of Business Development of Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc.

Morton has led numerous transactions in the oil and gas space over the last nearly 30 years. He also participated in Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation’s recently announced $17 billion merger with Cimarex Energy Company. In addition to his transactional experience, he is leading the firm’s “outside general counsel” program for oil and gas and midstream clients, utilizing his C-suite and board experience to provide legal counsel guided by practical business experience.  Morton is also guiding upstream and midstream clients through the bankruptcy process.

“Gerry has incredible oil and gas experience spanning nearly 40 years in the industry, from the field to the board room,” said Jason Bennett, Firmwide Chair of Baker Botts’ Global Projects Department. “His experience and reputation throughout the upstream and midstream sectors will continue to strengthen the firm’s leading position in this space. Gerry brings an experienced commercial and practical approach to assisting clients with their most important matters in this rapidly changing market.”

Morton joined Carrizo in 2008 as General Counsel and Vice President of Business Development. During his 12 years with the company, he was involved in over $14.75 billion in capital markets, A&D, M&A and JV deals, including the first JV between a U.S. company and Indian state-owned enterprises, as well as one of the first JVs with a private Chinese company in the oil and gas sector. Carrizo merged with Callon Petroleum Co. in December 2019.

“I am delighted and honored to become a partner at such a renowned firm in the oil and gas industry,” said Morton. “From my in-house years to my private practice years, Baker Botts has always been, and continues to be, the premier go-to firm in the oil & gas industry on which clients rely for their most critical opportunities and challenges.’

Morton began his oil industry career in 1982 after graduating from Brigham Young University with an Engineering Geology degree, spending six years with Texaco as a geophysicist. He received his MBA in Finance in 1985 and his J.D. in 1988. After working for a major New York law firm in oil and gas-related restructurings and mergers and acquisitions, Morton joined Pogo Producing Company in 1993, where he served as Vice President – Law and Corporate Secretary, in addition to taking on operational and new venture responsibilities in Asia/Pacific and Europe.

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