People

Overview

As part of his wide-ranging practice, Geoff Newton represents purchasers and sellers in connection with mergers and acquisitions involving public and private companies. He also advises fund sponsors in the formation of private equity funds and similar vehicles and assists private equity funds in their investment activities. Mr. Newton's private equity fund experience includes work for funds and family offices focusing on a variety of industries, including energy, real estate and consumer products.

In another important area of his practice, Mr. Newton represents issuers and underwriters with respect to registered public offerings, including initial public offerings and offerings by seasoned issuers, as well as private placements of debt and equity securities. He also handles corporate governance matters, including special committee and audit committee assignments.

Admission & Affiliations

  • State Bar of Texas
  • American Bar Association
  • Dallas Bar Association
  • J.D., Yale Law School 1987
  • A.B., Politics, Princeton University 1984
    magna cum laude
    Phi Beta Kappa

Experience

Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Hunt Consolidated – mergers, acquisitions and other matters, including various transactions involving acquisitions and dispositions of public and private electric transmission and distribution companies
  • Eagle Materials, Inc. – mergers, acquisitions and other transactions, including acquisitions of cement plants and other assets, dispositions of operating units and joint ventures
  • SI Group, Inc. – mergers and acquisitions, including dispositions of chemical plants or other operating units in the United States and elsewhere, the sale of SI Group to a private equity fund and various acquisitions of chemical plants
  • HM International – acquisitions, sales and restructurings of private and public companies, including (i) the sale of Windsor Food Company to Ajinomoto and acquisitions by Windsor of Discovery Foods, Specialty Brands and the Keebler frozen food businesses and (ii) other investments in or restructurings or dispositions of public and private companies in various industries, including remote monitoring, real estate, software, professional services, industrial products and postal automation
  • Centex Corporation – mergers, acquisitions and similar transactions, including the merger of Centex Corporation with Pulte Homes, Inc. the sale of Centex Construction Services, the sale of Centex Home Equity spin-off transactions and acquisitions of public companies
  • Primoris Services Corporation – reorganization and disposition transactions
  • Priority Power Management – mergers and acquisitions
  • Brookshire Grocery Company – various mergers, acquisitions and related financing and other transactions

Private Equity

  • Energy Spectrum – establishment of eight midstream energy private equity funds; investments in or dispositions of more than 20 separate portfolio companies of such funds; establishment of co-investment vehicles for certain investments; and initial public offerings and other transactions for portfolio companies
  • Hawkeye and Scout Funds – establishment of two funds to invest in new manager real estate platforms and programs; investments in new manager platforms and fund vehicles; and fund manager structuring projects and regulatory matters
  • Energy Trust – establishment of an upstream private equity fund and investments in or dispositions of more than 25 portfolio companies by five private equity funds focusing on investments in oil and gas exploration and development projects
  • E2M – establishment of three private equity funds focusing on real estate investments
  • Hunt Consolidated – investment, regulatory compliance and internal structuring projects, as well as the formation or restructuring of vehicles to make private equity investments and sales of investment assets
  • Corporate Partners – investments in oil and gas companies and projects
  • CIC Partners – investments in oil and gas companies and projects
  • SBC Master Pension Trust – investments in energy and real estate funds on behalf of private pension fund and related structuring projects, including the formation of Luxembourg vehicle to facilitate certain investments
  • Halliburton – formation of corporate investment vehicle
  • Hudson Advisors and Lone Star Funds – regulatory and structuring projects
  • Centex Corporation – formation of structured real estate investment vehicles
  • Sunbridge Manager – regulatory and structuring projects
  • Electronic Data Systems Corporation – formation and restructuring of corporate investment vehicle

Capital Markets

  • Over $2.0 billion of investment grade debt issuances
  • Over 14 initial public offerings


Awards and Community

Named "Lawyer of the Year" in 2021 for Private Equity Law in Dallas by The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward White, Inc.)

Named "Lawyer of the Year" for 2019, 2017 and 2014 in Dallas for Securities Regulation Law by The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward White, Inc.)

Named "Lawyer of the Year" for 2012 in Dallas for Securities/Capital Markets by The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward White, Inc.)