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Houston law firm expands energy practice to Paris

bon voyage

The new office will expand Bracewell's capabilities in France and the broader Europe, the Middle East and Africa region. Photo via Bracewell

It's not just United States athletes descending upon France this summer. A Houston-based law firm has announced the expansion of its energy team into the region.

Bracewell LLP has opened an office in Paris La Défense and named 11 energy and infrastructure lawyers from Norton Rose Fulbright to the new location, which will be focused on project development, M&A, and finance transactions in the energy and infrastructure sectors. The team will have an emphasis on renewable and conventional power, energy transition, oil and gas, and infrastructure in France — as well as Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, per a news release from the firm.

“We are thrilled to welcome our new colleagues to the firm and to open an office in Paris,” Bracewell Managing Partner Gregory M. Bopp says in the release. “The addition of this energy and infrastructure team, one of the largest and most highly regarded in Paris, builds on the strengths of our preeminent global energy platform and broadens our capabilities in France, Africa, and the broader EMEA region.”

Anne Lapierre, Arnaud Bélisaire and Simon Cudennec joined Bracewell as partners in Paris. Eight associates and counsel complete the team: Véronique Bruel, Marie Zelazko, Adnen Ben Naser, Sandra Hahn Duraffourg, Pierrick Ferrero, Diane Dusserre, Noémie Portut-Castel, and Carl Kalaani.

“The French team is a pure energy and infrastructure team, which mirrors who we are and what has been successful in London,” Jason Fox, managing partner of Bracewell’s London office, says in the release. “Where the London office has a strong focus on the oil and gas sector, the French team is more focused on renewables. That, combined with the addition of French law and OHADA capabilities, complements our platform and strengthens our renewables offering, notably in Francophone Africa.”

Lapierre previously served as head of Norton Rose Fulbright’s global energy practice, and Bélisaire co-led that firm's energy practice in Paris. Cudennec, also from Norton Rose Fulbright, specializes in projects within the energy, infrastructure and natural resources sectors in France and French-speaking Africa.

“Bracewell’s focus on sector excellence has made it one of the leading energy law firms in the world,” adds Lapierre. “Arnaud, Simon and I are thrilled to join an outstanding and dedicated global team that has broad capabilities and a sterling reputation across the entire energy spectrum.”

Houston energy transition folks — here's what to know to start your week. Photo via Getty Images

Houston energy transition events not to miss, expert commentary on climate crisis, and more things to know

take note

Editor's note: Start your week off strong with three quick things to catch up on in Houston's energy transition: a roundup of events not to miss, a new Houston energy executive to know, and more.

Events not to miss

Put these Houston-area energy-related events on your calendar.

    • Future of Energy Summit is Tuesday, February 6, at AC Hotel by Marriott Houston Downtown. Register.
    • The 2024 NAPE Summit is Wednesday, February 7, to Friday, February 9, at the George R. Brown Convention Center. It's the energy industry’s marketplace for the buying, selling and trading of prospects and producing properties. Register.
    • The De Lange Conference, taking place February 9 and 10 at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, is centered around the theme “Brave New Worlds: Who Decides? Research, Risk and Responsibility” this year. Register.
    • The Future of Energy Across the Americas: Helping Lawyers Predict and Adapt — the 2024 Houston Energy Conference — is February 27 to March 1. Register.
    • CERAWeek 2024 is Monday, March 18, to Friday, March 22, in the George R. Brown Convention Center. Register.  

    ​Commentary: Chris Wood, co-founder of Moonshot Compost, on loving the climate apocalypse​

    Chris Wood knows that the last thing anyone wants to be reminded of in 2024 is the impending climate apocalypse, but, as he writes in his guest column, "There is a scientific consensus that the world climate is trending towards uninhabitable for many species, including humans, due in large part to results of human activity."

    He cites a report that 93 percent “believe that climate change poses a serious and imminent threat to the planet.”

    "Until recently reviewing this report, I was unaware that 93 percent of any of us could agree on anything," he writes. "It got me thinking, how much of our problem today is based on misunderstanding both the nature of the problem and the solution?" Read more.

    New hire: Bracewell names new partner to advise clients on energy transition tax incentives

    Bracewell announced that Jennifer Speck has joined the firm's tax department as a partner in the Houston office. Speck will advise clients on energy transition tax incentives.

    Some of her experiences include onshore and offshore wind, solar, carbon capture, clean hydrogen and clean fuel projects. She recently served as senior manager of tax and regulatory compliance at Navigator CO2 Ventures LLC. She graduated in 2010 with a B.F.A. in mental health psychology from Northeastern State University, and received her J.D., with honors, from The University of Tulsa College of Law in 2012. Read more.

    Bracewell announced that Jennifer Speck has joined the firm's tax department as a partner in the Houston office. Photo via LinkedIn

    Energy-focused law firm names new Houston partner

    new hire

    A law and government relations firm serving energy, infrastructure, finance, and technology industries has named a new Houston partner.

    Bracewell announced that Jennifer Speck has joined the firm's tax department as a partner in the Houston office. Speck will advise clients on energy transition tax incentives.

    Some of her experiences include onshore and offshore wind, solar, carbon capture, clean hydrogen and clean fuel projects. She recently served as senior manager of tax and regulatory compliance at Navigator CO2 Ventures LLC. She graduated in 2010 with a B.F.A. in mental health psychology from Northeastern State University, and received her J.D., with honors, from The University of Tulsa College of Law in 2012.

    "Jenny has significant experience in critical tax credits for carbon capture and other energy transition projects," Elizabeth L. McGinley, chair of Bracewell's tax department, says in a news release. "Her knowledge of these, and other, tax incentives strengthens our ability to help clients take full advantage of the tax benefits available under the Inflation Reduction Act."

    Nationally recognized, Bracewell's tax department is known for its experience involving tax matters related to the energy industry. Bracewell has also led the development of one of the country's largest multidisciplinary energy transition legal teams.

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    7 Houston energy-focused businesses among Time's best midsize companies 2025

    new report

    Seven Houston-based businesses focused on the energy industry appear on Time magazine and Statista’s new ranking of the country’s best midsize companies.

    Time and Statista ranked companies based on employee satisfaction, revenue growth, and transparency about sustainability. All 500 companies on the list have annual revenue from $100 million to $10 billion.

    The Houston energy-focused companies on the list are:

    • No. 141 MRC Global. Score: 85.84
    • No. 176 National Oilwell Varco. Score: 84.50
    • No. 266 Nabor Industries. Score: 81.59
    • No. 296 Archrock. Score: 80.17
    • No. 327 Superior Energy Services. Score: 79.38
    • No. 359 CenterPoint Energy. Score: 78.02
    • No. 461 Oceaneering. Score: 73.87
    In total, 13 Houston-based businesses appear, with Houston engineering firm KBR topping the Texas businesses that made the list. KBR earned the No. 30 spot, earning a score of 91.53 out of 100. It is joined by these other Houston companies:
       
    • No. 168 Comfort Systems USA. Score: 84.72
    • No. 175 Crown Castle. Score: 84.51
    • No. 234 Kirby. Score: 82.48
    • No. 332 Insperity. Score: 79.15
    • No. 485 Skyward Specialty Insurance. Score: 73.15

    Additional Texas companies on the list include:

    • No. 95 Austin-based Natera. Score: 87.26
    • No. 199 Plano-based Tyler Technologies. Score: 86.49
    • No. 139 McKinney-based Globe Life. Score: 85.88
    • No. 140 Dallas-based Trinity Industries. Score: 85.87
    • No. 149 Southlake-based Sabre. Score: 85.58
    • No. 223 Dallas-based Brinker International. Score: 82.87
    • No. 226 Irving-based Darling Ingredients. Score: 82.86
    • No. 256 Dallas-based Copart. Score: 81.78
    • No. 276 Coppell-based Brink’s. Score: 80.90
    • No. 279 Dallas-based Topgolf. Score: 80.79
    • No. 294 Richardson-based Lennox. Score: 80.22
    • No. 308 Dallas-based Primoris Services. Score: 79.96
    • No. 322 Dallas-based Wingstop Restaurants. Score: 79.49
    • No. 335 Fort Worth-based Omnicell. Score: 78.95
    • No. 337 Plano-based Cinemark. Score: 78.91
    • No. 345 Dallas-based Dave & Buster’s. Score: 78.64
    • No. 349 Dallas-based ATI. Score: 78.44
    • No. 385 Frisco-based Addus HomeCare. Score: 76.86
    • No. 414 New Braunfels-based Rush Enterprises. Score: 75.75
    • No. 431 Dallas-based Comerica Bank. Score: 75.20
    • No. 439 Austin-based Q2 Software. Score: 74.85
    • No. 458 San Antonio-based Frost Bank. Score: 73.94
    • No. 475 Fort Worth-based FirstCash. Score: 73.39
    • No. 498 Irving-based Nexstar Broadcasting Group. Score: 72.71
    ---
    This article originally appeared on our sister site, InnovationMap.

    TEX-E names Houston VC leader as new executive director

    new hire

    The Texas Exchange for Energy & Climate Entrepreneurship (TEX-E) has named Houston venture capital and innovation leader Sandy Guitar as its new executive director.

    Guitar succeeds David Pruner, who will move into the board chair role.

    Guitar previously served as general partner and managing director at Houston-based VC firm HX Venture Fund and is co-founder of Weathergage Capital. She also sits on the advisory board of Rice University's Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie) and launched the Women Investing in VC in Houston group.

    In a LinkedIn post, Guitar shared that she's looking forward to bringing her problem-solving skills to the energy transition.

    "Innovating in the energy sector is as significant and intricate a problem as I have ever worked on — one that demands creativity, collaboration, and resourcefulness at every turn," she shared.

    "I'm honored to join TEX-E at such a pivotal time in the energy transition," she added in a news release. "Energy and climate innovation is accelerating at the intersection of brilliant minds and bold ideas. I'm excited to help TEX-E amplify that collision between students who think differently and the real-world problems that demand fresh solutions."

    According to TEX-E, Guitar will continue to lead the organization's programming that aims to connect student climate entrepreneurs with "industry reality."

    "Sandy understands the complexities of the Texas energy ecosystem and brings a forward-looking vision for how related innovation can drive meaningful, lasting impact. She's exactly the leader we need to take TEX-E to the next level and help create the next generation of energy transition innovators," David Baldwin, TEX-E board member, added in the release.

    TEX-E was founded in 2022 through partnerships with MIT Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship and Greentown Labs. It works with university students from six schools: Rice University, University of Houston, Prairie View A&M University, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University and MIT.

    It's known for its student track within the Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition at CERAWeek, which awarded $25,000 to HEXASpec, a Rice University-led team, at the 2025 event. It also hosted its inaugural TEX-E Conference, centered on the theme of Energy & Entrepreneurship: Navigating the Future of Climate Tech, earlier this year.

    Expert: Debunking the myth that Texas doesn't care about renewable energy

    Guest Column

    When most people think about Texas, wind turbines and solar panels may not be the first images that come to mind. But in reality, the state now leads the nation in both wind-powered electricity generation and utility-scale solar capacity. In 2024 alone, Texas added approximately 9,700 megawatts of solar and 4,374 megawatts of battery storage, outpacing all other energy sources in new generation capacity that year. So what’s driving Texas’ rapid rise as the renewable energy capital of the United States?

    Leader in wind energy

    Texas has been a national leader in wind energy for more than a decade, thanks to its vast open landscapes and consistent wind conditions, particularly in regions like West Texas and the Panhandle. These ideal geographic features have enabled the development of massive wind farms, giving Texas the largest installed wind capacity in the United States. Wind energy also plays a strategic role in balancing the grid and complements solar energy well, as it often peaks at night when solar output drops.

    Battery storage growth

    Increasing battery storage capacity is unlocking more potential from solar and wind. When intermittent energy sources like wind and solar go offline, batteries release stored electricity and provide stability to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas system. Excluding California, Texas has more battery storage than the rest of the United States combined, accounting for over 32% of all the capacity installed nationwide.

    Solar electricity generation and utility-scale batteries within ERCOT power grid set records in summer 2024. Between June 1 and August 31, solar contributed nearly 25% of total power demand during mid-day hours. In the evening, as demand stayed high but solar output declined, battery discharges successfully filled the gap. Battery storage solutions are now a core element of ERCOT’s future capacity and demand planning.

    Interest in creating a hydrogen economy

    Texas is well positioned to become a national hub in the hydrogen economy. The state has everything needed to lead in this emerging space with low-cost natural gas, abundant and growing low carbon electricity, geology well suited for hydrogen and carbon storage, mature hydrogen demand centers, existing hydrogen pipelines, established port infrastructure and more. The state already has an existing hydrogen market with two-thirds of the country’s hydrogen transport infrastructure.

    In 2023, the Texas Legislature created the Texas Hydrogen Production Policy Council, which found that:

    • Hydrogen could represent a grid-scale energy storage solution that can help support the increased development of renewable electricity from wind and solar. Renewable electricity that is converted to hydrogen can improve overall grid reliability, resilience and dispatchability.
    • The development of the hydrogen industry, along with its supporting infrastructure and its downstream markets within Texas, could attract billions of dollars of investment. This development may create hundreds of thousands of jobs - especially with younger generations who are passionate about climate science - and greatly boost the Texas economy.
    • Hydrogen supports the current energy economy in Texas as a critical component to both conventional refining and the growing production of new biofuels (such as renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel) within the state.

    Legislative action and pressure to reduce carbon emissions

    Texas has also seen key legislative actions and policies that have supported the growth of renewable energy in Texas. During the most recent legislative session, lawmakers decided that The Texas Energy Fund, a low-interest loan program aimed at encouraging companies to build more power infrastructure, will receive an additional $5 billion on top of the $5 billion lawmakers approved in 2023. Of that amount, $1.8 billion is earmarked to strengthen existing backup generators, which must be powered by a combination of solar, battery storage and natural gas. These funds signal growing institutional support for a diversified and more resilient energy grid.

    Furthermore, there is growing pressure from investors, regulators and consumers to reduce carbon emissions, and as a result, private equity firms in the oil and gas sector are diversifying their portfolios to include wind, solar, battery storage and carbon capture projects. In 2022, private equity investment in renewable energy and clean technology surged to a record-high $26 billion.

    The future of the renewable energy workforce

    With renewable energy jobs projected to grow to 38 million globally by 2030, the sector is poised to be one of the most promising career landscapes of the future. Given that young people today are increasingly environmentally conscious, there is a powerful opportunity to engage students early and help them see how their values align with meaningful, purpose-driven careers in clean energy. Organizations like the Energy Education Foundation play a vital role in this effort by providing accessible, high-quality resources that bridge the gap between energy literacy and real-world impact. The nonprofit employs comprehensive, science-based educational initiatives to help students and educators explore complex energy topics through clear explanations and engaging learning tools, laying a strong foundation for informed, future-ready learners.

    STEM and AI education, which are reshaping how young people think, build, and solve problems, provide a natural gateway into the renewable energy field. From robotics and coding to climate modeling and sustainable engineering, these learning experiences equip students with the critical skills and mindsets needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving energy economy. By investing in engaging, future-focused learning environments now and through leveraging trusted educational partners, like the Energy Education Foundation, we can help ensure that the next generation of learners are not just prepared to enter the clean energy workforce but are empowered to lead it.

    With its rapidly growing wind, solar, battery and hydrogen sectors, Texas is redefining its energy identity. To sustain this momentum, the state must continue aligning education, policy, and innovation—not only to meet the energy demands of tomorrow, but to inspire and equip the next generation to lead the way toward a more sustainable, resilient and inclusive energy future.

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    Kristen Barley is the executive director of the Energy Education Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring the next generation of energy leaders by providing comprehensive, engaging education that spans the entire energy spectrum.


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