James W. McKellar
Partner
James.McKellar@tklaw.com
James W. McKellar
Representative Matters
- Acted as primary counsel for the lead arranger or the issuer in capital markets transactions aggregating several billions of dollars each year involving financings for merger and acquisition transactions, midstream and upstream master limited partnerships, holding companies of master limited partnerships, energy investment funds and other investment vehicles, senior, second lien and subordinate debt structures, hedging lines of credit, and general corporate purpose credit
- Represented a public company in the restructuring of $150 million of debt involving the exchange of subordinated debt for equity and the restructure of senior bank debt
- Represented a private company in the restructuring of $65 million of existing debt and raising of $70 million of new financing in a non-bankruptcy workout
- Advised a client in the restructuring of debt of a South American energy project involving private capital and governmental credit agency
- Represented the agent under a $300 million credit facility in a bankruptcy resulting in a reorganization and replacement credit facility
- Represented a high technology manufacturing company in connection with financing the acquisition of a competitor
- $900 million of financings for a public company including registered offering of high yield notes and syndicated credit facility
- $300 million credit facility for letters of credit and $175 million credit facility for advances to sustain a commodity trading company after an unauthorized trading loss
- $125 million private placement of notes to finance an African energy project of a U.S. public company
- $100 million credit facility to finance the purchase of publicly traded notes of a target company to facilitate the acquisition of the target company
- Chambers USA 2020 Ranks Thompson & Knight Among the Country’s Top Firms and Attorneys
- Client Alert: Funding Into a Pandemic: COVID-19 MAE and Credit Agreements
- 118 Thompson & Knight Attorneys Honored in The Best Lawyers in America® 2020
- 2019 Chambers USA Directory Ranks Thompson & Knight Among the Nation’s Top Firms and Attorneys
Honors & Affiliations
Distinctions/Honors
- Dallas Securitization and Structured Finance Law “Lawyer of the Year,” The Best Lawyers in America® by Woodward/White Inc., 2013
- The Best Lawyers in America® by Woodward/White Inc. (Banking and Finance Law, Securitization and Structured Finance Law), 2001-2020
- Chambers USA by Chambers and Partners (Banking & Finance), 2006-2020
- Texas Super Lawyers® by Thomson Reuters (Banking, Energy & Natural Resources, Securities & Corporate Finance), 2003-present
- Best Lawyers in Dallas, D Magazine, 2011-2012
- ICFM Leading Lawyers 500, InterContinental Finance magazine, 2013
- Expert Guides: Guide to the World’s Leading Energy and Natural Resources Lawyers, 2015
- Who’s Who Legal: Texas by Law Business Research Limited (Banking), 2008
- Top-Notch Lawyer (Energy Law), Go-To Guide, Texas Lawyer, 2002
Memberships/Affiliations
- Member, Texas Association of Bank Counsel
- Member, American College of Investment Counsel
- Member, Independent Petroleum Association of America
- Member, various bar association sections and committees
Education & Admissions
Education
- J.D., 1978, SMU Dedman School of Law; Law Review
- B.S., 1975, Southern Methodist University
Admissions
- Texas