ENERGY PLAYERS

Patrick K. Mullen has assumed the role of president and CEO of CB&I. In May, Philip K. Asherman announced his plans to retire as president and CEO and as a member of the company's Board effective July 1, 2017. Mullen was named COO of CB&I in 2016. Previously, he served as executive vice president and president of CB&I's Engineering & Construction operating group. He joined CB&I in 2007 through the company's acquisition of Lummus Global. He holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame and a master's degree in business administration from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. He will stand for election to the company's Board in May 2018.

European Petroleum Refiners Association names new president

Members of the European Petroleum Refiners Association unanimously appointed Dr. Béla Kelemen as President of the Association for the next two-year term. The Brussels based association represents in the European Union the interests of nearly all EU refiners and actively contributes to the development of EU policies. Kelemen currently holds the position of vice president of the Center of Business Excellence at MOL Group.

Brett joins Millennial Energy Partners

Clay Brett has joined Millennial Energy Partners as its vice president and general counsel. Prior to Millennial, Brett was an attorneys in Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP's Houston office, where he focused on buyouts and investments in the oil and gas industry, primarily representing private equity sponsors, banks, portfolio companies and management teams. Brett is a graduate of the University of Florida, with honors, and Vanderbilt Law School. Established in 2013, Millennial Energy Partners has acquired assets and participated in the drilling and completion of hundreds of wells throughout many basins in the United States and the Gulf of Mexico.

Miller joins Hall Estill

Sarah Miller has joined the energy law practice at Hall Estill. Miller joins Hall Estill with 20 years of legal experience. Prior to Hall Estill, Miller served in a variety of legal leadership positions for The Williams Companies Inc. including associate general counsel and corporate secretary; and, most recently, senior vice president and general counsel. Miller earned her bachelor's degree from Oklahoma State University, and graduated Summa Cum Laude with her Juris Doctor from Oklahoma City University School of Law.

Oran joins Gardere Wynne Sewell

Ronald (Ron) L. Oran has joined Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP as a partner in the litigation practice group and a member of the firm's energy industry team. Oran is based in Gardere's Houston office. Oran has represented numerous clients in the energy field, specifically oilfield services and exploration and production companies. He also works with investors and private equity firms involved in a variety of litigation and arbitration matters, such as disputes involving the purchase, sale and operation of energy companies or assets. Prior to joining Gardere, Oran was an attorney with Strasburger & Price LLP and Vinson & Elkins LLP.

Minyard joins Sidley Austin as energy finance partner in Houston

Brian Minyard has joined Sidley Austin LLP as a partner in the firm's Houston office. He will be a member of Sidley's Global Finance practice. Minyard focuses his practice on debt financings for both lenders and borrowers, particularly those in the exploration and production, oilfield services and midstream sectors.

Callon names Loeffler interim CFO

Callon Petroleum Co. has appointed Correne S. Loeffler as interim CFO. Loeffler assumes the role from Joe Gatto, the Permian Basin-focused independent energy company's CEO and president, and will continue to perform her current duties as the company's treasurer. Loeffler joined Callon in April 2017 from JPMorgan Securities LLC where she spent the past 10 years in the Corporate Client Banking Group, including her service as Callon's relationship manager since 2013. Loeffler graduated from Indiana University with a BA degree and The University of Texas with an MBA.

Wood named CFO of Tullow Oil

Due to ill-health, Ian Springett, CFO of Tullow Oil plc, has resigned from the board. His resignation follows the January 5 news that Springett had taken an extended leave of absence from Tullow in order to undergo treatment for a medical condition. Following an executive search process, the Board of Tullow has appointed Les Wood, interim CFO from January 5, 2017, as an executive director and CFO with effect from June 20, 2017. Wood joined Tullow in 2014 and was the Group's vice president for commercial and finance before being appointed interim CFO. Before joining Tullow, he worked for BP plc for 28 years. Springett will remain employed by the Tullow group.

Sidley Austin names new partners

Sidley Austin LLP has named new partners to its energy practice. Emily Pitlick Mallen has joined the firm as a partner in the Washington DC office. Mallen counsels clients in the natural gas, oil and products pipeline industries. She focuses her practice on oil and natural gas pipeline rate, tariff and certificate issues before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. David Asmus and Brian Bradshaw have joined Sidley Austin as partners in the firm's Houston office. Asmus will become a co-leader of the firm's energy practice. His practice is focused on mergers and acquisitions, project development, and finance transactions. Bradshaw's experience includes advising clients on acquisitions and divestitures as well as the development and financing of oil and gas, power, and LNG projects. He counsels clients in the energy industry on both domestic and international transactions with a focus on Latin America.

Hays joins King & Spalding in Houston

King & Spalding has expanded its energy practice with the addition of transactional oil and gas lawyer Peter Hays who joined the firm as a partner in Houston. Hays represents companies and entrepreneurs in upstream, midstream, and downstream transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and project development. He is board certified in Oil, Gas and Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Hays received his BA and JD from the University of Texas at Austin. Hays was previously a partner at Morgan Lewis & Bockius.

Bracewell adds Super as partner

David A. Super has joined Bracewell LLP as a partner to lead the firm's civil litigation practice in Washington DC. Super joins Bracewell from Baker Botts where he practiced for 27 years. His experience in the manufacturing, energy, and banking industries includes a wide-array of disputes in addition to defense of environmental actions, defense of class actions, allegations of fraud and other business torts, breach of contract, energy issues and constitutional takings. Super has more than 24 years of experience representing the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the former Resolution Trust Corp. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland and his JD from the University of Maryland School of Law where he was Order of the Coif.

McGarr joins Oil Price Information Service, an IHS Markit company

Oil Price Information Service, an IHS Markit company, has hired Robert McGarr as Business Development Manager to represent their suite of downstream energy products worldwide. McGarr comes to OPIS with over 15 years of B2B media sales experience in the energy sector specializing in launching new products and turnaround rebranding initiatives.

Ramirez joins McDermott

Armando X. Ramirez has joined McDermott Will & Emery as a partner in the firm's Corporate & Transactional Practice Group in New York. Ramirez and Jeffrey W. Meyers, who arrived at McDermott in April, will work together to expand McDermott's global corporate and transactional practice in the energy sector, with a focus on the sale and acquisition of interests in energy businesses and facilities and the development and financing of international and domestic energy projects. Ramirez previously served as special counsel at Stroock. He holds a JD from the Georgetown University Law Center and a BA from Vanderbilt University.

Keane makes executive appointment

Concurrent with the closing of the RockPile acquisition, Keane Group Inc. has appointed Curt Dacar as chief commercial officer. Prior to his appointment, Dacar served as CEO of RockPile, which he co-founded in 2011. His 38-year oilfield services career has included executive management, sales and marketing, engineering and operational roles throughout the United States. He earned a bachelor's degree from Regis University in Denver, Colorado.

Parsley Energy promotes Reed to SVP

Parsley Energy Inc. has promoted Stephanie Reed to senior vice president-land, effective July 1. Reed previously served as the company's vice president-land. In this new position, Reed will continue to manage the company's land-related activities and report to the company's president and COO, Matt Gallagher.

TRC names Wooler SVP

TRC Companies Inc. has named Simon Wooler as senior vice president of engineering and field services within TRC's Oil & Gas Sector. He will be based in Houston. Wooler has more than 30 years of experience in business leadership and project execution for the oil and gas, pipeline, chemical, and petrochemical markets in the US and globally. Wooler holds a bachelor's degree from Hatfield Polytechnic (University of Hertfordshire). TRC is a national engineering, environmental consulting, and construction management firm.