Akin Gump has made two hires in its corporate transactional practice in Texas, with Jesse E. Betts and Cole Bredthauer joining the firm as partners in Dallas and Fort Worth, respectively. Betts and Bredthauer both come to Akin Gump from Thompson & Knight, where they had been partners. This follows the addition of partners Wesley Williams and Jessica Hammons, who also recently joined from Thompson & Knight.

“Jesse and Cole will further solidify our top-tier corporate team in Texas, and I am thrilled to welcome another terrific pair of lawyers to the firm,” said Akin Gump chairperson Kim Koopersmith. “Building on the recent arrival of Jessica and Wes, Jesse and Cole also bring a wealth of experience to our market-leading energy practice. I know these tremendous additions will resonate strongly with our clients.”

Betts represents public and private companies, as well as private equity funds and their portfolio companies, and private equity-backed management teams in a wide range of corporate and securities matters. While a majority of his practice is in energy-related work, including upstream, midstream and related water logistics businesses, he also has M&A experience in non-energy fields, such as manufacturing and medical devices.

Bredthauer’s practice focuses on oil and gas transactions, with an emphasis on acquisitions and dispositions of E&P and midstream assets and companies

John Goodgame, co-head of Akin Gump’s firmwide corporate practice, stated, “As we look ahead to what could be a period of significant consolidation in the oil and gas sector, Jesse and Cole possess the skills that our clients will truly appreciate. They are another strong addition to our transactional team in Texas, and it is great to have them with us.”

“This move is a tremendous opportunity to join a firm with such a large global platform at this important moment for the energy industry,” said Betts. “At the same time, we have been very impressed with Akin Gump’s longstanding commitment to Texas and are delighted to be at a firm that is well positioned to assist clients in this growing market.”

Added Bredthauer, “We are excited to be reunited with our former colleagues Jessica and Wes and look forward to collaborating with them and our many new colleagues on behalf of clients.”