Marlen D. Whitley

Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate Finance & Securities Compliance

Marlen Whitley serves as the Managing Partner of Townsend Lockett’s Los Angeles office and the Director of Operations for Houston, where he plays a pivotal role in expanding the firm’s national business transactions practice. His expertise spans the full lifecycle of corporate law, with a specialized focus on securities law compliance, private equity, M&A, and corporate governance.

Marlen brings a unique perspective to his clients, having served in key in-house roles. As Senior Attorney for USAA, he provided strategic counsel to the Board of Directors on complex governance matters. Previously, as Senior Counsel at Ghost Management Group (Weedmaps), he led capital raises, financing strategies and navigated international compliance and commercial negotiations.

His private practice pedigree includes serving as a partner at the international law firms of Reed Smith LLP and Thompson & Knight LLP.(now Holland & Knight), where he served as hiring partner. Beyond his legal practice, Marlen is a champion for industry equity, having served as Reed Smith’s inaugural Executive Director of Diversity Recruiting. A highly decorated practitioner, he has been recognized by The Legal 500 – U.S. and named a Texas Super Lawyer for multiple years.

  • Texas Supreme Court
  • 2001
    • J.D., University of Texas School of Law
  • 1998
    • B.A.., African & African American Studies, The University of Texas at Austin (Dean’s Distinguished Graduate of the College of Liberal Arts)

Excellent firms don’t believe in excellence – only in constant improvement and constant change.

Tom Peters
  • Represented Meritor, Inc. (NYSE: MTOR) in the sale of its Mascot Remanufacturing Operations
  • Represented retail electric providers in strategic acquisition of assets of other REPs
  • Represented commercial refrigeration company in the sale of its assets to a private equity fund
  • Represented chemical company in the sale of its assets
  • Represented buyer in cross-border acquisition of assets of UK and US affiliated companies
  • Represented buyer in cross-border acquisition of a Canadian company
  • Represented principals of a steel fabrication company in the sale of stock
  • Represented pipeline service company in acquisitions of competitor pipeline service companies
  • Represented oilfield services company in sale of stock
  • Represented Australian oil company in a reverse triangular merger of a U.S. publicly traded oil and gas company
  • Represented buyer in the purchase of offshore drilling rigs
  • Represented pipeline services company in sale of stock
  • Represented technology company in the acquisition of the equity interests of four internet/technology companies and domain name portfolios
  • Represented company in the sale of patents and technology assets
  • Represented foreign investor, through its U.S. subsidiary, in a $1.4 billion deal with Anadarko Petroleum Corp. to jointly explore for and develop natural gas in the Marcellus Shale Formation.
  • Represented oil and gas company in connection with arrangements for $3.95 billion in financing, including the expansion of its commercial paper program to a $2.95 billion aggregate principal amount as well as a $1 billion, 364-day revolving credit facility
  • Represented independent oil and gas company in securing $200 million credit facility
  • Represented independent oil and gas company in securing $50 million credit facility
  • Represented a publicly-traded issuer in $130 million private placement of debt securities
  • Represented issuer in securing a $20 million bridge facility
  • Represented underwriter in issuance of $100 million senior secured notes
  • Represented energy company in the exchange of $775 million in senior notes, for a like principal amount of registered senior notes
  • Represented pipeline company in the issuance of $95 million senior secured notes
  • Advisory Council for the University of Texas at Austin’s Division for Diversity and Community Engagement.  
  • Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Fellow (Inaugural 2011 Class)
  • The University of Texas Law School Alumni Association Executive Committee
  • The University of Texas Development Board of Directors 
  • The University of Texas at Austin Commission of 125 Board.
  • USAA, 2019-2021
  • Ghost Management Group, LLC 2018-2019
  • Reed Smith, LLP, 2013-2018
  • Thompson & Knight, LLP, 2006-2013
  • Chamberlain Hrdlicka, 2004-2006
  • Clark, Thomas & Winters, P.C., 2001-2004

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