Cindy Muller, Maritime Attorney in Houston, Texas

Cindy Matherne Muller is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group and head of the firm’s Houston office. She represents a broad range of companies, from large multinational EPC contractors to private equity portfolio companies, doing business in the energy, maritime, and construction industries, on capital projects and commercial and restructuring transactions, and compliance functions. Cindy participates in the Construction, Energy, Environmental & Natural Resources, and Maritime industry teams and also serves as co-chair of the firm’s offshore wind initiative. For most of her career, Cindy has built her legal and executive experience as general counsel; vice president, legal; and chief compliance officer, advising global oilfield service companies. As a result of this client-side experience, she has broad knowledge of issues facing general counsels, a distinct understanding of energy and construction industry legal and business issues, and brings efficient, practical solutions to her clients. She has significant construction transactional experience, including drafting and negotiating domestic and international engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) agreements, for onshore and offshore energy infrastructure projects with related subcontracts. She also regularly negotiates day-to-day commercial agreements, including master service agreements. She also has maritime transactional, restructuring, and regulatory experience, which includes advising on Jones Act ownership and compliance issues and coastwise trade regulations. Her transactional experience includes negotiation of charter parties, contracts of affreightment, and construction and decommissioning agreements. Cindy’s restructuring practice is informed by her experience serving as the General Counsel of a publicly-traded offshore service vessel company, while guiding it through the chapter 11 process. She uses that knowledge to guide and represent stakeholders in restructuring or bankruptcy processes, including advising creditors of their rights, advising members of unsecured creditors committees, and advising debtors on special maritime issues. In the corporate arena, she has drafted, developed, and implemented entire compliance programs and policies for international service companies and has advised on domestic and international joint ventures, restructuring transactions, and M&A transactions.