"A client told me that I am not like most lawyers. I took that as a compliment. While many lawyers are blinded by all of the risks of any transaction, I see the opportunities that the client sees. My job is to help them achieve those opportunities with as minimal risk as is practical under the circumstances."
Blane Clark brings four decades of proven skill in successfully negotiating, documenting, and closing complex business/commercial, industrial, healthcare, and oil and gas transactions. He guides clients through corporate structuring and restructuring and provides legal solutions to the day-to-day issues that surface in managing and developing a business. Blane has earned a stellar reputation as a top-tier business advisor in the region. His clientele includes privately held and family businesses, as well as major public corporations. Blane supports his clients across multiple industries throughout all stages of the business life cycle.
For the healthcare industry, Blane drafts and negotiates all types of healthcare sector-specific contracts including professional services agreements between hospital-based physician groups and hospitals. He navigates healthcare entities through employment and independent contractor agreements, shareholder, LLC operating and partnership agreements among physician shareholders, members and partners. He has also negotiated sale and purchase agreements involving the disposition of physician group practices to hospitals and private equity backed portfolio companies and, in some cases, assisted physician groups in the reacquisition of their practices. Notably, Blane has helped different physician groups merge together in a successful and integrated manner and assisted in the development of a physician-owned hospital.
Blane also serves as outside counsel to energy businesses – with a particular focus on midstream oil and gas transactions in the deepwater of the Gulf of Mexico and onshore. He advises on all aspects of connection, use and access, dedication, gathering, and gas processing agreements, joint venture and other organization agreements and many other varieties of complex commercial agreements. In fact, Blane served as lead counsel and the catalyst for closing an LLC Operating Agreement for a $3+ billion project that included an 1100-mile natural gas liquids pipeline, fractionation facility, storage facilities, LPG terminal, and export facilities.
Simply, Blane helps his clients to do their jobs even better by focusing on providing strategic legal advice designed to maximize potential ROI and minimize the risks associated with business operations and commercial and industrial endeavors.
As the former Managing Partner of Kean Miller, Blane knows, having managed and led the firm forward for many years, the challenges associated with running a business and ensuring that actionable best practices, grounded in sound legal theory, are executed across internal and external initiatives. His true breadth and depth of experience across many types of transactions and specialized industry sectors allow him to get client deals over the finish line in real time.
Blane is appreciated inside and outside of the firm for his ability to establish immediate credibility, rapport, and goodwill among business constituents without losing sight of core commercial objectives. His industry longevity and hands-on leadership experience result in problem-solving and sensible legal/business solutions that focus on eliminating roadblocks to progress and safeguarding ROI potential.
Blane delivers smart legal counsel on all types of transactions and initiatives – ranging in complexity and value from millions to billions of dollars. He has closed hundreds of industrial, commercial, and medical business purchases/sales in the form of asset deals, equity deals, and mergers to the formation of entities for use as business operating companies, joint ventures, real estate holding companies, medical, legal, architectural, and other professional service providers; to loan agreements and collateral documents involving real estate and other assets.
- Negotiation of an LLC Operating Agreement on behalf of one joint venture partner involving the ownership and operation of a project valued at $3+ billion, including an 1100-mile natural gas liquids pipeline from West Virginia to Louisiana, a fractionation facility, storage facilities, an LPG terminal, and export facilities.
- Lead outside counsel in the representation of midstream companies in the negotiation of suites of agreements involving the construction of floating production systems, oil and gas export pipelines, onshore gas processing facilities, and the ownership and operation of those facilities and lines to handle and gather oil and gas process gas from various fields in the Gulf of Mexico, including Boomvang Nansen, Tahiti, Blind Faith, Great White/Perdido, Jack St. Malo, Lucius, Hadrian South, Heidelberg, Tubular Bells, Gunflint, Appomattox, Anchor, Whale, Shenandoah, Salamanca, Ballymore, Winterfell, Pickerel, Monument and Tiberius, among others.
- Negotiation of an LLC Operating Agreement on behalf of one joint venture partner involving the ownership and operation of a floating production system located in the deep water of the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Louisiana.
- Lead outside counsel in the representation of the former Mobil Oil Corporation in its acquisition of the former Tenneco Refinery in Chalmette, Louisiana.
- Lead outside counsel in the sale of the DSM SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber) business unit of DSM Copolymer, Inc. to a private equity company, Lion Chemical Capital LLC; the transaction took the form of an asset transaction and involved issues particular to the sale of an on-going industrial business, such as those relating to ERISA, unions, state and local taxes, and environmental regulatory matters.
- Representation of the owner of a terminal facility and adjacent manufacturing facility located on the Mississippi River in connection with the sale of the terminal facility and related agreements in connection with the purchaser continuing to provide terminal services in connection with the manufacturing facility.
- Represented the members of James Construction Group, L.L.C. in the sale of 100% of the membership interests to Primoris Services Corporation, one of the largest privately held construction companies in the southeastern United States, consisting of case, promissory note, and stock in Primoris.
- Representation of the shareholders of Louisiana Fish Fry Products, Ltd. in its sale to a private equity-backed firm; the multi-million dollar transaction included unique intellectual property, trademark, and copyright negotiations, as well as complex valuations of these nationally distributed fish fry and other products.
- Representation of Lamar Advertising Company, a public company, and the largest owner of outdoor advertising structures operating in 48 states, in the acquisition of a number of outdoor advertising companies.
- Representation of Petroleum Service Corporation and its shareholders in the sale of all stock to a global service provider, including negotiations that focused heavily on the terms for escrowing of the purchase price to satisfy potential indemnity claims; further adding to the complexity of the transaction were issues relating to foreign ownership of assets and filings under Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act.
- Representation of an industrial services contractor in the acquisition of a business by a domestic competitor, a transaction that included various successor liability issues.
- Negotiation of Professional Services Agreements between radiation oncologists, emergency room physicians, radiologists, anesthesiologists, and pathologists with numerous hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
- LSU Law Center, J.D., 1984
- Member, Order of the Coif
- LSU, B.S., 1980
- Louisiana
- Member, Baton Rouge Bar Association
- Member, Louisiana State Bar Association (Business and Antitrust Sections)
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, Louisiana Law Institute (Past Junior Honorary Member)
- 1998 Leadership Class, Greater Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce
- AV Preeminent-rated, Martindale-Hubbell
- "Best Lawyers," The Best Lawyers in America, 2007-2025
- "Lawyer of the Year," The Best Lawyers in America, 2021 -2022
- "Top Corporate/M&A Lawyer," Louisiana, Chambers USA, 2018-2020
- "Capital Region 500," Baton Rouge Business Report, 2023-2024
- "Forty Under 40," Baton Rouge Business Report, 1999
- "LLC Operating Agreement Considerations & Preview of the Corporate Transparency Act," Co-Presenter, Kean Miller Breakfast Briefing, September 1, 2022
- "Additional Guidance Impacting PPP Loan Forgiveness," Louisiana Law Blog, July 16, 2020
- "SBA Updates its FAQ Regarding Good Faith Certification," Louisiana Law Blog, May 13, 2020
- "Eligible Self-Employed Individuals under the CARES Act," Louisiana Law Blog, April 9, 2020
- "April 7, 2020 Update to CARES Act and Paycheck Protection Program," Louisiana Law Blog, April 7, 2020
- "April 6, 2020 Update to CARES Act and Paycheck Protection Plan," Louisiana Law Blog, April 6, 2020
- "Putting the CARES Act to Work for Your Business," Co-Presenter, Kean Miller Webinar, April 2, 2020
- "CARES Act Offers Much Needed Hope to Small Businesses," Louisiana Law Blog, March 30, 2020
- Past Member, Board of Directors, Big Buddy Program
- Past Member, Board of Directors, The Hospice Foundation of Greater Baton Rouge
- Past Member, Board of Directors, Myriam's House
- Past Member, Board of Managers, Baton Rouge Main Street Market, L.L.C.
- Past President, Board of Directors, Catholic High School Alumni Association
- Chairman, Board of Directors, Catholic High School