Emerson W. Girardeau

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT EMERSON W. GIRARDEAU

Emerson W. Girardeau is Counsel in Willkie’s Corporate & Financial Services Department, where he advises clients across a wide range of industries on complex transactions and strategic commercial matters. His practice includes representing private equity and other financial sponsors, portfolio companies, founders, and management teams in acquisitions and divestitures, joint ventures and strategic investments, and bespoke commercial arrangements.Emerson maintains a broad energy practice, reflecting experience across traditional oil and gas and the evolving power and infrastructure landscape. He advises clients on transactions and commercial matters spanning upstream, midstream, and downstream—alongside work in renewables and energy transition projects—helping sponsors and strategic participants navigate acquisitions, joint ventures, project development, and related contracting. His experience also includes natural gas storage and battery storage projects, including the transactional and commercial work that supports development, investment, and operations.Emerson’s sports practice includes advising investors, professional sports teams and leagues, collegiate conferences, and sports-adjacent businesses on strategic acquisitions and investments, media and commercial arrangements, and related disputes. He serves as trusted counsel to stakeholders across the sports ecosystem on transactions and governance-driven issues where business, brand, and competition intersect.Outside of his corporate practice, Emerson is involved in a number of local service organizations. He previously served on the City of Houston Independent Police Oversight Board and the Administrative Disciplinary Committee for the Houston Police Department. He is also Co-Captain of the Houston Chapter of the Sports Lawyers Association, a proud member of Class VII of the Houston Black Leadership Institute, and is a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellow. Prior to relocating to Houston, Emerson served on the City of Atlanta Elected Officials Compensation Commission, was a member of the LEAD Atlanta, and served on the advisory board for the Harvard Debate Council Diversity Project.Emerson maintains an active pro bono practice, with clients that include the Renewable Energy Alliance of Houston and other nonprofit and charitable organizations.