CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CNP) (‘CenterPoint’) agreed to acquire Vectren Corporation (NYSE:VVC) for $6 billion on April 21, 2018. Vectren shareholders will receive $72 in cash as consideration for each Vectren share. CenterPoint will also assume all outstanding Vectren net debt pursuant to the transaction. The purchase is anticipated to be funded by combination of equity of $2.5 billion and $5 billion through unsecured bridge term loan facility. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley provided CenterPoint with bridge financing commitment in connection with the deal. Vectren will become wholly owned subsidiary of CenterPoint. As on October 5, 2018, CenterPoint Energy terminated the remaining commitments of the lenders under the commitment letter with Goldman Sachs Bank USA and Morgan Stanley Senior Funding Inc. Until the closing, CenterPoint and Vectren will remain as separate companies. The combined company post-acquisition will be named CenterPoint Energy. As of January 31, 2019, it was announced that Vectren will continue as the surviving corporation in and become a wholly-owned subsidiary of CenterPoint Energy. In case of termination, CenterPoint Energy may be required to pay a fee of $210 while Vectren may be required to pay a fee of $150 million under certain circumstances. Scott M. Prochazka will serve as president and Chief Executive Officer (‘CEO’) of the combined company. CenterPoint will establish a Chief Business Officer for Vectren’s electric business who will directly report to CenterPoint’s CEO. CenterPoint Energy announced the executive team that will lead the combined company following the close of the pending merger. Tracy Bridge, currently CenterPoint Energy's Executive Vice President and President, Electric Division, will lead the company's Texas electric utility business. Lynnae K. Wilson, currently Vectren's Vice President, Energy Delivery, will lead the company's Indiana electric utility business. Scott E. Doyle, currently CenterPoint Energy's Senior Vice President, Natural Gas Distribution, will lead the company's natural gas utility business. Joseph (Joe) J. Vortherms, currently Senior Vice President of CenterPoint Energy Services, will lead the company's competitive businesses. Dana O'Brien, currently CenterPoint Energy's Senior Vice President and General Counsel, will lead the company's legal organization. Sue Ortenstone, currently CenterPoint Energy's Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, will lead the company's human resources organization. Kenneth (Kenny) Mercado, currently CenterPoint Energy's Integration Officer, will serve as the company's integration lead. The corporate headquarters of the combined company will be based in Houston. Prior to the transaction, fourteen of Vectren Corp.'s most senior executives and officers will be leaving Vectren Corp. The natural gas utilities operations of the combined company, as well as that businesses’ lead executive, will be headquartered in Evansville. The transaction is subject to approval by Vectren shareholders, expiration or termination of the applicable Hart-Scott-Rodino Act waiting period and receipt of all required regulatory and statutory approvals without the imposition of a “Burdensome Condition”. On April 21, 2018, the transaction was unanimously approved by both CenterPoint and Vectren Boards of Directors. On June 26, 2018, the transaction was granted early termination notice by Federal Trade Commission. On July 24, 2018, the transaction received approval from FCC. As of August 28, 2018, shareholders of Vectren approved the transaction. As of October 5, 2018, The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the transaction. As on January 16, 2019, the transaction received final order from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. CenterPoint Energy and Vectren received a final order from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio on January 30, 2019. Transaction is expected to close in first quarter of 2019. As on January 31, 2019, the transaction is expected to close on or about February 1, 2019. CenterPoint expects to maintain an annual guidance basis EPS growth target of 5% to 7% in 2019 and 2020. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC served as financial advisor to CenterPoint. BofA Merrill Lynch served as financial advisor to Vectren. William S. Lamb, Courtney Fore, Allison Lancaster, J. Rob Fowler, Mark Bodron, Stephanie Jeane Lonczak, Don Lonczak, Martin Toulouse, Jon Finelli and James H. Mayor from Baker Botts LLP served as legal advisors to Vectren. W. Robert Shearer, Rick Burdick, Frederick Lee, Lucas Torres, Chip Cannon, Rolf Zaiss, Robert G. Lian Jr, Eric Field, David Quigley, Michelle Reed and Zachary Wittenberg of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP and Bingham Greenbaum Doll LLP acted as legal advisors to CenterPoint. James Strain from Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP served as the legal advisor to Vectren. Morgan Bale, Heather Viets, Raymond Gietz, Faiza Rahman, Michael Hickey, Annemargaret Connolly, Thomas Goslin, Charles Driscoll, Vaishali Mahna, Michael Stein, Jonathan Goltser, Joshua Van Kirk, Stephen Liebscher, Timothy Welch, Greg Chafuen, Carl Duffield, Craig Olshan, and Mor Agam from Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP advised Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley in connection with CenterPoint's bridge financing commitment with a team that included partners. D.F. King & Co., Inc. acted as information agent to Ventren and will receive a fee of $0.02 million. Vectren will pay BofA Merrill a fee of $32.3 million of which $1 million was payable upon the delivery of BofA Merrill Lynch’s opinion, approximately $3.23 million was payable upon execution of the merger agreement, approximately $6.46 million is payable upon receipt of the Company shareholder approval and the remaining portion of which is contingent upon consummation of the merger. Paul Shim, Kevin Lafferty and Kelsey Nussenfeld of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP acted as legal advisor to Vectren Corporation.