Profile: Vinson & Elkins LLP

Vinson & Elkins LLP - Who's Who Legal '70'

What is the Who's Who Legal '70'?

The firm’s long-term expertise in the energy sector is borne out in the research, where the firm leads the oil and gas voting. It also possesses a strong environmental practice, according to our findings.

OIL AND GAS
Vinson & Elkins leads the voting in the oil and gas chapter with an impressive eight partners from four jurisdictions featuring in the publication. The firm’s early roots lie firmly in the oil and gas arena and it remains true to its origins today, boasting an enviable list of blue-chip clients that include BG, Shell, Halliburton and Kellogg Brown & Root, and Total Gas & Power North America. Jay Kelley practises from the Houston office and comes recommended for LNG terminalling and supply projects work. Douglas Bland’s M&A and projects expertise was noted and managing partner of the firm Joe Dilg was praised as “top flight” and a “class act”. V&E is also strong in Washington, DC, where David Andril features. Andril is recommended for his strengths in regulatory and transactional work and for his “in-depth knowledge of LNG terminals and contracts”. Beijing-based Paul Deemer is “well known in the industry” and “particularly good for upstream oil and gas matters”. James Cuclis, in the firm’s Hong Kong office, was also consistently recommended. V&E’s London office is home to the “excellent” Michael Doble, whose Middle Eastern expertise was brought to our attention, and the “outstanding” Alexander Msimang. On the transactional side, researchers heard glowing appraisals of Msimang’s practice: “People say great things about him.”

ENVIRONMENT
Four of V&E’s five listed partners are based in Texas. Carol Dinkins chairs the group and was described as “the grande dame of Texan environment law”. One of the most experienced lawyers in the state, she enjoys an “excellent reputation” for litigation, permitting and environmental counselling. “Top notch” Christopher Amandes is rated as an “outstanding regulatory lawyer” particularly for his work in the petro-chemical and real estate industries. Molly Cagle is a “superb lawyer”, according to sources and boasts a great deal of litigation and counselling experience. Sharon Mattox is a “thoughtful practitioner” who was recommended for the strength of her endangered species practice and her work in the real estate industry. In Washington, DC, Kevin Gaynor is “an excellent litigator with a first-class client base”. He is recommended for civil and criminal work in the field. The group’s achievements include securing the first contested NSR/PSD permit in a non-attainment area. High-profile clients include BP and Plains All American Pipeline.

One V&E lawyer features in the real estate chapter. In Houston, “smart and highly competent” Sanford Weiner’s expertise includes sale-leasebacks and leveraged lease transactions, equity relationships, mezzanine loans, leasing and finance. He represented an investment vehicle on its purchase of a million-plus square foot downtown Houston office building.

CORPORATE AND FINANCE
The insolvency and restructuring chapter provides three nominations for V&E. The group’s clients include Bank of America and Lone Star Bank and it has acted across a range of industries, from aviation to financial services, trade and retail. Two of the group’s lawyers we feature practise in New York. Ronald Trost is a “fantastic” practitioner who was one of the architects of the US Bankruptcy Code in 1978. Jane Lee Vris joins him in New York and on our list. She represented JP Morgan Securities, Northwest Airlines’ equity backstop provider as it emerged from chapter 11. In Texas, Daniel Stewart is based at the Dallas office. He has served as bankruptcy trustee in chapter 7 and chapter 11 cases and has represented borrowers and creditors.
The “outstanding” Michael Wortley and “top-drawer”Jeffrey Chapman appear in the corporate governance chapter. Both have broad corporate experience and are well known for their “sensitive handling” of board matters.

Edward Osterberg is an “extraordinary” corporate tax lawyer who has special expertise in the energy arena, according to sources. He advised on the $4.4 billion restructuring of a joint venture between a power company and an oil company covering projects in the US and Canada.
In the banking chapter, Dallas lawyer William Young makes an appearance. He is experienced in US and international private debt transactions and syndicated loan transactions, among other matters.

TRADE AND COMPETITION
V&E is considered a “top-notch firm” in DC for trade and customs, with four individuals featured in the chapter – two more than in the previous edition. The “very experienced” William Barringer leads in terms of nominations and has been involved in more than 50 anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations, over a dozen safeguards investigations and multiple investigations under section 301 of United States trade law. James Durling once again features prominently and has worked with clients on a wide range of trade policy disputes in the automotive, semiconductor and colour film industries. Christopher Dunn is “a pleasure to work with”, according to one high-profile source; he appears in the publication for the first time this year. Dunn’s experience spans anti-dumping, subsidies, safeguards cases and customs matters. Kenneth Pierce was recommended to us by a number of the practice area’s leading names and among other matters he worked on the anti-dumping defence of frozen shrimp from Thailand, Vietnam and India. The firm has represented the governments of China and Korea as well as companies such as Fuji Photo Film and China Iron and Steel Association.
In the competition section, two lawyers appear. Harry Reasoner is considered “the best in Texas” by one impressed contributor. Washington, DC practitioner Neil Imus is “highly respected” for his counselling and litigation skills. The group represented Novation when it was sued for antitrust violations in Texakarna, Texas by Rochester Medical Corporation.

LITIGATION, ARBITRATION AND IP
Reasoner also appears in the commercial litigation chapter, where he is considered a “top practitioner”. He is joined by Dallas litigation co-head William Dawson, whose commercial litigation practice ranges from patent litigation to representing accounting firms, oil and gas companies and real estate developers. White-collar lawyer Mark Tuohey is based in Washington, DC, and was deemed “a great lawyer and very well regarded by the bar”. He has participated in many national and international litigation matters and investigations.
London arbitrator James Lloyd Loftis is chair of the international dispute resolution practice, with an emphasis on cases related to state contracts and investment agreements. He is especially renowned for his work in the energy and infrastructure industries.

Two product liability lawyers also performed well in our research. Knox Nunnally is a “top litigator”, well known for work as lead Texas liaison counsel and lead trial counsel for Bridgestone/Firestone. Paul Stallings was also nominated for his high-profile work, which icnludes cases for cigarette and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

In the management labour and employment chapter, Carl Jordan flies the flag for the firm’s Houston office. He is co-head of V&E’s employment litigation and labour section and has 30 years of labour-related trial experience, with a special emphasis on class and collective actions, as well as counselling.

Two Texas-based patent practitioners round off V&E’s representation. William LaFuze is a “very fine IP lawyer” who focuses his patent practice on electronics, oilfield equipment and computer-related litigation. Willem Schuurman is also a seasoned litigator who specialises in cases in the chemical and chemical engineering, medical, electrical, software and mechanical fields.