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Vinson & Elkins

Unique selling points

  • Long-standing reputation as one of the top energy law firms in the world, with a deep understanding of the industry's unique legal and regulatory challenges.
  • Chambers and Partners have awarded the firm a Band 1 ranking for its Construction: International Arbitration department.
  • Offers a partly non-rotational training contract structure, allowing trainees greater flexibility to choose the work they are interested in and continue working with people they like.
  • Known for its high-yield bond work and private equity-focused M&A. It has advised on transactions with major banks such as Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, Citibank, and Bank of America
  • Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the firm is concentrated in global energy hotspots, including a strong presence in the Middle East.

We cover these selling points in more detail below, alongside other relevant firm facts and characteristics.

Practice areas / services

Vinson & Elkins is a full-service law firm, with a broad range of practice areas including:

  • Antitrust 
  • Banking and Finance 
  • Corporate 
  • Counseling & Regulatory 
  • Energy Transition 
  • Environmental & Natural Resources 
  • Intellectual Property 
  • Labor & Employment 
  • Litigation 
  • Projects 
  • Real Estate 
  • Restructuring & Reorganization 
  • Tax, Executive Compensation & Benefits

Chambers and Partners a leading analyst of the legal market, has awarded Vinson & Elkins its highest ‘Band 1’ ranking for its Construction: International Arbitration department. See here for more information

Key sectors / industries

Vinson & Elkins services a broad range of industries, with some of its highest-value clients operating in the following sectors:

In addition, Vinson & Elkins services the following industries: airlines and aviation; chemicals; digital media; life sciences; maritime and offshore; media, privacy and commercial speech; mining and metals; retail and consumer goods; technology; telecommunications; and transportation and logistics. 

Work

Vinson & Elkins consistently advises on high-profile, cross border matters. Some examples of its recent work include:

  • JP Morgan: Vinson & Elkins represented JP Morgan as underwriters’ counsel for Hilcorp’s $1 billion senior notes offering. 
  • Southwest Airlines Co: The firm advised Southwest Airlines in connection with a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supply agreement with Valero Marketing and Supply Company, a subsidiary of Valero Energy Corporation, to bring SAF to Chicago Midway International Airport in the state’s largest announced SAF supply agreement. 
  • Mitsubishi: The firm advised Mitsubishi Corporation in connection with their investment and participation in Exxon Mobil Corporation’s Low Carbon Hydrogen and Ammonia Project located in Baytown, Texas. 

Offices / global footprint / expansion

Headquarters: Houston, Texas

Offices: Vinson & Elkins has 13 offices worldwide, in locations including London, Riyadh and Tokyo.

Insights, internships and other opportunities

Vinson & Elkins offers a number of opportunities for individuals wishing to gain experience in the legal industry and learn more about life at the firm. Opportunities for interested applicants include: an open day held in the Spring which gives first year students the chance to learn more about the firm and participate in commercial awareness workshops; and summer vacation schemes, which provide successful applicants with a full immersive experience of life as a City lawyer in a London office. The vacation schemes are open to students in the penultimate and final years of their degrees, as well as graduates.

Training contract

Vinson & Elkins offers a unique training contract that becomes non-rotational in its second year, allowing trainees a greater degree of flexibility during their early stages of development. Each trainee’s first six month seat will be chosen for them, but the second will be chosen by the trainee. In the second year of training, trainees enjoy a greater degree of freedom, with the ability to continue carrying out their current work, or alternatively to select work from any practice area or industry that interests them. Throughout this period, each trainee will be able to turn to their associate mentor for advice and support, as well as practice-specific supervisors.

Secondments

Vinson & Elkins frequently offers its trainees the chance to undertake secondments at its international offices, with those in the Middle East and Houston proving to be particularly popular destinations. Besides secondments, trainees based in the London office can also expect to travel both within and outside the UK. 

Technology and innovation

Vinson & Elkins is committed to utilising technology to provide clients with flexible and innovative legal services, with related initiatives including:

  • Empowering Exceptional: As part of the firm’s commitment to encouraging its lawyers to think and practice innovatively, Vinson & Elkins runs the ‘Empowering Exceptional’ podcast, which hosts discussions on the intersection of innovation and law.
  • Innovation in Pro-Bono: The firm showcases its interest in innovation and technology even through its pro-bono work, working with non-profit and pro-bono client New Classrooms to provide alternative, tailored educational solutions to children in need through the application of machine learning and algorithmic sorting.
  • Generative AI: The firm has formed a taskforce to explore and test Generative AI products designed to support the practice of law. The firm has already integrated Generative AI into research, plus document summarising, drafting and analysis.

Corporate social responsibility

Vinson & Elkins ‘devotes significant time and financial resources’ to individuals and groups who otherwise cannot afford representation, with some recent projects including:

  • Virtual Legal Clinics: The firm has pioneered a Virtual Legal Advice Clinic where lawyers meet with low-income clients, for general or topic-specific legal advice, using Skype. The clients are hosted at the offices of legal aid organisations, and lawyers provide pro bono advice without leaving their offices. It conducts these clinics quarterly. 
  • World Medical Fund: Vinson & Elkins assists the World Medical Fund, a UK charity which brings healthcare and health education to children and the wider rural communities of Malawi, with certain employment and contractual matters.
  • Working Families: The firm works with Working Families, a UK charity which supports individuals by providing advice on a variety of employment issues. 

Diversity and inclusion

Vinson & Elkins focuses its diversity efforts on ‘meaningful solutions’ targeted at attracting and retaining lawyers from a range of backgrounds. To that end, the firm has introduced a number of initiatives, including:

  • Talent and Diversity Lead Partners: Embedded within the firm’s practice groups in each office are Talent and Diversity Lead partners. They actively monitor equitable work opportunities, facilitate constructive feedback and oversee associate development. 
  • Affinity Groups: Vinson & Elkins have a number of affinity groups which build a sense of community, provide mentoring opportunities and facilitate business development efforts. The groups include Asian & Middle Eastern, Hispanic/Latinx, LGBTQ+, Military & Veterans, Women of Color and Working Parents. 
  • DE&I Conferences: The firm hosts a number of internal conferences for lawyers of colour and LGBTQ+ lawyers. The recent event included more than 50 firm leadership partners who participated in constructive dialogues, led roundtables and participated in networking opportunities.