Vinson Elkins

**Vinson & Elkins LLP** (or **V&E**) is an international law firm with approximately 700 lawyers worldwide and is headquartered in Downtown Houston, Texas.

The firm has offices in major energy, financial, and political centers worldwide, including Austin, Dallas, Denver, Dubai, Dublin, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New York City, Richmond, San Francisco, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C.

### Founding

The firm was founded in Houston, Texas, in 1917 by Judge James A. Elkins and William A. Vinson.

### Leadership

In May 2021, it was announced that the firm elected current partners Keith Fullenweider as chair and Jim Fox, Michael Holmes and Hilary Preston as vice chairs. The change took effect on January 1, 2022. The firm's former chairman was Mark Kelly and its managing partner was Scott Wulfe. Vinson & Elkins was named a top-ranked firm and best law firm to work for in Vault's 2024 Associate Survey.

## Practice Areas

The firm practices in numerous legal fields, particularly those that pertain to the energy industry, with more than 400 lawyers involved in energy-related legal work. The firm was rated the most prestigious firm in Texas for the fifth year in a row, as well as for having the nation’s strongest practice for Energy, Oil, & Gas for the eighth consecutive year. The firm is highly ranked within Chamber and Partners legal rankings as a leading firm in Corporate and Tax areas, collectively achieving 16 Band 1 practice rankings in the 2023 guide. The firm’s Litigation and Regulatory Department was recognized in 24 practice categories. The firm is recognized as "The World's Leading Energy Law Firm" by _Euromoney Magazine_ (1995–present.)  _In 2023, Chambers & Partners recognized V&E globally, as the leader in Projects & Energy: Oil & Gas._ In 2024, _Who's Who Legal: Arbitration_ identified six partners, Camilo Cardozo, James Loftis, Louise Woods, Scott Stiegler, Nick Henchie and counsel Robert Landicho as leaders in the arbitration arena.  in 2024, Lawdragon recognized eight Vinson & Elkins lawyers among the world's 500 leading cybersecurity lawyers.

## Diversity

On January 12, 2022, Vinson & Elkins became the founding sponsor of The University of Texas School of Law's new Pipeline Program. The firm made a $1 million commitment to support the program. In 2021, Vinson & Elkins was named as a leader in diversity equity and inclusion by Bloomberg as part of Bloomberg Law's DEI Framework study. In 2009, the firm was again named a Community of Respect by the Anti-Defamation League, a designation V&E has maintained since the program's inception in 2006, and is also the two-time recipient of the Thomas L. Sager Award for the South/Southwest Region by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association for the firm's sustained commitment to diversity.

## Infobox (law firm)

- **firm name**: Vinson & Elkins LLP
- **headquarters**: First City Tower
Downtown Houston, Downtown Houston, Texas
- **practice areas**: Financial transaction, Transactions, Litigation, Administrative law, Regulatory, Tax law, Tax, Oil and gas law in the United States, Oil & Gas Law, Intellectual Property, Restructuring/Bankruptcy
- **key people**: Chair, Keith Fullenweider; Vice Chairs Jim Fox, Michael Holmes and Hilary Preston
- **founded**: 1917
- **founder**: James A. Elkins and William A. Vinson
- **company type**: Limited liability partnership
- **homepage**: www.velaw.com