Vinson & Elkins Opens Office in Dubai

(Dubai, United Arab Emirates) October 9, 2003 – The international law firm of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. announced today that it has opened an office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The new office is the fifth international office for Vinson & Elkins and will provide an opportunity for the firm to capitalize on its reputation as one of the world’s leading energy law firms in a region where two-thirds of the world’s proven reserves of oil and gas are located. The new office will also allow the firm to capitalize on its project finance capabilities which were ranked first globally in terms of number of closed and ongoing deals in Infrastructure Journal’s recently released Mid-Year League Tables. Additionally, in the Africa/Middle East region, Vinson & Elkins placed first by both value and number of ongoing deals.

"The opening of the Dubai office is in response to our clients’ growing activities in the Middle East and the Gulf region in particular. Many have been active there for decades and now more are taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the continuing liberalization of the region’s economies," says Jeff Eldredge, the partner in charge of Vinson & Elkins’ Dubai office.

"Building personal relationships is vital to our firm’s success throughout the world, but in the Middle East personal contact is especially crucial. Our clients, particularly those with offices in the Gulf, view our having a permanent presence in the region as a sign of commitment on which long-term relationships can be built. Moreover, an on-the-ground presence will enable Vinson & Elkins lawyers to be in real-time communication with our clients to provide efficient service to them."

Vinson & Elkins’ office in Dubai will initially be staffed by U.S. and U.K. trained and licensed lawyers, including Arabic speakers, with extensive experience in energy, general corporate and project development and finance transactions. The firm will focus on the energy, water, telecommunications, transportation, infrastructure and project finance sectors and tap into opportunities as the Middle East economy continues to expand and diversify its industrial bases.

"Dubai has a very pro-business environment, as well as a highly developed infrastructure, good quality accommodation and office space, and a well-educated population. These factors, together with significant new activity by firm clients in the region, were critical to the firm’s decision to open the office in Dubai," says Vinson & Elkins Partner and International Practice Coordinator Jay Cuclis. "In addition, recent investment in Dubai’s airport infrastructure, together with the success of Emirates Airlines, have turned Dubai into a major international hub for air travel, which will allow our lawyers to easily travel throughout the region in support of our clients’ activities."

"The established reputation of Vinson & Elkins in the U.S. and worldwide in energy, project finance and infrastructure projects makes our expansion into the Middle East a logical step," says Vinson & Elkins Managing Partner Joe Dilg. "The opening of the Dubai office is an extremely exciting opportunity for the firm and represents the culmination of our many years of activity in the region."

Vinson & Elkins’ new office will be located in one of Dubai’s principal business districts along the Sheikh Zayed Road in the Emirates Towers.

Vinson & Elkins was established in 1917 and is one of the world’s largest international law firms. The firm has more than 790 lawyers practicing in Austin, Beijing, Dallas, Dubai, Houston, London, Moscow, New York, Singapore, and Washington, D.C. The firm offers a wide range of legal services. Clients include public and private companies, financial institutions, municipalities, governments of sovereign nations, entrepreneurs, families and individuals.