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Vinson & Elkins has represented clients in Asia for more than 30 years. Our office in Tokyo services local commercial hubs, as well as the broader Asia Pacific region. Our practice also has a significant presence beyond our office locations, with lawyers frequently advising on matters in Australia, India, and Southeast Asia.

We offer a range of international legal advice, and have extensive on-the-ground experience working with local counsel throughout the region. Our lawyers are well equipped to handle the full scope of transactional and contentious matters, both for Asian clients investing abroad and international companies conducting business in Asia.

With a team of U.S., English, and Australian qualified lawyers, we have an enviable track record of representing top-tier global energy clients across the region. Our lawyers are attuned to the challenges and opportunities of overseas investments, and have advised on groundbreaking M&A transactions for our clients.

Experience

  • Uzbekistan GTL on the construction, development and financing of a $3.6 billion gas to liquids project in the Kashkadarya Region, close to Karshi, in the Republic of Uzbekistan. This project is financed by or under the cover of several export credit agencies, development banks and commercial banks, including China Development Bank, KEXIM and KSure

  • KNOC in its $1.55 billion joint venture to buy a stake in the liquids-rich Eagle Ford shale in Texas from Anadarko Petroleum, including the subsequent sale of minority interest by KNOC to VOGO

  • CNOOC on its $3.47 billion acquisition from Chesapeake Energy of a 33.3% net undivided interest in oil and gas leases

  • Korea National Oil Corporation on its $4.1 billion acquisition of Canadian-based Harvest Energy Trust, the largest cross-border deal for South Korea to date

  • Advising a U.S. professional services contractor over a termination dispute for the construction of a combined cycle power plant in Australia 

  • Samsung Heavy Industries and Samsung Engineering in the creation of a joint venture entity with AMEC to carry out the design engineering for fixed and floating offshore platforms, FPSOs, and subsea pipelines

  • Representing a Chinese exploration and production company on certain tax indemnity claims which our client has brought in an LCIA arbitration in London in connection with its acquisition of upstream petroleum assets in Central Asia

  • Representing a Dubai based company in an SIAC arbitration with a Chinese company relating to a failed energy project

  • Currently representing two executives of a large pharmaceutical company with operations around the world; The DOJ and SEC are conducting a coordinated investigation into certain marketing activities related to one particular drug used to treat a very rare medical condition (FCPA investigation of pharmaceutical approval/marketing/sale in Japan)

  • Represented the owner in arbitration over failed design and implementation of trading system software platform

  • Representing an Italian oil and gas industry contractor in a dispute with a Saudi company arising out of the construction and upgrading of a fertilizer plant in Saudi Arabia

  • Defended Australian energy company against numerous contract and tort claims by holder of contractually reserved revenue interest relating to gas production from Australian oil and gas field

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At Vinson & Elkins, we bring decades of knowledge, skill, and experience to our clients’ most complex legal matters.

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The 2026 ICC Arbitration Rule updates: What the updates mean for Japanese parties

On 1 June 2026 the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) brought into force a revised set of its Arbitration Rules. …

June 17, 2026

June 17, 2026 • 5-minute read

Client Alerts

SIAC Rules 2025: A New Frontier in Interim Remedies?

Authored by James Barratt, Kimberley Taieb, and Iona Gilby, this article, published by PLC Magazine, discusses the key updates in the Singapore International Arbitration Centre’s (SIAC) 2025 Arbitration Rules, which came into effect on 1 January 2025. These revisions aim to improve transparency, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in arbitration. A major innovation is the introduction of protective preliminary orders that allow emergency arbitrators to issue ex parte interim relief, a feature not explicitly provided by other major arbitration institutions.

March 3, 2025 • Published by PLC Magazine

March 3, 2025 • 1-minute read

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