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As schools across the country struggle to help students keep up with their studies during the pandemic, a New York-based nonprofit is having a moment — one that has the real potential to become a movement. “We see a world in which the basic paradigm flips and schools have new capabilities to meet the unique…
It was a moment that many had been anticipating for years, yet the latest crop of V&E partners didn’t fete their promotions with parties and champagne. Instead they fielded congratulatory phone calls, took part in virtual coffee breaks and held small celebrations at home with their families. But pandemic-related complications notwithstanding, the new partners —…
Looking for the house of your dreams? OJO Labs is ready to help you find it. The fast-rising real estate tech startup empowers homebuyers to make better decisions with proprietary technology that blends machine learning and human intelligence. It all starts with an A.I.-powered virtual assistant, dubbed OJO, which interacts with consumers via text. Homebuyers…
It was cause for celebration for Vinson & Elkins partners Matt Stammel and Jim Thompson. On July 1, 2020, after a six-day trial, Judge Marvin Isgur of the Southern District of Texas Bankruptcy Court handed a complete victory to V&E client Gavilan Resources. Judge Isgur even took the unusual step of reading his lengthy opinion…
Material adverse event: Those three words can stop a deal dead in its tracks . . . and, indeed, that nearly happened when the devastating impact from two major events, the COVID-19 pandemic and a crash in oil prices, set in motion a number of steps that threatened to derail the heavily negotiated prepackaged Chapter 11 cases of…
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global economic slowdown, but that doesn’t mean all economic activity is flagging — just ask members of V&E’s real estate practice. Since the start of the pandemic, the real estate group has closed a wide array of transactions worth approximately $3.7 billion across the U.S. “It’s more difficult to…
It wasn’t just another day in court for Pat Mizell. On August 1, 2019, the V&E partner stood before U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel in a courtroom in Austin, Texas. Attorneys Tony McDonald, Josh Hammer and Mark Pulliam had sued Mizell’s client, the State Bar of Texas, claiming it is unconstitutional for an attorney to…
It’s hard to overstate the damage of the COVID-19 pandemic to the airline industry. As travel demand around the world has plummeted, the resulting crisis for airlines has been unprecedented — far worse than what they experienced in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. In the face of this seismic challenge, Southwest Airlines…
A lawyer questioning a respected expert witness in federal court. It’s not an unusual scenario when that lawyer is, say, a senior associate or a partner. But at the time, Francis Yang was a second-year associate. As part of his work on an investment fraud case, he had the opportunity to conduct a direct examination…
How do you win over a jury in a $100 million case centered on the world of natural gas pipelines? Just ask V&E partners Jim Thompson and Phillip Dye. Last summer, Thompson and Dye notched an impressive victory on behalf of longtime and significant V&E client Antero Resources in a contract dispute case against gas…
When a leading technology-focused private equity firm turned to V&E a year and a half ago to work on transactions involving its portfolio companies, it was more than a cause for celebration at the firm. “This was a great testament to the quality of our technology practice,” said V&E partner Milam Newby, who is advising…