James Barratt and Chris Strong Speak to Law360 About the War in Iran

Oil and gas dealmakers are cautiously optimistic they can ride out immediate market volatility from the U.S. and Israel‑Iran war, though the risk of disrupted transactions will grow if the conflict drags on or widens. Vinson & Elkins Partners James Barratt and Chris Strong discuss the war’s impact on the oil and gas sector.

“Part of … the art and science of oil and gas M&A deals is trying to project what the oil price is going to do over a long period of time,” Strong said. “And I think it’s still too early to tell whether what’s happening now is going to impact these long-term price curves.”

“In the medium- to long-term, I think we’re looking at [commodity] price review claims,” Barratt said. “We’re looking potentially at renegotiation and, of course, importantly, beyond all of this, we’re looking at new [product] destinations. That could potentially lead to litigation.”

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James Barratt, Partner and Head of International Disputes – Europe, has more than two decades of experience handling complex international arbitrations, particularly in the energy sector and in natural gas and LNG disputes. He also has significant arbitration experience across industries such as life sciences, private equity, aviation, defense, technology, and telecommunications, and has worked extensively with clients in the Asia Pacific region and Latin America.

Chris Strong, Partner in Vinson & Elkins’ Corporate practice, represents global clients on energy and natural resources transactions, advises oil companies, banks, private equity funds, and government entities on asset acquisitions, dispositions, and major project development across upstream oil and gas, power, petrochemicals, refineries, pipelines, LNG, and mining and metals. He also counsels clients on highly technical commercial agreements unique to the sector, including gas sale agreements and power purchase agreements.

About Vinson & Elkins
For more than a century, Vinson & Elkins has provided outstanding client service across important industries that drive the global economy. Built on a strong culture of collaboration across 14 offices worldwide, V&E lawyers are committed to excellence, offering clients decades of legal experience in handling transactions, investments, projects and disputes across the globe. Learn more by visiting www.velaw.com or connect with us on LinkedIn.

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