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Keith Fullenweider Appears on The Deal’s Podcast to Discuss His Career at Vinson & Elkins

Media Coverage

March 6, 2026 • 2-minute read

Vinson & Elkins’ Chair Keith Fullenweider appeared on The Deal’s Drinks with the Deal Podcast, tracing the arc of his career, from his time as a summer associate at the firm, to his period in-house at Dynegy, and his return to Vinson & Elkins in 2004.

Among other personal and professional topics, Fullenweider discussed helping build the firm’s Private Equity practice; his priorities as chair of the firm; and the qualities he looks for in prospective lateral partners.

When he returned to Vinson & Elkins in 2004, Fullenweider said he was fortunate in the first few months to work with four private equity funds that acquired power plants around Houston. “It was a super successful investment, and I met a lot of people on that transaction who became clients for the next two decades and good personal friends,” he said. “My Dynegy experience, my knowledge of the power industry and M&A skills were very valuable.”

As chair of the firm, he said he has focused on facilitating collaboration among partners. “That comes down to how we compensate our partners . . how we conduct meetings and give people shout outs for their good work and the ways that they have created opportunities for their colleagues . . and making sure ideas and relationships can flow smoothly.”

Asked about the qualities the firm looks for in recruiting partners, Fullenweider said the firm “really likes to see how [recruits] talk about the people they work with inside their firm, their team, the people junior to them, and people on the client side. It’s where we start in our conversations [with laterals] because those things are so important to us. If someone comes into V&E who doesn’t have a similar approach on the people side of things, chances are it’s not going to work that great.”

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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