Overview

Elena’s practice focuses on energy transactions, private equity investments and divestitures, and mergers and acquisitions. She has worked on a wide array of transactions in the energy sector, including upstream and midstream joint ventures and upstream and midstream acquisitions and divestitures. Elena has also worked with clients in other industries, including manufacturing, retail, software, financial and real estate.

Experience

  • Tumbleweed Royalty II, LLC, a royalty company backed by Quantum Capital Group, in the sale of 100% of its equity interests to Viper Energy Partners, LLC

  • Represented Caza Petroleum LLC, a portfolio company of Talara Capital Management, in a sale of oil and gas assets located in New Mexico

  • QB Energy, KODA Resources and Quantum Energy in a $1.8 billion acquisition of oil and gas assets in the Piceance and Uintah Basins from Caerus Oil & Gas

  • Ridgemar Energy Operating, LLC in sale of all of its equity interests in Ridgemar (Eagle Ford) LLC to Crescent Energy Company for $905 million

  • Grayson Mill Holdings II, LLC and Grayson Mill Holdings III, LLC in the $5 billion sale to Devon Energy

  • Quantum Capital Group and FourPoint Resources, in partnership with Kayne Anderson, in their $2 billion acquisition of Ovintiv’s (NYSE, TSX: OVV) Uinta Basin assets

  • Tap Rock Resources in the $2.45 billion ($1.5 billion in cash and $950 million in stock) sale of the equity of entities holding oil and gas assets in the Delaware Basin to Civitas Resources

  • Lario Oil & Gas Company in the $1.5 billion sale of Midland basin oil and gas assets to Diamondback Energy

  • Investors in Diversified Energy Company PLC and Oaktree Capital Management’s joint ESG-aligned $460 million asset-backed securitization of certain co-owned producing natural gas and oil assets

  • A leading exploration and production company in a $1 billion acquisition financing of a portfolio of non-operated oil and gas leases, mineral interests and overriding royalty interests, including a syndicated, reserved-based revolving credit facility

  • Pioneer Natural Resources in the $3.25 billion sale of its Delaware basin assets to Continental Resources

  • Pioneer Natural Resources in the sale of its Eagle Ford shale and remaining South Texas assets to Ensign Natural Resources

  • Oil and gas company in the purchase of non-operated oil and gas leases, mineral interests and overriding royalty interests across several basins for a purchase price in excess of $1 billion

  • Pioneer Natural Resources in its $132 million sale of 2,900 net acres in the Sinor Nest field to an undisclosed third party

  • Caelus Natural Resources Alaska in its sale of the Oooguruk oil field to Eni 

  • Northwoods Energy, a portfolio company of Apollo Global Management, in the $500 million acquisition of SM Energy’s Powder River Basin assets

  • Varde Partners in its sale of oil and gas interests in South Texas to Magnolia Oil & Gas

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Credentials

Education

  • University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 2009 (John M. Olin Scholar in Law and Economics; Senior Editor, Virginia Journal of International Law; Senior Executive Editor,  Virginia Journal of Social Policy and the Law)
  • Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Diploma in Civil Law, 2006

Admissions

  • New York
  • Texas

Recognitions

  • The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), Mergers & Acquisitions Law (Dallas), 2023–2027
News & Achievements

Deals & Cases

Vinson & Elkins Advises Continental Resources on Acquisition of FireBird Energy II

Vinson & Elkins advised Continental Resources, Inc. in connection with the acquisition of FireBird Energy II Intermediate Holdings LLC (the …

August 21, 2026

August 21, 2026 • 1-minute read

Deals & Cases

Vinson & Elkins Represented Camino Natural Resources on $1.175 Billion Anadarko Basin Asset Sale to Diversified Energy

Vinson & Elkins represented Camino Natural Resources, LLC, a portfolio company of NGP Energy Capital, in its approximately $1.175 billion …

May 8, 2026

May 8, 2026 • 1-minute read

Deals & Cases

Vinson & Elkins Advises Antero Resources Corporation and Antero Midstream Corporation in Strategic Upstream and Midstream Transactions

Vinson & Elkins advised Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE: AR) (“Antero Resources”) and Antero Midstream Corporation (NYSE: AM) (“Antero Midstream”) in connection with the entry into definitive agreements to sell Antero Resources’ Ohio Utica Shale upstream assets and Antero Midstream’s Ohio Utica Shale gathering, compression and water assets for a combined $1.2 billion in cash (subject to customary closing conditions and adjustments).

December 8, 2025

December 8, 2025 • 1-minute read

Awards & Rankings

Vinson & Elkins Earns 305 Rankings in The Best Lawyers in America 2026, Including Five “Lawyer of the Year” Recognitions

The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings, LLC) has named 125 Vinson & Elkins lawyers in its “Best Lawyers” category in the 2026 edition. Additionally, 76 Vinson & Elkins attorneys have been named in the “Ones to Watch” category, which recognizes lawyers with 5–10 years’ experience. Some individuals are listed in more than one practice area, giving the firm a total of 305 rankings.

August 21, 2025

August 21, 2025 • 3-minute read

Deals & Cases

Vinson & Elkins Represents Mach Natural Resources in $787 Million Acquisition of San Juan Basin Assets from IKAV Energy

Vinson & Elkins LLP represented Mach Natural Resources LP (NYSE: MNR) (“Mach”) in a definitive agreement to acquire oil and gas assets located in the San Juan Basin from IKAV Energy Inc. (“IKAV”) for approximately $787 million in a cash-and-stock transaction.

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025 • 1-minute read