Derivatives, Structured Products & Trading

From single transactions to entire portfolios, Vinson & Elkins has structured both domestic and cross-border derivative transactions designed to help our clients meet their business needs. Our Derivatives, Structured Products & Trading practice group combines transaction and industry experience with legal and regulatory knowledge to offer comprehensive guidance at every stage of a transaction. As counsel to end-users, we are adept at structuring terms that help our clients hedge their commercial risks. In representing financial institutions, we help them structure products designed to meet the business needs of their customers.

We have extensive experience representing financial institutions, alternative lenders, and end-users in structuring, negotiating, implementing, and documenting a wide array of derivative and structured product transactions, including these:

• Interest rate derivatives
• Credit derivatives
• Commodity derivatives
• Currency derivatives
• Repurchase transactions
• Forward sale agreements
• Weather derivatives

V&E has an active Derivatives practice in New York, Texas, and London — the world’s most dynamic markets for derivatives. We operate globally, so we know the market terms, industry practices, and economic concerns in the key financial markets. Our lawyers are also well versed in Dodd-Frank regulations and EU directives applicable to hedging and derivative products.

As leaders in the energy sector, we bring extensive knowledge of our clients’ business challenges and offer deep experience in handling commodities derivatives and structured finance products to hedge risks relating to oil and gas exploration and production, and other energy-industry projects. We have assisted numerous clients in standardizing their derivatives contracts and in implementing complex commodity hedging strategies, including the negotiation and documentation of ISDA and similar agreements.