Vinson & Elkins, a U.S. law firm headquartered in Houston, has hired an eight-lawyer team from rival firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. The team, which specializes in energy regulatory issues, will be led by William Scherman, a former general counsel at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), who will co-head Vinson & Elkin’s energy regulatory practice. Partners Jeffrey Jakubiak and Jason Fleischer will also join the team. The group will be based in Washington, D.C., with Jakubiak working in New York.
Vinson & Elkins has close ties to the energy industry and has stated that the new team will specialize in enforcement and investigations involving FERC, which regulates the interstate flow of natural gas and investigates market manipulation and anti-competitive conduct. Scherman said that the firm’s strength in the energy sector makes it a “long-term platform” for the team. He also emphasized that he is a “trial lawyer by training” and plans to continue litigating disputes in front of FERC and U.S. courts.
The group also includes John Dring, a retired FERC administrative law judge who will serve as senior counsel. Scherman’s previous clients include the operator of the Dakota Access pipeline, which has been the subject of years of litigation and opposition from nearby Native American tribes.
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher wished the group well in its new role at Vinson & Elkins. The move is part of a trend of mass lawyer hires involving groups of partners moving together to new firms. For example, law firm Goodwin Procter hired 18 partners from Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders earlier this year. At the same time, Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete brought on 32 cybersecurity and data privacy lawyers from Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith.
The addition of the new team is expected to strengthen Vinson & Elkins’ energy regulatory practice, which advises clients on regulatory matters and litigates disputes in the energy sector. The firm has a long history of representing clients in the energy industry, including oil and gas companies, pipelines, and utilities.
Adding the new team is expected to enhance Vinson & Elkins’ capabilities in the energy regulatory space and allow the firm to better serve its clients in the industry. Given the increasing regulatory focus on the energy sector, the team’s expertise in FERC enforcement and investigations will be particularly valuable.
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Law firm Vinson & Elkins adds eight-lawyer energy team from Gibson Dunn