February 17, 2006 (Austin) — Vinson & Elkins LLP has strengthened its administrative and environmental law practice with the addition of Eric Groten, who joins the firm as a partner in its Austin office.

Mr. Groten has more than 20 years of experience in environmental matters involving industrial, manufacturing, utility and municipal clients, principally in the air quality area. His practice involves representation in contested permitting cases, defense of enforcement actions, counseling on state and federal environmental legal obligations, and transaction of emission rights.

Mr. Groten's career has a long list of "firsts," including the first single property agreement and petition approved in Texas, the first multi-party emission trade involving an area emission credit organization, the first audits conducted and resolved under the Texas Environmental Health & Safety Audit Privilege Act, the first international and cross-pollutant emission trade across the Texas-Mexico border, and the first contested case on an air permit renewal in Texas.

"Eric is one of the premiere Clean Air Act lawyers in Texas," says Vinson & Elkins partner John Howard, who is the new chair of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology. "Eric brings a depth of experience and expertise that will help all of our clients navigate the increasingly complex federal and state environmental requirements as they seek to grow in Texas."

Mr. Groten said he is joining Vinson & Elkins because the firm has one of the most experienced environmental legal teams in the United States.

"V&E;'s administrative and environmental law section has national-caliber practitioners in all environmental disciplines," said Mr. Groten, who received his law degree in 1985 from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin.

Mr. Groten received his B.A. in Chemistry and Environmental Studies from Baylor University in 1981. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America in 2006, and in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business in 2004 and 2005. In 2003, Texas Lawyer recognized Mr. Groten as one of nine "legal innovators" in Texas, based on his work to create the legal infrastructure for and then execute the first-ever emission trades across the Texas-Mexico border. He also is the President of the Zachary Scott Theatre, which is Austin's premiere theatre company, and he sits on the board of directors of Ballet Austin and the Austin Lyric Opera.

"We have long admired Eric's capability and reputation," says V&E; partner Carol Dinkins, who chairs the firm's environmental law practice and served as the former Assistant Attorney General of the United States in charge of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice, where she supervised the government's litigation in federal environmental, natural resources, and Indian and public lands cases. "The Clean Air Act is the most arcane of the state or federal environmental laws. Having someone with Eric's experience and knowledge of the Act is a tremendous advantage for V&E; and our clients."

V&E;'s environmental law practice group includes 26 attorneys in Austin, Houston and Washington, D.C.

For more information about this press release, please contact Eric Groten at 512.542.8709 or via e-mail at egroten@velaw.com. Or you may contact Darrin Schlegel, senior communications specialist, at 713.758.2171 or via e-mail at dschlegel@velaw.com.

Vinson & Elkins was established in 1917 and is one of the world's largest international law firms.  The firm has about 700 lawyers practicing in Austin, Beijing, Dallas, Dubai, Houston, London, Moscow, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Washington D.C.