Serving clients with interests in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Asian subcontinent, Vinson & Elkins established an office in Dubai, U.A.E., in October 2003. The Dubai office provides a geographically centralized position and an excellent business climate that strengthens our ability to counsel international clients with projects, transactions, investments, and disputes throughout those regions. Our Dubai office is integrated with V&E;'s worldwide network of offices in London, key cities throughout the Asia Pacific, and the United States. As a result, the Dubai office can deliver a broad-range of capabilities to clients, regardless of location, in many business sectors and in almost all areas of law.

The Middle East/North Africa Practice Group includes U.S. and English lawyers qualified in civil law jurisdictions with experience in a broad range of transactions and has members who are fluent in English, Arabic, and French. Our core areas of practice in the Middle East, North Africa and the Asian subcontinent include the following:

Energy
The result of our nearly century-long commitment to energy industry, V&E; has extensive experience in the legal aspects of virtually all areas of the energy industry-exploration, production, refining, transportation, power and cogeneration, petrochemicals, environmental and regulation.  We provide advice on almost all legal issues affecting the energy and petrochemical industry and its investors, underwriters and lenders.  Clients include multinational companies; independent energy, mining and related service companies; government-owned energy entities; large industrial groups; international contractors; institutional, foreign and private investors; investment banks; and some of the world's largest commercial banks.

Telecommunications
We are experienced in the full array of activities surrounding the telecommunications industry and have assisted clients in financings and development of corporate structures, equipment and service supply arrangements, network and system installation issues, licensing, assignment of frequencies, rule-making, rate-making, contested cases and legislative initiatives.  Our lawyers have represented numerous existing and new telecommunications entities on a broad scope of securities, technology, transactional and regulatory matters.  We are additionally representing regional telecommunications companies in connection with investments in private equity and venture capital initiatives.

Project Finance and Development
Vinson & Elkins has significant experience in the legal aspects of infrastructure development and financing.  We regularly advise lenders, developers, sponsors, governments and others in the development and financing of major international infrastructure projects.  These matters range from projects involving water, power and energy to transportation, telecommunications and healthcare facilities. 

Islamic Finance and Investment
Vinson & Elkins prides itself on being one of only a very small number of international law firms with the ability to advise clients on structuring and documenting complex Islamic finance and investment transactions.  Our lawyers have worked with clients in the United States, the European Union and South East Asia on a wide variety of Shari’a-compliant investments and financial products.  We have excellent working relationships with prominent Shari’a advisers in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United States and Canada.  Lawyers in the firm have advised on structuring and documenting Shari’a-compliant investment and financial products utilizing a variety of Islamic structures including Murabaha, Mudaraba, Istisna’a, Ijara, Bai Al-Salam, Bai Al-Arboon, Musharak and Wakala.  Our lawyers have also been involved in developing ground-breaking Islamic equivalents to capital protected funds and funds of funds, call options (Bai Al-Arboon), bonds (Sukuk), convertible loans, Islamic leverage structures and a hedge fund.

The editor of a book titled Islamic Asset Management, Forming the Future for Shari’a-Compliant Investment Strategies (Euromoney, June 2004) recognized Vinson & Elkins as one of the top four law firms worldwide in terms of its active involvement in developing Islamic wealth management products.

Capital Markets
We have extensive experience in handling a broad range of securities matters.  Toward the end of 2005, the Dubai International Financial Exchange (DIFX) was launched, which, along with other developments in the region, has increased the amount of interest in capital markets expressed by companies located within the region as well as by those from outside looking to tap the region’s liquidity.  We have advised several clients on global securities offerings, including initial public offerings and exchange listings on the newly formed DIFX.

General
We are also actively involved in assisting in the development of the region’s healthcare infrastructure, commodities markets and regulations and, more generally, in many other business sectors in the region in joint venture formation, private equity transactions and mergers and acquisitions and other general corporate transactions.