Almost a year after Latham & Watkins announced plans to consolidate its Middle East operations, Vinson & Elkins has confirmed plans to do the same, closing its outpost in Abu Dhabi to refocus its regional operations on Dubai and Riyadh.
The move comes amid a recent reshuffling of the corporate ranks in the energy-focused Vinson’s Houston headquarters. By shuttering its Abu Dhabi office in March, one the firm opened in 2007, Vinson becomes the latest Am Law 100 shop to abandon the emirate. The work in Abu Dhabi, unlike neighboring Dubai, has been mostly localized client work for the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and the ruling Al Nahyan family.
