Vinson shifts focus to NY, international

Seven partners will relocate to New York to focus on capital markets and M&A while others will move to London, the Middle East and Asia. The firm has also hired former Linklaters international arbitration and litigation partner Christopher Walker in Hong Kong.

Dallas-based structured finance partner William Young is relocating to the firm's City arm, while energy practice co-chair Marcia Backus is among those switching to Manhattan.

From Houston, M&A partner William Creighton Smith will relocate to Abu Dhabi, while corporate finance counsel James Knight is moving to Dubai. Heading to Tokyo is project finance partner James Atkin.

Vinson's New York arm currently has 54 lawyers, including 18 partners.

Meanwhile, the firm has also appointed a number of global practice heads in place of the local chairs based in each office.

Managing partner Joseph Dilg commented: "We're reorganising a number of groups along global lines instead of local lines. We continue to be very opportunistic [about hiring], particularly in the New York and London markets."

The news comes after a four-partner international trade group in Washington DC quit Vinson to join Heller Ehrman, just two years after joining from Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

Texas firms including Vinson and Baker Botts have largely been spared from recessionary pains thanks to the spike in oil prices and the buoyant energy sector. Revenues at Vinson rose 12% in 2007 to $596.1m (£298.5m) while partner profits rose 6% to $1.2m (£600,000).

The American Lawyer is a US sister title of Legal Week.

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