Vinson & Elkins(美国文森 ●艾尔斯) law firm news

There’s no doubt that the mining and resources industry is one of Australia’s hottest sectors – and there’s still no end to the legal work either.

Norton Rose Group recent mergers with Canadian firm Ogilvy Renault and South African firm Deneys Reitz were, according to the firm’s head of Asia, David Stannard, driven largely by the desire to seize China-Canada-South Africa market share.

诺顿•罗氏为了赢得更多国企在北美和非洲地区的投资并购项目，近日宣布将与加拿大律所Ogilvy Renault和南非律所Deneys Reitz进行合并。

Vinson & Elkins has again represented long-term client China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) on its 33.3% acquisition of Chesapeake Energy's oil and natural gas acreage in the Eagle Ford Shale project in South Texas for US$1.1bn.

中国最大的离岸石油生产商中海油近日同意以10.8亿美元收购切克萨斯公司在美国德克萨斯鹰滩页岩油气项目三分之一的股份。

US firm Vinson & Elkins has brought six new lawyers on board after plundering a number of its international rivals.

Calgary-based Bennett Jones has become the second Canadian firm in China with the recent launch of its Beijing representative office, its first location outside Canada.

贝内特琼斯律师事务所已成为第二家在华正式设有代表处的加拿大律所。该所于今年9月在北京成立了其在海外的第一家分支机构。

Outbound acquisitions targeting Canada and the USA are up 81% from the same period last year, reaching US$6.8bn collectively. The energy & resources sector alone accounts for 70% (US$4.8bn) of the activity.

截止目前，国内企业于本年内在美国和加拿大的投资总金额已高达68亿美元，与其年同期相比增长了81%。其中针对能源行业的投资金额就占了总规模的70％， 高达48亿美元。

China's direct investment in Brazil has soared to a projected US$12bn this year, making it the highest investor in the country for 2010. The increasing number and size of Sino-Brazil deals will mean a shift in focus for PRC and Brazilian legal advisors.

随着中国投资巴西力度的加大，尤其是在能源资产方面，两国律所间也很可能会建立起更多更紧密的合作关系。

Advised by Baker Botts, Demarest and NautaDutilh, Sinochem has recently agreed to acquire a 40% stake in the Peregrino oil field in Brazil’s Campos Basin for US$3.1bn.

中化股份近日与挪威国家石油公司达成协议，以30.1亿美元收购该公司位于巴西海上Peregrino油田40%的权益。

CNOOC, represented by its own in-house legal department, has agreed to pay US$515m for a 24.5% participation interest in Block 15/34, an area of the South China Sea, from Oklahoma-based Devon Energy.

中国海洋石油近期以5.15亿美元收购Devon Energy在南中国海的Panyu油田24．5％的股权。中海油由内部的法律部门提供法律咨询，而Devon则聘用美国文森·艾尔斯律师事务所为代表律师。

Hua Xia is looking to raise US$3bn through share placements; its selected institutional investors include steel mill Shougang Corp, State Grid and Deutsche Bank.

华夏银行近期向首钢总公司、国网资产管理有限公司和德意志银行卢森堡股份有限公司总计定向增发18.59亿股。华夏由共和律师事务所提供法律服务而首钢则由富而德作为代表律所。

Sinopec has made its largest ever venture into Canada by acquiring oil-sands producer Syncrude Canada from ConocoPhillips for US$4.65bn –the largest Asian oil company investment in Canada's oil sands to date.

中石化集团以旗下国际石油勘探开发有限公司与康菲公司达成协议，以46亿美元的现金对价收购后者在加拿大Syncrude合资公司中9% 股权。