美国文森·艾尔斯律师事务所将于2020年底正式关闭其北京办公室，它也成为了最近一家宣布调整大中华地区业务策略的国际律所。
与此同时，文森·艾尔斯网站显示，其香港办公室也“仅以预约方式”开放。
文森·艾尔斯主席Mark Kelly在一份声明中说，此决定是在“仔细审视各办公室及其业务，以确保其吻合客户需求、符合律所整体战略目标”后做出的。
作为最早在中国大陆开展业务的美国律所之一，文森·艾尔斯于1997年开设了北京办公室，其上海及香港办公室相继设立于2005和2006年。
文森·艾尔斯曾在律所网站上介绍，其“中国业务主要侧重于能源板块，包括和油气、跨境天然气管道、煤气及燃气发电，以及清洁能源相关的并购及合资交易”。
其服务过的客户包括中国能源巨头中石油、中石化和中海油，其中曾协助中石油完成超过150亿美元的交易，包括与沙特阿美的合资，以及对西班牙国家石油公司巴西业务的并购。
然而自2013年起，文森·艾尔斯在大中华区的业务经历了一系列变化。其首先于2013年关闭了上海办公室，将其业务“合并入北京和香港，以更聚焦于律所位于北京的能源客户资源”。
律所又于2016年开设了专注于知识产权服务的台北办公室，但该办公室于2018年10月关闭。
律所还将部分于中国执业的合伙人调离至其他国家办公室，2017年，在文森·艾尔斯执业超过17年的北京办公室合伙人宋友光律师及其他四位执业于中国的律师离开加盟了德杰律师事务所。
关闭北京办公室后，文森·艾尔斯在大中华区将仅剩香港办公室，其“将继续开放，律所也在持续评估其未来发展道路”。
在亚洲，文森·艾尔斯还设有东京办公室，其设立于2014年，专注于知识产权及高科技板块服务。
“我们将持续在不同领域为亚洲客户展开服务。律所的长期策略中包括在亚洲建立强有力的业务能力，我们希望在恰当时机增强在这一地区的影响力。” Mark Kelly告诉ALB。
文森·艾尔斯也成为了不到一周内，继罗夏信律师事务所后，第二家宣布关闭北京办公室的国际律所。
根据ALB此前报道，近月来已有一系列国际律所调整了在大中华区业务，此前，奥睿律师事务所和奥斯本·克拉克律师事务所相继宣布退出香港市场。
Vinson second firm to announce Beijing closure in less than a week
U.S. law firm Vinson & Elkins has announced that it will close its Beijing office by the end of 2020, making it the latest international firm to cut back on its offering in the Greater China region.
V&E’s announcement came less than one week after UK law firm Stephenson Harwood’s decision to close its Beijing office.
The past few weeks have also seen two other international firms streamlining their China operations: both Osborne Clarke and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe announced that they would be closing their Hong Kong offices.
While V&E maintains a presence in Hong Kong, there are no partners at that office. At present, the firm has only one Asia-based partner – Jennifer Chen – in Tokyo.
Mark Kelly, chairman of Vinson & Elkins, said in a statement that the decision was made after “carefully manage our offices and practices to ensure their alignment to client needs and the firm’s overall strategic goals.”
One of the earliest US firms to have a presence in mainland China, V&E first established its Beijing office in 1997, with Shanghai and Hong Kong offices following in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
V&E had previously stated on its website that its China practice focused “primarily on the energy sector,” including advising on acquisitions and joint ventures on projects of oil and gas, cross-border pipeline, coal and gas-fired power generation, as well as clean energy.
Its clients included Chinese energy giants like CNPC, Sinopec and CNOOC. It has advised Sinopec on more than $15 billion worth of transactions, including a joint venture with Saudi Aramco and acquisition of Brazil’s Repsol Brasil.
However, the firm’s practice in Greater China has gone through a series of changes since 2013. It first closed its Shanghai office that year to “consolidate China practice into Beijing and Hong Kong offices and concentrate more of the firm’s mainland China resources in Beijing, where many of its energy clients are based.”
It then launched a Taipei office in 2016, focusing on intellectual property, but that closed in October 2018.
V&E also moved a couple of partners in China to other offices and saw longtime Beijing-based partner Nicholas Song leaving for Dechert, along with four other members of the firm’s China practice, in 2017.
The firm says its Hong Kong office “remains open and we are evaluating our plans there going forward.”
The Tokyo office, which was launched in 2014, focuses on intellectual property and technology.
“We continue to work for clients in a variety of industries in Asia. Our firm’s long-term strategic plans include having a strong footprint in Asia and we intend to grow our presence there at the appropriate time.” Mark Kelly tells ALB.
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