Benji Barron has rejoined Vinson & Elkins as a partner in the firm’s Houston office. Barron most recently served as Associate General Counsel for Targa Resources, a leading provider of midstream services and one of the largest independent midstream infrastructure companies in North America.
In this role, he focused on strategic transactions, including mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures, and also general commercial arrangements.
“In private practice and in-house, Benji has proven himself to be an exceptional lawyer whose contributions have and will continue to enhance our corporate practice and reinforce the first-rate service we provide to our clients,” said Vinson & Elkins chairman Mark Kelly. “Just as importantly, he is highly regarded among his colleagues. We are excited to welcome him back to the team.”
Barron’s practice will include advising private and public companies, including private equity funds and portfolio companies, in connection with mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and other strategic investments.
“I have worked with Benji on several complex transactions over the years and experienced firsthand his adeptness at getting deals done,” said Keith Fullenweider, chair-elect and co-head of Vinson & Elkins’ corporate department. “His return comes at a key time of strategic growth for the firm as we continue to navigate global shifts in energy and infrastructure, and his deep understanding of these and other industries we touch will provide immediate value to our M&A and private equity clients.”
“I am thrilled to start the next chapter of my legal career where it began and to be a part of the ongoing efforts to build on the growing corporate practice,” Barron said. “The firm’s reputation for excellence combined with its most recent investments to strengthen the team make this a particularly exciting time to return.”
Other recent additions to Vinson & Elkins’ corporate and tax practices include partners Gabriel Silva and Ron G. Nardini, as well as a nationally recognized renewable energy finance team that includes partners Sean Moran, Michael Joyce, Lauren Collins and Aaron Prince.
Barron received his J.D. degree from Columbia Law School in 2012, where he was a James Kent Scholar and a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He began his career at Vinson & Elkins as a summer associate in 2010 and is one of 40 attorneys at varying levels who have returned to the firm over the past five years.
