Vinson & Elkins’ Latest Enviva Bankruptcy Bid Gets DOJ Rebuke

The Justice Department is challenging Vinson & Elkins LLP’s latest attempt to represent Enviva Inc. in its bankruptcy, saying the firm is seeking to improperly skirt a judge’s prior rejection.

Vinson & Elkins last month asked the US Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia for permission to represent wood pellet maker Enviva as special counsel—a reduced role compared to the lead counsel position it previously sought. The proposal is an effort to circumvent the court’s decision rejecting Vinson & Elkins’ prior bid, the US Trustee, the Justice Department’s bankruptcy watchdog, said in an objection Tuesday.

Judge Brian F. ...