Occidental Petroleum Corporation announced that Marcia E. Backus has been appointed Vice President and General Counsel, effective October 1, 2013. Backus, 59, currently is a partner at Vinson & Elkins in Houston, Texas. She heads the firm's Energy Transactions/Projects Practice Group, representing industry and private equity companies in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity investments, project development and other energy transactions.