Camilo Cardozo > Vinson & Elkins LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

Vinson & Elkins LLP’s team is led by Houston and Dubai-based James Loftis (head of the firm’s international disputes practice), and New York’s Camilo Cardozo, who heads up the Americas division of the practice. The firm has a particularly notable record in energy and infrastructure disputes, including LNG and natural gas-related arbitration. Additionally, it has extensive experience in both investment and commercial arbitration and demonstrates wide-ranging geographic coverage. The practice continues to be prominent in the market due to its headline role in representing the Panama Canal Authority in arbitrations connected to the Panama Canal expansion project. London’s Nick Henchie is a leading figure in Latin America construction arbitrations, with fellow London-based partner Louise Woods also active on Latin America matters. Raised to the partnership in early 2022, New York’s José F Sanchez is an up-and-coming tri-lingual practitioner with a close focus on the Americas. The team also includes Houston counsel Peter Danysh who has extensive construction and energy disputes experience (both commercial and investor-state), and a particular focus on Latin America.

Vinson & Elkins LLP’s group is widely acknowledged for its ability to bring together ‘expertise in international arbitration and upstream oil and gas contracts’. Indeed, the team utilizes the wider firm’s dominant oil and gas practice to specialize in energy-related disputes, where it acts for both energy companies and sovereign states in commercial and investor-state cases. The group also garners a significant volume of construction and project-related work. From bases in Houston and Dubai, James Loftis steers the international dispute resolution department and focuses on energy, construction and infrastructure disputes. Key names in New York include Camilo Cardozo, who serves as head of international disputes for the Americas, and José Sanchez.