James Loftis > Vinson & Elkins LLP > Houston, United States > Lawyer Profile

Vinson & Elkins LLP has longstanding connections to Latin America through its Houston office. It has a history of working on upstream oil-and-gas transactions and projects in Mexico, which has broadened out into a region-wide practice that covers LNG, transport infrastructure and digital infrastructure, among other areas. The Houston office is a growing force in Latin America-focused international arbitration, notably with the elevation of key figure Peter Danysh to the partnership in January 2024. Counsel Timothy Tyler is another senior name with a background in Latin America disputes. Both frequently work alongside international arbitration colleagues in New York and London, with Danysh being part of the team that represented Panama Canal Authority in a series of ICC arbitrations against Grupo Unidos por el Canal, a consortium of European and Panamanian companies hired to design and build the third set of locks as part of the Panama Canal expansion project. James Loftis is global head of international disputes and also has a background in Latin America-related international arbitration. Alan Alexander is a partner in the energy transactions and projects team, with a notable background in Latin America oil and gas, power, clean energy and renewables deals.

Vinson & Elkins LLP‘s international arbitration practice specializes in disputes involving energy, infrastructure development, and technology. Members of the team are particularly skilled at handling international energy and construction disputes, as well as ICSID annulment proceedings involving bilateral investment treaties, and advising on hydrocarbon developers’ rights. In Houston, team head James Loftis is noted for his expertise in both commercial and investor-state disputes, and arbitrations involving energy, construction, and infrastructure development. Loftis is joined at leadership level by New York-based Camilo Cardozo, who is particularly skilled at handling Latin American commercial arbitrations. In New York, the trilingual José F Sanchez regularly acts as lead counsel on high-profile bet-the company cases, and has vast experience of handling injunctive relief work, while in Houston Peter Danysh has knowledge of all major institutional rules.