Roberta Downey > Vinson & Elkins RLLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Vinson & Elkins RLLP Offices
20 FENCHURCH STREET
24th FLOOR
LONDON
EC3M 3BY
England
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Roberta Downey
Work Department
Complex Commercial Litigation
Position
Partner
Career
Roberta is co-head of the firm’s International Construction group. She is based in our London office with close to 30 years of experience in commercial dispute resolution, including large trials and highly technical disputes where teamwork together with strategic thinking, effective legal argument and detailed analysis of the evidence is required.
Roberta’s practice focuses first and foremost on the construction, engineering and energy industries. That industry focus has allowed her to build a portfolio of both domestic and international work that spans the full spectrum of energy, power, and major infrastructure projects, including thermal power plants, renewable energy projects, LNG facilities, petrochemical facilities, iconic urban regeneration projects, engineering support services, rail infrastructure, telecommunications, wastewater treatment, recycling facilities, data centres, and automated equipment and control systems. She is particularly well known in the market for her work in relation to offshore wind farms, on which she published a prize-winning paper for the Society of Construction Law.
Roberta focuses on practical and commercial solutions to complex issues that arise throughout the lifecycle of major projects, where she has advised all the key participants in the supply chain: developers, owners, contractors, subcontractors, consultants, and manufacturers. While she is a firm believer in proactive project management to avoid disputes, she always has an eye on positioning clients to best achieve their objectives and is as comfortable managing large trials on highly technical disputes in litigation and arbitration as she is in performing early case assessments, and conducting mediations, adjudications and other forms of alternative dispute resolution, whatever the jurisdiction or location of the project.
Education
- King’s College London, M.Sc. Construction Law & Arbitration, 2003
- College of Law, London, CPE and LSF, 1991 and 1992
- University of Oxford, M.A., 1988
Lawyer Rankings
London > Real estate > Construction: contentious
(Hall of Fame)Vinson & Elkins RLLP
is renowned for its repeat instructions on high-value and complex infrastructure projects, including substantial involvement in global mega-projects. The firm’s geographical reach is broad, handling cases in diverse regions such as the Americas, UK, the Middle East, and East Asia. It operates across a variety of sectors, including renewables, transportation infrastructure, petrochemicals, and data centres. Led by Roberta Downey
, a recognised leader in bet-the-company proceedings, the practice includes Nick Henchie, specialising in international arbitration and dispute resolution for construction and engineering disputes. The team is further strengthened by Angus Rankin, who brings extensive experience in advising on major disputes globally, particularly in power projects, Scott Stiegler, who focuses on complex, multi-jurisdictional projects, and senior associate Jarrod Gutsa, who is experienced in all forms of dispute resolution.
London > Real estate > Construction: non-contentious
Vinson & Elkins RLLP, recognised for its work on high-value infrastructure projects, boasts a wide geographic reach and operates across numerous sectors such as renewables, transportation infrastructure, and data centres. Head of construction Roberta Downey leads a formidable department, including Andrew Nealon who oversees the non-contentious side of the group, advising on international construction projects particularly in the energy and infrastructure sectors, with significant experience in high-value EPC contracts. Counsel Alistair Wishart further strengthens the team’s global presence with his counsel on large, complex construction projects across jurisdictions including Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan.
London > Dispute resolution > International arbitration
With ‘vast experience and remarkable knowledge in international arbitration‘, Vinson & Elkins RLLP’s London practice is widely respected for its representation of energy, and oil and gas, clients in high-stakes global disputes. Louise Woods acts in investment treaty and international commercial arbitrations under all the major rules; Nick Henchie ‘has vast experience‘; Roberta Downey and Scott Stiegler act in construction disputes; and Angus Rankin focuses on power project-related claims. Senior associate Ciara Ros is ‘very highly regarded for infrastructure disputes‘.
Lawyer Rankings
- Construction: contentious London > Real estate
- Hall of Fame London > Real estate > Construction: contentious
- Construction: non-contentious London > Real estate
- International arbitration London > Dispute resolution