Roberta Downey > Vinson & Elkins RLLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Vinson & Elkins RLLP Offices

20 FENCHURCH STREET
24th FLOOR
LONDON
EC3M 3BY
England
- Firm Profile
- Go to...
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‘s contentious construction practice boasts a deep bench of multidisciplinary lawyers regularly instructed on major cross-border ICC arbitrations, including several for the Panama Canal Authority. The team also acts on a number of EPC contract, commercial court, and bond payment-related disputes. With accredited expertise in international mega project disputes and litigation, Roberta Downey leads the team, while Nick Henchie handles the full range of project termination disputes. Other key team members include Angus Rankin who is vastly experienced and Scott Stiegler, who leads on residential and commercial property disputes. Jarrod Gutsa is active across the energy, oil and gas, as well as renewables sectors.
London > Real estate > Construction: non-contentious
Situated within the firm’s wider international construction practice, the multidisciplinary team at Vinson & Elkins RLLP is led by accredited specialist Roberta Downey. With experience in high-value engineering, procurement, and EPC contracts, Andrew Nealon assists with drafting and negotiating supply agreements for international renewable energy projects. Key team members include Alistair Wishart, who advises Middle Eastern clients on EPC contracts. Louise Fischel-Bock left the team in May 2024.
Lawyer Rankings
- Construction: contentious London > Real estate
- Hall of Fame London > Real estate > Construction: contentious
- Construction: non-contentious London > Real estate