James Lloyd Loftis

Jim has been adjunct faculty at the Law School since 2009, and teaches international investment law and investor-state arbitration and international commercial arbitration. In his professional role, he heads International Dispute Resolution practice of Vinson & Elkins LLP, where he practices in the Houston and London offices. He focuses his practice on the arbitration and litigation of international commercial and investor-state disputes and on matters involving public international law. He also advises clients involved in matters involving international law and treaties. His practice includes disputes involving all aspects of energy, infrastructure development and construction, and disputes under investment laws and treaties, as well as boundary disputes and cross-border technology disputes. He also represents and advises clients in international and cross-border litigation, including arbitral award enforcement in a number of jurisdictions.

Jim is a member of the London Court of International Arbitration and holds a 5-year elected position as one of it Vice-Presidents.  He is a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration, is listed in Global Arbitration Review, is listed in Legal Media Group's (Euromoney's) Expert Guide to Commercial Arbitration, and is ranked in international arbitration in Chambers Global, Chambers UK, Chambers USA and Legal 500 UK. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for international arbitration.

A frequent speaker on energy-related topics relating to international arbitration, in 2011, he was appointed as Chair of the Advisory Board for the Global Center for Energy, International Arbitration and Environmental Law at the University of Texas School of Law, and he is now on the Executive Board of the successor, the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Energy Law and Business. James maintains offices in London and in Houston, and is admitted in Texas, in the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts and in the Senior Courts of England and Wales.