United Kingdom
Vincent Zabielski
PartnerAbout
Vincent Zabielski is recognised as one of the Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom for Energy and Natural Resources Law. His practice focuses on international nuclear energy matters, including providing strategic advice related to new-build EPC contracts, power purchase agreements, operation and maintenance, fuel supply chain, liability issues, international treaties, mergers and acquisition, dispute resolution and export controls.
Prior to joining DLA Piper, Vincent was senior nuclear counsel for the UAE nuclear new-build program, where he was responsible for integration of nuclear licensing strategy with the largest-ever public financing of a public works project.
Vincent also served as associate general counsel-nuclear at Public Service Enterprise Group in New Jersey, advising the operators and owners of the Salem/Hope Creek Generating Stations regarding all aspects of nuclear operations. In this role, Vincent was responsible for all commercial contracts and routinely served as the legal interface with regulators.
Professional QualificationsAttorney-at-law admitted with the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, (inactive)Attorney-at-law admitted with the District of Columbia BarRegistered Foreign Lawyer, England and Wales
Education
- J.D., Rutgers University Law School, Camden, 2005
- B.S.M.E., Drexel University, 1990
EXPERIENCE
- Regularly advise major funds and other investors and lead nuclear due diligence on nuclear M&A projects regarding nuclear liability, regulatory matters, nuclear insurance, and risk exposure.
- Advise on business structures for nuclear projects to shield banks and other investors from potential liability for nuclear damage.
- Regularly advise multiple clients on sophisticated nuclear fuels supply contracts, including contracts for uranium concentrates, conversion, enrichment, and fabrication.
- Advise suppliers of equipment to nuclear power plants on ring-fencing potential nuclear liability.
- Advise uranium producers on sales contracts for supply of nuclear fuel.
- Advise governments on nuclear treaties including liability conventions and nuclear cooperation agreements.
- Advised Kozloduy NPP on all aspects of the project to develop, construct and finance two AP1000 reactors at the Kozloduy NPP in Bulgaria, one of the largest energy infrastructure projects in the region and recipient of the CEE Deal of the Year 2025 (Bulgaria) award. (former firm)
- Represented Akkuyu Nükleer A.Ş. on the development, structuring, contracting and financing of the 4800MW Akkuyu NPP in Turkey which included drafting and negotiating all major project agreements for nuclear new-build plants, including EPC contracts, O&M contracts, fuel supply agreements and owner’s engineer agreements.
- Served as in-house UAE nuclear counsel on the Barakha nuclear project in Abu Dhabi.
- Advised China Nuclear Power Engineering on delivery sections of the Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C nuclear new build projects in the UK and the ITER fusion project in France, including EPC contracts.
- Advised advanced reactor suppliers including TerraPower, X-Energy and other fourth-generation reactor developers on strategy and business structure, M&A, export controls, and nuclear fuel matters.
- Advise a nuclear suppliers on multijurisdictional export control compliance for cross-border transfers of nuclear technology and data.
- Advise on commercial transactions involving radiopharmaceuticals.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
- Recognised as one of the Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom for Energy and Natural Resources Law (2022).
- The Legal 500 UK, recognised for Emerging Markets (2019–2020) and Power (including electricity and nuclear) (2025–2026).
- Winner of the Legal 360 2018 Burton award for Excellence in Legal Writing.
Publications
- “Nuclear Energy Ticks All the Boxes,” Titans of Nuclear podcast dedicated interview, May 8, 2024.
- “Letter: Why extending the life of Sizewell B is a no-brainer,” Financial Times, Jan. 26, 2026. Author.
- “Can the UK fulfil its ambitious nuclear construction plans?” World Construction Week, March 30, 2026. Author.
- “UK moves to extend life of Sizewell B nuclear plant by 20 years,” Financial Times, Jan. 21, 2026. Quoted
- “U.S.-British Deal Would Speed Nuclear Plant Construction,” The New York Times, Sept. 15, 2025. Quoted.
- “Podcast: The nuclear energy lawyer’s perspective,” World Nuclear News, July 31, 2025.
- “Letter: Sizewell C is buildable and ‘bumblebees can fly,’” Financial Times, Sept. 19, 2025. Author.
- “Is the UK’s giant new nuclear power station ‘unbuildable’?” Financial Times, Aug. 27, 2025. Quoted.
- “Financing AI’s Nuclear Power,” The Economist, October 31, 2024. Author.
- “Letter: Nuclear Plan Is Eight Steps Forward, Six Steps Back,” Financial Times, April 12, 2022. Author.
- “Point Taken: The UK Supreme Court Finally Confirms the General Law of Liquidated Damages (LDs),” Gravel2Gavel, March 21, 2022. Coauthor.
- “Britain Moves to Attract Financing for Nuclear Plants,” The New York Times, October 2021. Quoted.
- “No Time to Pause on New Nuclear,” Nuclear Engineering International. Sept. 11, 2021. Author.
- “The UK Hydrogen Strategy,” Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, Aug. 23, 2021. Coauthor.
- “UK Issues Draft Regulations Governing Nuclear Propulsion Systems for Commercial Ships,” Aug. 12, 2021. Coauthor.
- “Going Nuclear: A Question for Head or Heart?,” June 1, 2021. Coauthor.
- “EU Takes Key Step in Taxonomy Rollout,” April 22, 2021. Coauthor.
- “EU Returns to Science-Based Decision-Making in Landmark Nuclear Report,” April 7, 2021. Coauthor.
- “Europe/The Growing Split between Pro and Anti-Nuclear,” NucNet, April 20, 2020. Author.
- “Triple Points to the English Court of Appeal for Clarifying the Law on LDs,” Gravel2Gavel, May 16, 2019. Coauthor.
- “Euratom: The Brexit Hostage, Nuclear Future,” Vol. 15, No. 2, April 30, 2019. Coauthor.
- “Regulated Asset Base: A Model for the Nuclear Future?,” Power Engineering International, April 24, 2019. Coauthor.
- “Energizing Development,” Nuclear Engineering International, August 7, 2018. Coauthor.
- “Whatever Happened to the Nuclear Renaissance?,” The Energy Industry Times, Oct. 25, 2017. Coauthor. This article was honored by the Burton Awards at the 19th annual Burton gala awards.
- “Managing Supply Chain Risk,” Nuclear Engineering International, Oct. 4, 2017. Coauthor.
- “Avoiding a Crash Landing for the UK Nuclear Industry,” The ENDS Report, April 13, 2017.
- “The Power of Brexit,” Nuclear Engineering International, Jan. 18, 2017.
- “Ensuring a ‘Soft Brexit’ for the UK’s Nuclear Industry,” World Nuclear News, Nov. 24, 2016.
- “Cybersecurity: Retaining the Power,” Nuclear Engineering International online, Feb. 16, 2016. Coauthor.
- “New Challenges for Nuclear New Build Financing,” Nuclear Future, Nov. 16, 2015. Coauthor.
- “In Perspective: Lessons Learned for Nuclear New-Build,” Nuclear Intelligence Weekly, November 6, 2015. Coauthor.
- “Securing Finance for Nuclear Projects,” Project Finance International, May 20, 2015. Coauthor.
- “Hinkley – Lessons Need to Be Heeded in Using First-Of-A-Kind EPR Technology,” Power Engineering International, May 11, 2015. Quoted.
Seminars and Speaking Engagements
- “New Nuclear Power Plant Financing,” Nuclear Power Plants Summit (NPPES), Istanbul, Turkey, June 30–July 1, 2026. Speaker.
- Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa (NEISA 2026), Kigali, Rwanda. Speaker.
- “Nuclear Energy: Key Facts and Issues,” MIT and Clean Air Task Force, Brussels, May 4-7, 2026. Instructor.
- GAR Live Energy, Disputes Nuclear Projects Panel, Edinburgh, Scotland, Sept. 5, 2022. Participant.
- “Managing Risks at the Frontier – Contractual, Structural and Intergovernmental Arrangements for Nuclear Power Projects in Emerging Nuclear Energy Countries,” Nuclear Inter Jura Congress, Nov. 5, 2018, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
- Financial Times Ocean Nuclear Financing Summit, June 7, 2018, London UK. Speaker.
- “Mitigating Risks in Nuclear New-Build, The Fourth Arab Forum on the Prospects of Nuclear Power for Electricity Generation and Seawater Desalination,” Oct. 10–12, 2017, Amman, Jordan.
- “United Kingdom–United States Energy Commerce in Post-Brexit World,” July 26, 2017, webinar. Speaker.
- “Mitigating Risks in Nuclear New-Build – Considerations for Vendors and Host Counties,” Asia Nuclear Business Platform 2017, May 18, 2017, Shanghai, China. Presenter.
- “Key Issues and Lessons Learned: Development of Nuclear Power Plants in Turkey,” training provided to State Nuclear Power technology Corporation LTD. “SNPTC,” May 15, 2017, Beijing, China. Presentation by Vincent Zabielski and Jeffrey Merrifield.
- “Alternative Financing Models for New Nuclear,” WNA Lawyers Working Group, Sept. 14, 2016, London, UK. Presenter.
- “Project Finance Structures for Nuclear Power Plants,” 2016 New Nuclear International conference, June 6–7, 2016, Warsaw, Poland. Presenter.
- “Managing Licensing Risk in New-Build Construction Contracts for Emerging Markets,” WNA New Build Licensing Conference 2015, April 21, 2015, Prague, Czech Republic.
- Seminar on Nuclear Procurement, Contracting and Financing, Rosatom Corporate Academy, July 7, 2015, Moscow, Russian Federation.
- “Financing Requirements for Nuclear New-Build – Designing Success from the Start,” 2nd MENA Nuclear Energy Summit 2015, June 9, 2015, Istanbul, Turkey.