Partner
Finance
“Melissa is a very effective team leader, an extremely competent attorney and a very savvy negotiator.” – Chambers USA, 2025
Chambers USA, 2008–2026
Melissa is a project finance attorney who focuses on large energy and infrastructure projects. She advises commercial banks, export credit agencies, multilaterals and other financial institutions as well as borrowers and developers on a wide variety of project development and financing work. Her industry experience covers power (both conventional and renewable), mining, oil and gas, water treatment, telecoms and other infrastructure, including a wide variety of transactions relating to energy transition.
Melissa brings extensive experience across the United States and Latin America, where her language skills and talent for navigating cultural nuances are especially valuable. Working closely with local counsel, she and her team regularly negotiate and prepare documents in Spanish.
Ara Partners on its acquisition of a majority interest in USD Clean Fuels, LLC, a leading developer of logistics infrastructure in North America for the renewable fuels value chain, and the subsequent acquisition by USDCF of the West Colton Rail Terminal, a fully operational biofuels terminal in California
Li-Cycle on a limited recourse financing of a battery recycling project in New York state from the Department of Energy
KfW IPEX-Bank on the $1.2bn limited recourse financing for the construction, startup, operation and maintenance of a world-scale anhydrous ammonia plant in Topolobampo, Mexico
KfW IPEX-Bank on a limited recourse financing for the Hybar project, a steel recycling and rebar project in Arkansas
ContourGlobal on a senior secured term loan and revolving credit facility and related letter of credit facility for the development and operation of its thermal generation portfolio in the Caribbean, including a complementary solar photovoltaic plant and battery storage system
A battery manufacturer in connection with the development of a gigafactory to produce nanotechnology batteries for use in smartphones and electric vehicles in the United States
DFC on the financing of a geothermal project in Honduras, the first utility scale project in the country
Education
Admissions
Awards & Rankings
Chambers Latin America 2027 Recognizes Vinson & Elkins
Vinson & Elkins has been recognized by Chambers Latin America 2027 as a leading firm for International Arbitration. The guide also ranks Camilo …
August 20, 2026
August 20, 2026 • 1-minute read
Deals & Cases
Vinson & Elkins Advises Georgia Power Company in 3.2GW Data Center Development in Georgia
Vinson & Elkins is advising Southern Company and its affiliate Georgia Power Company in certain agreements to provide up to …
July 22, 2026
July 22, 2026 • 1-minute read
Awards & Rankings
Vinson & Elkins announced today that it achieved 20 Band 1 rankings in Chambers USA 2026: Nationwide: Energy Transition; Energy: …
June 4, 2026
June 4, 2026 • 3-minute read
Awards & Rankings
Chambers Global, announced today, recognizes Vinson & Elkins in 27 practice categories, including new rankings for Construction in the UAE, …
February 12, 2026
February 12, 2026 • 2-minute read
Firm News
Vinson & Elkins Hires Melissa Raciti-Knapp as Finance Partner
Raciti-Knapp is a deeply experienced project finance lawyer who has led many complex infrastructure and energy transactions. Vinson & Elkins …
February 12, 2026
February 12, 2026 • 2-minute read
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