International Construction Law Conference - 10 September 2020

This conference unites the foremost international construction law practitioners from 24 leading law firms, chambers and expert consultancies, along with a number of senior in-house lawyers and industry experts.

The conference will overview London as a centre of excellence for the resolution of international construction disputes and provide delegates with a series of interesting and topical sessions on aspects of construction law and dispute resolution.

The keynote speech will be provided by Dame Finola O'Farrell DBE QC, Judge in Charge of the Technology and Construction Court, a specialist group of Courts in the United Kingdom.

The event is open to all practitioners with an interest in construction dispute resolution including general counsel/corporate in-house legal departments and educational, professional and not-for-profit organisations within the legal industry.

Please see below for the draft full conference schedule.

Attendance is free but registration is required in order to receive a joining information. The event will be hosted virtually.

Conference schedule

09.30 – 09.40 Introduction to the conference

Professor Renato Nazzini, Kings College, Director of Research and James Pickavance, Partner, Jones Day (Conference chair and Moderator)

09.40 – 10.00 Keynote speech: International construction dispute resolution in London

Dame Finola O'Farrell DBE QC, Judge in Charge of the Technology and Construction Court

10.00 – 10.40 Advanced technologies and the role of the expert

Vivek Kapoor, Barrister, 39 Essex Chambers (chair)

Derek Nelson, Partner, HKA

Ashilee Schreiber, Senior Director, Ankura

10.40 – 11.20 Life after death – contested issues following a termination

Tony Dymond, Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton (chair)

James Howells QC, Atkin Chambers

James Bowling, 4 Pump Court Chambers

Tom Hutchinson, Senior Associate, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

11.20 – 11.40 Break

11.40 – 12.20 Can't we just sort this out nicely? Contractual and non-contractual strategies for avoiding or amicably resolving disputes

Adrian Bell, Partner, CMS (chair)

Charles Blamire-Brown, Partner, Pinsent Masons

David Pliener, Hardwicke Chambers

Steve Abraham, Partner, Baker McKenzie

12.20 – 13.00 The increasing role of dispute boards in the international arena

Nicholas Gould, Partner, Fenwick Elliott (chair)

Lindy Patterson QC, 39 Essex Chambers

13.00 – 14.00 Lunch

14.00 – 14.40 New technology = fewer disputes?

Emma Schaafsma, Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills (chair)

Julian Bailey, Partner, White & Case

Angus Rankin, Partner, Hogan Lovells

Ewan Maclean, Partner, Blackrock Expert Services

Ben Gough, Senior Engineer, Mott MacDonald

14.40 – 15.20 Ensuring that arbitration meets the needs of each case

Philip Clifford QC, Partner, Latham & Watkins (chair)

Anna Mills, Partner, DLA Piper

Professor Renato Nazzini, Kings College London

Jonathan Hosie, Partner, Mayer Brown

15.20 – 15.40 Break

15.40 – 16.20 Getting the story across: the challenges and different approaches to witnesses and document production

James Clarke, Partner, BCLP (chair)

Krista Lee QC, Keating Chambers

Hamish Lal, Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld

Arjun Agarwal, Senior Legal Counsel, Chevron Corporation

16.20 – 17.00 Client perspectives and experiences on international arbitration arising out of major projects

James Pickavance, Partner, Jones Day (chair)

Karin Griggel, General Counsel, Linde Engineering

Sevag Panossian, Group General Counsel, Consolidated Contractors Company

Tim Williams, Global Head of Disputes, Wärtsilä