12 August 2020: HH Frances Kirkham on ‘Construction disputes in pandemic times’

Her Honour Frances Kirkham CBE will participate in an IBA webinar on ‘Construction disputes in pandemic times‘ on 12 August 2020.

The event, hosted by the IBA International Construction Projects Committee of the Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law Section (SEERIL), will discuss the speakers’ experiences over recent months, and their expectations for the future of dispute resolution in the construction sector.

Description

The international construction industry is grappling with the consequences of the global pandemic. The impact of Covid-19 on construction projects is far from consistent: some construction projects came to an abrupt halt as Governments ordered work to stop; other projects were able to continue, but with significant delays and reduced productivity; but in some locations projects have raced ahead, taking advantage of the global lockdown to work longer hours on projects normally constrained by limited work opportunities. Much has been said about the need to work collaboratively through the pandemic, to avoid adding protracted disputes to already difficult working conditions. But how realistic is this approach? And is it a temporary reprieve, or will be soon (if not already!) return to ‘business as usual’ with claims being escalated through multi-tier dispute resolution clauses up to arbitration and local courts.

In this webinar, the Dispute Resolution Subcommittee of the IBA International Construction Projects Committee will speak with representatives from arbitral institutions, FIDIC, practitioners, arbitrators and judges and dispute boards, to hear their experiences over recent months, and their expectations for the future of dispute resolution in the construction sector.

Participants

Moderators:

Thomas Frad – Karasek Wietrzyk Rechtsanwälte, Vienna; Vice Chair, Dispute Resolution Subcommittee, IBA International Construction Projects Committee

Sharon Vogel – Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel, Toronto, Ontario; Vice Chair, Dispute Resolution Subcommittee, IBA International Construction Projects Committee

Speakers:

HH Frances Kirkham CBE – Atkin Chambers, Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Center, Birmingham

Gary Born – Singapore International Arbitration Centre and Chair of the International Arbitration Practice, Wilmer Hale, London

Dr Donald Charrett – Expert Determination Chambers, Melbourne, Victoria

Jaime Gray – NPG Abogados, Lima

Aisha Nadar – Runeland, Stockholm

Time: Aug 12, 2020 1pm in London