David acts for governments, Fortune 500 companies, state-owned entities and international contractors on disputes and arbitration arising from complex construction, infrastructure, transport and energy projects globally.

Biography

David acts for governments, Fortune 500 companies, state-owned entities and major international contractors on construction and infrastructure matters of major regional and global significance. His clients span Australia, South East Asia, the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe. He has also undertaken secondments to major contractors, advising across the tender and delivery phases of major projects.

David advises on disputes and dispute avoidance arising from complex, high-value construction, infrastructure, transport and energy projects. He has experience across multiple forms of dispute resolution including litigation, mediation, expert determination, adjudication (in Australia, England and Singapore), dispute boards, and international arbitration under ICC, SIAC, TAI, UNCITRAL, DIAC and LCIA rules. He is qualified and admitted in England and Wales.

David's dispute experience includes a US$1.1 billion ICC arbitration in London advising a Middle East government against a consortium of international contractors over the construction of two international airports. He has advised a multinational construction consortium across Korea, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Spain in disputes with a state-owned entity over tunnel boring works on a major Middle East metro project. He has also advised a Fortune 500 renewable energy EPC contractor in multiple dispute board proceedings against a Central Asian government over refurbishment of a hydroelectric dam of regional significance, involving COVID-19 delays, force majeure and public unrest. In Australia, he acted as team member on proceedings for the receivers of East Rockingham Waste-to-Energy Project Co in three separate proceedings across the Supreme Court of Western Australia and the Federal Court of Victoria arising from the $377 million project.

David's career spans practice in South East Asia, the Middle East and Europe with leading international law firms, giving him direct experience with the contracting frameworks, cultural dynamics and procedural environments that shape cross-border construction disputes. His secondment experience with major contractors gives him an understanding of project delivery pressures from the client side.

David is also admitted to the Senior Courts of England and Wales.

Credentials

Academic qualifications:

Memberships:

David's experience

Middle East government — ICC arbitration, international airport construction

Advising a Middle East government in a US$1.1 billion dispute with a consortium of international contractors arising from the construction of two international airports. Resolved through ICC arbitration in London.

Multinational construction consortium — Middle East metro project

Advising a multinational construction consortium (contractors from Korea, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Spain) against a state-owned entity in disputes arising from tunnel boring works on a major metro project in the Middle East.

Fortune 500 renewable energy EPC contractor — Dispute board proceedings

Advising a Fortune 500 renewable energy EPC contractor in multiple dispute board proceedings against a Central Asian government over refurbishment of a hydroelectric dam of regional significance. Disputes involved delays caused by COVID-19, force majeure events and public unrest.

East Rockingham Waste-to-Energy Project: Supreme Court and Federal Court proceedings

East Rockingham Waste-to-Energy Project: Supreme Court and Federal Court proceedings
Acting as team member for the joint and several receivers and managers of East Rockingham RRF Project Co in three separate proceedings, including two in the Supreme Court of Western Australia and one in the Federal Court of Victoria. The matter concerned the $377 million East Rockingham Waste-to-Energy Project, with disputes centring on access to essential technical documentation and the receivers' ability to preserve asset value and execute a sale process.

Australian piling contractor — Security of Payment adjudication

Advising a major Australian piling contractor on disputes arising from the construction of a large infrastructure project in New South Wales, referred to adjudication under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW).