Patrick has significant experience of construction and engineering disputes on major international projects, with a particular focus on the Middle East where he has spent a large part of his career. Patrick specialises in International Arbitration and has worked on disputes relating to projects in a number of jurisdictions including the UK, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Egypt, South Africa and Madagascar and has acted on arbitrations being heard pursuant to ICC, LCIA, DIAC and ADCCAC rules. Patrick is familiar with a number of standard form construction contracts including FIDIC and NEC, and has acted on disputes arising out of bespoke forms of contract, particularly EPC contracts.
The Legal 500 EMEA 2021 list Patrick as a recommended lawyer for construction. They describe him as having “a clarity of view which brings comfort to his clients. He is adept at quickly scrutinizing complex issues and understands possible solutions. He displays empathy for his client and is adept at getting to the route of an argument offering sound judgements and proposing optional solutions and strategies.” They also note that he has “substantial experience in construction and engineering disputes. His strategic input on international arbitration matters is invaluable.”
Specialist expertise
Patrick has acted on disputes arising out of a number of major international projects across a broad range of industry sectors, with particular experience of disputes relating to oil and gas and infrastructure projects.
Examples of Patrick’s expertise include:
- acting for a joint venture contractor in relation to an ICC arbitration on a major rail project in the Middle East;
- acting on an ad-hoc arbitration for a civil contractor in a dispute with its joint venture partner to determine liability for liquidated damages deducted by the employer due to the late completion of a major light rail project in the UK;
- acting on an ad-hoc arbitration on the same major light rail project in relation to defects identified in the construction of the track;
- acting for the owner of an oil processing facility in the Kurdistan region of Iraq in respect of arbitration proceedings commenced by the contractor under the LCIA Rules;
- acting for a defendant engineering client in English court proceedings in relation to alleged defective design work on a waste to energy plant in London;
- acting for an employer on an arbitration commenced by a contractor in respect of a project in Azerbaijan heard pursuant to the LCIA Rules;
- acting on an expert determination in relation to a dispute arising out of the construction of an oil and gas pipeline in the Middle East under a bespoke EPC contract;
- acting on behalf of a mechanical and electrical subcontractor on disputes that developed out of upgrade works being undertaken on two live petrochemical depots in South Africa;
- acting for a joint venture contractor in preparing claims for an ICC arbitration in relation to a claim against the developer of a power plant in Madagascar and the supply of industrial plant through an offshore supply agreement;
- acting on an arbitration pursuant to the ICC Rules, and advising on associated court proceedings, arising out of a joint venture agreement between two international contractors and one local construction company in respect of a mixed-use development in Egypt;
- acting for a master developer on an arbitration relating to major infrastructure works in Dubai, UAE;
- acting on a major DIAC arbitration for a contractor claiming wrongful termination on a major sports venue development in Dubai, UAE;
- advising a defendant contractor in relation to a freezing order obtained by a subcontractor in the Doha courts and subsequent associated proceedings;
- appointed as sole arbitrator by the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) on disputes arising from the development of real estate projects in Dubai, UAE.
