Wednesday July 10, 2024
Day One - Thursday July 11, 2024
Registration
IN THE DRUMMOND FOYER
8:00 - 9:00 AM
8:00 - 9:00 AM
IN THE BALLROOM WEST / CENTER
Breakfast
9:00 - 9:30 AM
IN THE BALLROOM WEST / CENTER
Welcome /Opening Remarks
9:30 - 10:30 AM
IN THE BALLROOM WEST
High Frequency Rail - A model for success?
Senior Vice President
Ernst & Young
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Jordan is a Professional Engineer with over 20 years of experience delivering infrastructure projects for both the public and private sectors. He has professional services and industry experience executing large capital projects from inception to closeout.
Jordan is an Associate Partner in EY’s Infrastructure Advisory practice. He provides project delivery reviews and oversight of complex construction projects. Additionally, he supports clients in the avoidance, mitigation, and resolution of construction disputes.
Prior to professional services, Jordan gained industry experience through work with one of North America’s largest general contracting firms. He has extensive project management experience utilizing a wide variety of delivery models from traditional bid build to P3s.
Acting Director General, Commercial and Procurement High Frequency Rail
Transport Canada
Canada
Miguel Izquierdo Martin is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience specializing in the development of infrastructure projects under Public-Private Partnership models.
Currently serving as the Acting Director General of the Commercial and Procurement Unit at Transport Canada, Miguel plays a pivotal role in leading the commercial and procurement aspects of the High Frequency Rail project.
Prior to joining TC, Miguel held the position of Project Director for the Energy Services Acquisition Program at Public Services and Procurement Canada, where his expertise in P3 procurement led to the successful P3 procurement of the district energy system in the National Capital Region. Miguel’s experience also includes his contributions at PPP Canada and with the private sector at Elecnor, bidding project finance and turnkey projects in India and Canada.
Partner
Dentons Canada S.E.N.C.R.L.
Montréal, Québec, Canada
Based in the Firm’s Montréal office, Ilan Dunsky is National Co-Chair of Dentons’ Infrastructure and PPP group and plays a leading role in the global Transportation and Infrastructure practice. Ilan is both Civil Law and Common Law qualified and is a member of the New York and Quebec Bars.
Ilan represents both domestic and international clients in the development of infrastructure, public-private partnerships and project finance, particularly in the energy, transportation and health sectors. He also advises governments and government agencies on the procurement of major projects globally.
Ilan is regularly recognized by industry directories as one of the best infrastructure, PPP, project finance, and public procurement lawyers in Canada.
Project Director
High Frequency Rail
Montréal, Québec, Canada
A chartered engineer for nearly 40 years, Graeme Hampshire has held senior positions in major transportation and infrastructure organizations in the rail and aviation sectors around the world. He currently serves as HFR’s project director and has also played key roles with private and government organizations and national rail networks.
Prior to joining the High Frequency Rail project full time, he was involved in projects in throughout Europe, including the High Speed Line projects in the Netherlands, Australia, Botswana and the United States. In Canada, he recently served as Consortium Director for the procurement of the Metrolinx OnCorr RER.
10:50 - 11:50 AM
IN THE BALLROOM WEST
Collaborative Management of Projects: New Models and Methods to Fix Old Risks
Director
Hatch Group
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Andrew Bigioni has been a key player in numerous prominent infrastructure projects in Canada and abroad, including the Keeyask Hydropower Station in Manitoba, LRTs in Ontario, Alberta and the United States, several billion-dollar bridge refurbishments across the country, and both the expansion of the Go Train system and redevelopment of the Port Lands in Toronto.
Having previously worked as a labourer, surveyor and foreman before becoming a lawyer, his in-depth knowledge of the construction industry has made him a crucial adviser and problem-solver for his employers, as well as their clients and partners. From project development to execution and delivery models, Andrew helps colleagues and clients alike to get things done. He even helped to pick up the pieces after Canada’s first P3 default, negotiating a deal that got the project back on track. Andrew’s inventiveness and can-do attitude make him a facilitator par excellence, and he also helps younger lawyers to follow in his footsteps.
Director, Legal Services
EllisDon Group of Companies
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Manik joined EllisDon in May 2018 after spending two years as in-house legal counsel at Samsung Renewable Energy Inc., where he advised on the development, construction and operations/maintenance of renewable energy projects in North America. He started his career at Owens Wright LLP in 2013 as a commercial real estate lawyer advising on a variety of commercial real estate transactions and structuring. During his time at EllisDon, Manik has assisted in the pursuit and closing of P3 and other infrastructure projects across North America.
This includes reviewing procurement and financing documentation, negotiating inter-consortium agreements and project agreements, and resolving disputes. In his current role as Director of Legal Services at EllisDon, Manik leads the legal team’s advisory services with respect to P3, infrastructure and real estate development projects and is responsible for the preparation, review and negotiation of commercial contracts for the financing, development, construction and maintenance of such EllisDon initiatives.
Chief Legal Officer
Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Chuck Andary is the Chief Legal Officer at the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority where he manages legal risk on the $5.7 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge project and liaises with numerous government stakeholders. With nine years of experience in construction law, Chuck has also represented contractors, sureties and owners in various infrastructure projects, and teaches construction law at the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Law.
He has made significant contributions that have shaped the industry and facilitated the successful execution of major infrastructure projects, including his role in Ontario’s expert review of the Construction Lien Act, where his team’s recommendations were instrumental in the subsequent overhaul of the province’s lien legislation. He is also involved in the broader legal community as a member of various legal associations, including the Ontario Bar Association where he serves as an executive member in the Construction and Infrastructure Section.
Partner
Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Catherine is a Partner in the Construction and Infrastructure Practice Group at Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP. She is a passionate advocate, who focuses on providing business-critical strategic counsel to clients facing complex legal challenges, particularly in complex commercial disputes and construction and infrastructure disputes. Catherine is dedicated to providing excellent client service, and ensuring the advancement of her clients’ interests with a strategic focus on achieving their overall business objectives.
She has represented a diverse group of clients, including government entities and Crown corporations, owners and general contractors, and multinational public and private corporations. She has represented clients in complex commercial disputes, and has represented clients in the construction and infrastructure industry in a wide variety of disputes involving construction liens and trusts, bond and insurance claims, contract interpretation, delay and extras claims, and professional negligence. Catherine also routinely advises clients on the avoidance and management of risk in the administration of construction contracts.
Catherine has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario and also has extensive experience with mediation and commercial arbitration. She is also a dedicated supporter of Pro Bono Ontario and has regularly appeared as pro bono counsel at the Superior Court of Ontario and the Ontario Court of Appeal.
11:50 AM - 1:00 PM
IN THE BALLROOM WEST
Lunch (70 mins)
TRACK ONE
1:00 - 2:00 PM
IN THE BALLROOM EAST
Effective Presentation of Complex Construction Cases
Associate Justice
Superior Court of Justice
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Associate Justice Todd Robinson is an associate judge of the Superior Court of Justice at Toronto, Ontario, devoting three-quarters of his time exclusively to construction litigation, including hearing ex parte, unopposed and contested motions and conducting lien references and trials.
Associate Justice Robinson graduated from law school at Dalhousie University, and was called to the bar in 2008. Prior to his appointment, Associate Justice Robinson was a partner at Cassels Brock and Blackwell LLP practising in the Construction Law and Advocacy Practice Groups, and served as Vice-Chair of the Construction and Infrastructure Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association.
JAMS
Minnesota, USA
Philip L. Bruner, Esq. is one of the world’s leading full-time arbitrators, mediators, and resolvers of construction, engineering, and infrastructure claims and disputes arising in the United States and globally. He is a distinguished member of the panels of neutrals of both JAMS and JAMS International, and is the Director of JAMS Global Engineering and Construction Group. Phil is the co-author of Bruner & O’Connor On Construction Law, the 12 volume, 11,000-page legal treatise, cited in over 500 published opinions.
International Chartered Arbitrator and Mediator
Galloway Arbitration
Washigton, USA
Dr. Galloway is a Chartered Arbitrator and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), a member of the National Distinguished Academy of Neutrals, and a Fellow of the College of Commercial Arbitrators (CCA), being the first non-lawyer elected to the college. Dr. Galloway has over 40 years of experience and over 35 years of experience in US domestic and international arbitration, having served as Chair, party-appointed and member of three-member tribunals on large complex cases, and sole arbitrator. She has served as an arbitrator under ICC, ICC-CPR, UNCITRAL, Canada CCDC, ICDR, and AAA rules.
President
Capital Project Management, Inc.
New York, New York, USA
Robert M. D’Onofrio, PE, CEng is President of Capital Project Management, Inc. in New York, NY. He is the co-author of Construction Schedule Delays, a comprehensive 1,200-page book on schedule delay and disruption, published by Thomson Reuters and updated annually. Rob has evaluated over $6 billion in claims, and testified as an expert in court, domestic arbitration, and international arbitration. He chairs the industry standard committee on Schedule Delay Analysis, ANSI/ASCE/CI 67-17. Rob holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degrees in Civil Engineering from Cornell University.
TRACK TWO
1:00 - 2:00 PM
IN THE DRUMMOND ROOM
Risk Management in the Future of the Nuclear Power Industry
Legal Manager
Westinghouse Electric Company
Paris, France
Ravy is currently Legal Manager at Westinghouse Electric Company. She has responsibility across the world all of Westinghouse new nuclear build activities and the nuclear liability policy for the entire Group. She is also providing support at the EMEA Business Unit for major litigations. She is based in Paris.
She has extensive experiences on construction and EPC projects in Energy and transportation sector for more than 20 years especially on contracts based on FIDIC, MF1, NEC 3, Orgalime, World Bank Conditions, PPA, Project financed, Investment Project, PPP, public procurement, BOT. Before joining Westinghouse, she worked as General Counsel at General Electric for more than 3 years (in charge of GEAST, the joint venture owned by GE-Alstom and the French State and responsible for the nuclear liability policy of the GE Group). She was also legal manager at Alstom Power in charge of the EPC Activity dealing with all new build power plant (thermal and nuclear). Before joining the energy sector, she was business lawyer for Siemens Transportation Sytems in charge of major construction projects (EPC, Equipment Supply, Operation and Maintenance..) worldwide.
Managing Director
Berkeley Research Group
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
John Dillon is a Managing Director of Berkeley Research Group based in their Pittsburgh office. He has more than twenty years of experience in expert construction industry consulting including critical path method schedule development and management, schedule delay analysis, expert report preparation, project controls, cost estimating, field engineering, and environmental engineering.
He has provided these services on an array of projects, including power plants, chemical plants, water treatment plants, mining, power transmission, steel mills, commercial buildings, roads and bridges, hotels, schools, jails, military bases, military ammunition plants, and dam construction and rehabilitation projects.
Locations of these projects have included the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, South Korea, China, Canada, Spain, Chile, Nigeria, and Brazil. Mr. Dillon’s current focus involves CPM schedule delay analysis and related damages calculations for complex, multi-million dollar construction claims. Mr. Dillon’s current focus involves CPM schedule delay analysis and related damages calculations for complex, multimillion-dollar construction claims, for which he has testified as an expert in both domestic and international arbitrations.
Managing Director
Berkeley Research Group
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Mr. Fultineer leads Berkeley Research Group’s global construction practice and provides assistance to owners, contractors, designers, sureties, and their counsel with complex construction projects involved in litigation or distress. He has over 30 years of industry experience in providing testimony and consulting services in the areas of claims and damages analysis, forensic investigations, construction management, mechanical engineering design, and information management.
Partner
A&O Shearman
Washington, DC , USA
Jesse has over a decade of experience representing private and public sector clients in some of the largest and most high-profile commercial arbitrations in the world. Jesse specializes in ‘bet the company’ complex multinational disputes arising out of major construction and development projects, strategic investments, large M&A transactions, and joint venture arrangements. These disputes arise out of several sectors including engineering and construction, power, oil & gas, mining, and private equity.
Jesse’s disputes experience is truly global and includes arbitrations and court litigation arising out of the Americas, Europe, East Asia and the Middle East. Jesse has represented clients in arbitrations conducted under the ICC, LMAA, LCIA and National Hockey League Rules and has appeared before several state and federal courts in the United States.
Jesse has been recognized by Who’s Who Legal as a “Future Leader” in international arbitration. In Global Arbitration Review, Jesse has been praised for his “mastery of massive files” which is described as “prodigious.”
TRACK ONE
2:20 - 3:20 PM
IN THE BALLROOM EAST
Risks and Challenges of Solar Projects
VP of Forensic Engineering
J.S. Held
Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada
Dr. Daee is a qualified expert witness in Civil/Structural Engineering with specialty in forensic investigation of complex construction claims/litigation matters, standard of care assessment and root cause analysis.
He regularly provides consultation to lawyers, insurance experts, contractors, manufacturers, owners, corporations, and municipalities in relation to complex civil engineering litigations and claims related to building/structural failure, property damage, design/build issues, foundation issues, material failures, subrogation matters, professional and municipal liability, and engineering error and omission. Dr. Daee has been retained to conduct forensic investigation on several P3 infrastructure projects across Canada.
Partner
Gowling WLG
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Sahil Shoor is a litigation and dispute resolution partner based out of Gowling WLG’s Waterloo Region office. His practice is focused on construction and infrastructure projects (including public-private partnership), expropriation law, land use planning law and real property disputes.
He brings a wealth of experience in helping clients ensure projects are put and stay on track and, where disputes are unavoidable, in the conduct of formal and informal dispute resolution proceedings. Most recently, Sahil was recognized by The Legal 500 Canada 2022 as a Next Generation Partner in Dispute Resolution – Ontario.
Partner
Ulmer & Berne LLP
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Jesse is a construction lawyer with nearly 20 years of experience drafting/negotiating transactions and resolving disputes in the construction and real estate environments. He represents a wide variety of clients, ranging from publicly traded companies to developers, specialty contractors, and architects/engineers.
He has substantial trial and arbitration experience, and practices in front of state and federal courts across the country. Jesse is consistently recognized by The Best Lawyers in America in Construction Law. He was named Best Lawyers 2022 “Lawyer of the Year” in Cincinnati for Construction Litigation and 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” in Cincinnati for Construction Law.
VP of Renewable Energy
J.S. Held
Murrieta, California, USA
Timothy has more than ten years of experience in the construction consulting industry. He has been responsible for a multitude of consulting tasks such as project management, assessing, estimating, monitoring, and auditing of collapse, fire, wind, hail, water, and flood damage claims of diverse sizes and nature.
His assignments have taken him throughout the United States. He has assisted in claims on projects ranging from the renewable energy sector (solar and wind energy) to commercial construction, hospitality sector, multi-family residences, and high net worth custom residences.
TRACK TWO
2:20 - 3:20 PM
IN THE DRUMMOND ROOM
Alternative Contracting Strategies for Mega Projects
Senior Legal Counsel
Shell USA Inc.
Houston, Texas, USA
Ben Pollock is a Senior Legal Counsel at Shell USA Inc., where he supports Shell’s major capital projects in the Americas and around the world. He provides counsel to advance the execution and delivery of construction projects, offering strategic planning and creative solutions for various activities including contracting strategy, contract management, claims analysis, and dispute resolution in order to achieve our business goals and protect value.
Ben is formerly a litigation partner with the law firm of King & Spalding LLP, where he represented Owners and Contractors in significant construction-related disputes.
Director of Legal Services & Compliance Officer
Linde Engineering Americas
The Woodlands, Texas, USA
Tom Gutting is Direct of Legal Services and Compliance Officer at Linde Engineering Americas, where he oversees a wide range of legal issues, provides support to large EP and EPC construction projects, compliance topics, trade compliance, and contract management. These efforts complement the projects of Linde plc, the world’s largest industrial gas producer, as well as third-party engineering and construction projects. Prior to joining Linde, he worked as a litigator at King & Spalding LLP’s Houston office. He is a graduate of the University of Houston Law Center.
Partner
Blueprint Construction Counsel, LLP
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Angus McFadden is a partner at Blueprint Construction Counsel, LLP, a boutique construction law firm. He has over twenty years’ experience working on large, complex construction projects, with values ranging into the billions of dollars. His clients span the industrial, infrastructure, and commercial spectrum, and he has worked on projects throughout the U.S. and around the world. Mr. McFadden is currently ranked in Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America, and Who’s Who Legal: Construction.
Managing Director
Secretariat
New York, USA
Meera Wagman has 25 years of experience in the construction industry specializing in providing independent expert services to owners, contractors, designers, and developers on complex construction disputes. She focuses on dispute resolution, delay and disruption analyses, productivity, scheduling, claims, project controls, construction, and project management. Meera has provided services across a wide range of industries, including heavy civil, oil & gas, infrastructure/transportation, power/energy, petrochemical, medical facilities, and vertical construction. She has consulted on many complex construction projects worldwide, including high-profile disputes such as the Panama Canal and the Burj Khalifa.
Meera has been appointed as an independent expert on delay and disruption in construction disputes in arbitration, litigation, adjudication, and mediation. She is recognized as a Global Elite Thought Leader by Who’s Who Legal and is an author and frequent speaker on various construction-related topics. Meera has also appeared on the History Channel’s “The Engineering That Built the World” and “Greatest of All Time with Peyton Manning” TV series’ providing insights on historic engineering projects. Before consulting, Meera worked as a project engineer for a large construction management firm working on various large commercial projects in the Northeast United States.
TRACK ONE
3:40 - 4:40 PM
IN THE BALLROOM EAST
Ramifications of the Champlain Towers South Collapse
CEO/Principal Engineer
Haag Global, Inc.
Flower Mound, Texas, USA
Justin Kestner has been Haag’s CEO since 2014. He focuses on large loss and litigation files, including collapses of buildings, bridges, and parking garages. Justin handles complex construction defect, builder’s risk, and subrogation files. He has extensive expertise evaluating building envelope damage, including internationally.
Justin provides expert witness services for both plaintiffs and defendants. He is a licensed professional engineer in 18 states plus Puerto Rico. Justin holds a BSc. degree in civil engineering from Villanova University, a MSc. degree in civil engineering from Lehigh University, and an MBA from Villanova. Founded in 1924, Haag is headquartered in North Texas.
Shareholder
Foran Glennon
New York, New York, USA
Peter Billis concentrates his practice on first-party property insurance coverage and large-loss subrogation matters. Peter has significant experience representing clients in complex claims involving, among other things, explosions, fires, gas pipeline failures, water losses, construction defects, natural disasters and off-shore/maritime incidents.
With regard to coverage matters, Peter has successfully advised clients on a variety of issues that arise in commercial property claims, including trigger-of-coverage and causation issues, policy exclusions, ensuing loss provisions, and time element coverages. Regarding subrogation matters, Peter is regularly retained during the early stages of a loss to lead a subrogation investigation and pursue recovery where viable.
TRACK TWO
3:40 - 4:40 PM
IN THE DRUMMOND ROOM
Building EV's - How Hard Could it be?
Vice President
Barton Malow
Southfield, Michigan, USA
Vice President – Industrial; Executive leader with extensive and diverse experience in the heavy industrial construction sector, developing and building complex multi-organizational programs with specialty in automotive, logistics, mining, metals, and petrochemical industries. Brandon is a civil engineer by education.
Senior Project Manager
Barton Malow
Southfield, Michigan, USA
Chris is a senior project manager at Barton Malow and has been involved in many of the company’s strategic initiatives and large proejcts. He has previously served as a project manager and project engineer.
Strategist
Barton Malow
Southfield, Michigan, USA
Strategic executive. Passionate about lean-functioning systems and processes for efficient project execution. Her focus is on developing and growing balanced teams to optimize individual skillsets and produce excellence. Amanda is also a lecturer at the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Michigan and is a degreed civil engineer.
Chairman, Global Infrastructure Team
Benesch
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Tom is a global construction lawyer and arbitrator and Chairman of his firm’s Construction, Infrastructure, and Middle East/Africa practices. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, is admitted to practice law in the UAE, Ohio, Texas, New York, North Carolina and the U.S. Court of International Trade. Tom is the SCL’s Great Lakes Regional Director, serves on the planning committee for the Montreal event, and has presented on panels at the SCL in New Zealand, Denver, and Boston. He is a large project advisor and trial lawyer.
Vice President
General Counsel for Barton Malow Holdings, LLC
Michigan, USA
George Netschke is a Vice President and the General Counsel for Barton Malow Holdings, LLC. George joined Barton Malow in 2015 after more than 15 years in private practice litigating various types of cases related to the construction industry. At Barton Malow, George is instrumental in numerous contract negotiations, dispute resolution proceedings, and various other legal matters and manages the in-house legal team that supports project delivery.
6:00 - 7:00 PM
IN BALLROOM FOYER
Networking Reception
7:00 - 10:00 PM
IN THE BALLROOM WEST/CENTER
Gala Dinner
Keynote, Danièle Sauvageau:
Canadian Olympic Hockey Coach
Leadership, Change & Peak Performance Expert
Montréal, Québec, Canada
Daniele Sauvageau is the first female NHL Saturday Night Hockey TV analyst for Canada’s French station. She has 33 years of experience in the police department of Montreal and RCMP. Danièle Sauvageau advises high-performance coaches and business leaders with passion, instinct, and leadership skills during her lessons and conferences.
Day Two - Friday July 12, 2024
8:00 - 9:00 AM
IN THE BALLROOM WEST
Une Gueule De Bois Petit Dejeuner (The Hangover Breakfast)
9:00 - 9:30 AM
IN THE BALLROOM WEST
Day 2 Opening
9:30 - 10:30 AM
IN BALLROOM WEST/CENTER
Tackling the Housing Crisis
Partner
Glaholt Bowles LLP
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Andrea Lee is certified as a Specialist in Construction Law by the LSO and a Fellow of the CCCL. She was the 2020–2021 Chair of the OBA Construction and Infrastructure Law Section. Andrea obtained her B. Arch. at U of T and her LL.B. at Queen’s. Andrea represents owners, developers, contractors, and design professionals in complex litigation and arbitration matters involving liens, trusts, bonds, deficiencies, delays, and negligence.
Andrea also advises clients with respect to construction contracts and design agreements under various project delivery methods. Andrea speaks at programs offered by legal and industry associations, published articles and papers on construction law and co-authored chapters focused on design professionals in Halsbury’s Laws of Canada, Construction and Review of Construction Law: Recent Developments. Andrea is the co-editor and co-author of Critical Issues in the Canadian Law of Architects and Engineers and has co-edited Bidding and Tendering, What is the Law? (6th edition). Andrea teaches construction law at Queen’s and at the Osgoode LLM program, and she is a skills instructor with TAS. Andrea is a member of the RAIC Practice Support Committee and mentors young professionals through the OBA’s program and the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers.
CEO
Kindred Works
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Tim Blair has 20 years in global institutional real estate private equity, development and operations experience.
Chief Development Officer
Kindred Works
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
David Constable is an architect, who joined Kindred Works from KPMB Architects where he was a Principal.
10:50 - 11:50 AM
IN THE BALLROOM WEST
Produced Water Infrastructure Contracts: Turning Waste to a Long Term Resource
Vice President, Associate General Counsel
Select Water Solutions (NYSE: WTTR)
Houston, Texas, USA
Samantha-Anne (Horwitch) Nadolny is an accomplished, driven and business-savvy professional, experienced corporate lawyer, compliance professional and business leader with a demonstrated history across multiple industries, specializing in construction, oil & gas,natural resources, and energy. Her background shows a consistent record of excellence in organizational leadership, corporate advisory, litigation and contract management, policy and process creation and implementation, team building and motivation, and corporate training.
Samantha-Anne provides expertise in all aspects of corporate legal guidance, strategic business support, domestic and international regulatory compliance, and risk mitigation across relevant industries and sectors. She adapts quickly to evolving legislation and changes in the law, and educates colleagues and clients as a recognized subject matter expert. With extensive experience in public and private corporations, Samantha-Anne possesses instinctive business acumen and an understanding of how to protect and support a company, it’s mission, and it’s employees.
Consultant
Spire Consulting Group, LLC
San Francisco, California, USA
Counsel
Vinson & Elkins
Houston, Texas, USA
Peter’s principal area of practice is complex commercial litigation, with a focus on international disputes. His experience includes work as an advocate in both international commercial and investor-state arbitrations under numerous institutional rules, including the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR).
Peter has particular experience in disputes arising out of complex, multi-jurisdictional construction, engineering, energy and infrastructure projects. He has worked on international disputes for clients in both civil and common law jurisdictions all over the world, including Latin America, the US, Western Europe, the Middle East, Australia and West Africa. Peter also has significant experience representing clients in U.S. federal court related to arbitration issues, including in the enforcement of arbitral awards and applications to obtain evidence in aid of arbitral proceedings.
Associate
Kilpatrick Townsend Stockton, LLP
Houston, Texas, USA
Courtney Lynch focuses her practice on construction litigation. She serves clients at all levels of a project and in all phases of construction, with a focus on risk avoidance and dispute resolution. Courtney regularly counsels construction clients during active and ongoing projects, working closely with executive teams to determine best-actions from both a business and legal frame of reference.
11:50 AM - 1:00 PM
IN THE BALLROOM WEST
Lunch (70 mins)
TRACK ONE
1:00 - 2:00 PM
IN THE BALLROOM EAST
Blowing in the Wind: Unveiling Risks and Harnessing the Opportunities of Offshore Wind
Member
Cozen O’Connor
Boston, Massachusettss, USA
Wendy Venoit has more than 25 years of experience as a construction lawyer and arbitration advocate whose practice focuses on representing contractors and owners in litigation and arbitration of construction disputes. Wendy has extensive first chair experience in domestic and international construction disputes, including litigation in state and federal forums and mediation and arbitration.
She is also regularly asked to counsel clients with respect to ongoing construction projects to draft and negotiate contracts, interpret contract terms, assert and defend claims, and resolve disputes so as to avoid litigation. Wendy has counseled clients and served as lead trial/arbitration counsel in a number of domestic and international arbitrations and lawsuits involving construction projects. These have included renewable energy (offshore wind, hydroelectric, and solar power), oil and gas facilities (refineries, upgraders, and terminals), infrastructure and transportation projects, traditional power plants, and vertical construction projects. As an advocate, Wendy has litigated before state and federal forums throughout the United States and arbitrated cases. Several of these disputes have involved mega projects with amounts in controversy of more than $1 billion.
Wendy also regularly sits as an arbitrator in domestic and international construction arbitrations and is part of the AAA panel of construction arbitrators, the AAA Mega Projects Panel, the ICDR panel of international arbitrators, the CPR Distinguished panel of neutrals, the LCIA panel of arbitrators and is a member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Wendy is recognized for Construction Law and Litigation – Construction in the International Who’s Who of Construction Law, Hartford Business Journal Who’s Who of Construction Law. She was recently named a 2021 Massachusetts Lawyer of the Year for her achievement of one of the largest arbitration awards in Massachusetts history.
Partner
Jones Walker, LLP
Houston, Texas, USA
Cindy Matherne Muller is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group and head of the firm’s Houston office. She represents a broad range of companies, from large multinational EPC contractors to private equity portfolio companies, doing business in the energy, maritime, and construction industries, on capital projects and commercial and restructuring transactions, and compliance functions. Cindy participates in the Construction, Energy, Environmental & Natural Resources, and Maritime industry teams and also serves as co-chair of the firm’s offshore wind initiative. For most of her career, Cindy has built her legal and executive experience as general counsel; vice president, legal; and chief compliance officer, advising global oilfield service companies.
Partner
HKA
Houston, Texas, USA
Caryn W. Fuller has over twenty-three years of professional experience in engineering, construction, project management, project controls management and construction claims analysis. Caryn is a project/program leader with a proven track record in leading high-profile large-scale global construction initiatives with a focus on cost control, scheduling and reporting. Scope has included Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC). Caryn has worked with managing major construction projects in North America, including convention centers, a 60-story high rise, office buildings, and a fertilizer expansion consisting of a Urea Synthesis Plant, Urea Granulation Plant, Water Project, Substation Project, Loading & Storage Facility, OSBL and two existing TAR Ammonia Units.
Caryn has also worked on coal processing facility projects in Canada and Asia. She has provided claims analysis and management consulting services for a variety of projects for large EPC Contractors and US State and Government Entities, such as: LNG Projects, Nuclear Power Plants, Manufacturing Facilities, Open-Pit Coal Coal and Silver Mines, Coal Terminals, Coal-Fired Electric Generating Plants, Bottom Ash and Economizers, Highways and Bridges, and Elementary Schools. Caryn organized and moderated a panel, “Leading Through a Crisis: Contractual Implications | COVID-19 Pandemic”, that included industry subject matter experts who addressed various EPC contractual implications related to the COVID-19 Pandemic. She has written two articles pertaining to the impact of COVID-19 on industry practice: “Best Practices Can Help Contractors Navigate COVID-19 Challenges” and “Leading Practices to Help Manage COVID-19 Related Work Shutdowns.” Caryn also volunteers for the Rice Global Engineering and Construction Forum by assisting with the organization and development of the monthly webinar topics and content related to COVID-19 industry impacts.
TRACK TWO
1:00 - 2:00 PM
IN THE DRUMMOND ROOM
Owner Instructions and Can They Be Relied Upon: Resolving an Owner/EPC Design Dispute as Construction Nears Completion
Senior Principal
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc.
Houston, Texas, USA
Mr. Summers has forty years of experience in the analysis and design of industrial structures, buildings, tanks, and pipelines subjected to both static and dynamic loads, including those from extreme events such as blast, explosion, earthquake, high wind, fire, and flood. He is Senior Principal and Structural Engineering Division Head at SGH’s Houston office and is current chairman of ASCE task committees in the areas of wind and earthquake design of petrochemical and other industrial facilities. Mr. Summers has provided expert witness services in disputes and litigation related to construction, collapse, soil settlement/expansion, wind, blast, fire, hail, and earthquake loading.
Senior Project Manager
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc.
Houston, Texas, USA
Dr. McCarthy is a Senior Project Manager with Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. She is a licensed professional engineer in Texas, Arizona, and New York. Dr. McCarthy has collaborated on projects related to new design, investigation, and rehabilitation of industrial, commercial, and marine structures subjected to static and dynamic loads, including high winds, blast, fire, and seismic. Her engineering experience encompasses desk-top evaluations, field condition assessments including both destructive and non-destructive testing, and laboratory testing of engineering materials, components and systems. She serves on the ASCE committee updating the Seismic Evaluation and Design of Petrochemical and Other Industrial Facilities.
Senior Executive Vice President Head of International Legal & Commercial Management
Samsung Engineering Co. Ltd.
Gangdong-gu, Seoul, Korea
As an executive at Samsung Engineering, Chicago Bridge & Iron and Fluor Corporation, and as a partner with the Hogan Lovells law firm, Mr. Delman’s experience spans the challenges confronting the development and execution of mega EPC projects and the pressures that company personnel face maintaining as bid profitability and avoiding disputes. Combining significant experience in both contract formation and dispute resolution, David provides unique insights, delivering business-oriented, pragmatic commercial solutions that account for both legal/commercial risk and company operational priorities. Mr. Delman has served not only as trusted advisor to senior management, but also as first chair trial lawyer.
Principal Professional/Group Leader of Contract Management
Samsung Engineering Co. Ltd.
Gangdong-gu, Seoul, Korea
Chanwoo (Pedro) Park is the Group Leader of Contract Management Group (CMG) of Samsung Engineering. As Group Leader of the CMG in the largest EPC contractor in Korea, Chanwoo leads the group in developing strategies and implementing negotiations for resolving major commercial issues in projects. He has project execution experience in Korea, Egypt, Mexico, and Trinidad and Tobago, and over the course of the last 20 years he has developed approaches to successfully complete projects under their contract terms. He has also been involved in resolving several project disputes.
TRACK ONE
2:20 - 3:20 PM
IN THE BALLROOM EAST
Federal Agreements with State and Local Governments (Port of Anchorage)
Senior Managing Director
FTI Consulting
Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Patrick McGeehin is a Senior Managing Director in the Construction, Projects & Assets practice within the Forensic & Litigation Consulting segment of FTI Consulting and is based in Maryland, New York and Florida. He consults on construction, government contract, and litigation support matters, and provides contract claims assistance and litigation support services relating to the calculation of and approach to damages on hundreds of projects over his career . These damages include breach of contract, lost profits, requests for equitable damages in delay and disruption cases, and fraud-related issues.
Partner
Seyfarth
Washington, DC, USA
Jason Smith helps clients work through difficult and complicated construction claims, so they can get back to building bigger, better things. He has substantial experience mediating, arbitrating, and litigating complex design and construction disputes against public and private entities, and knows how to staff and manage a claim to get excellent results efficiently. Jason regularly assists public and private owners, designers, and contractors in assessing claims and developing the best strategies for getting those claims resolved. He has also assisted clients with successfully arbitrating and litigating numerous claims, obtaining multimillion-dollar verdicts and awards for clients.
Partner
Seyfarth
Washington, DC, USA
Teddie Arnold is a member of Seyfarth’s Government Contracts practice group and assists contractors with all aspects of government procurement, including bid protest, contract claims, internal investigations, ethics and compliance, data rights and intellectual property, procurement fraud, small business issues, and transactional matters. He has significant experience litigating before the Court of Federal Claims, the Boards of Contract Appeals, the Government Accountability Office, and other administrative tribunals and agencies. Teddie helps his clients achieve their goals through the delivery of sound, practical advice. He represents contractors both in preventing disputes and efficiently addressing disputes when they arise.
Senior Director
FTI Consulting
Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Sara Peczkowski provides litigation support and consulting services to clients primarily in the construction and government contracts industries. Ms. Peczkowski provides audit, litigation support, and consulting services to governmental agencies, private law firms, and construction contractors, as well as to government contractors. As part of these responsibilities, she reviews or assists in preparing claims for damages; performs damages and accounting allocations; and assesses the adequacy of accounting systems and supporting documentation for both corporations and governmental entities. She reviews summary and source documentation, including contracts, general ledgers, job cost reports, financial statements, payroll records, change orders, payment requisitions, invoices, and time sheets.
TRACK TWO
2:20 - 3:20 PM
IN THE DRUMMOND ROOM
Memes & Mayhem: The Perils of Preparing Delay Claims
Senior Managing Director
Ankura
Pine, Colorado, USA
Anamaria Popescu, PhD, is a Senior Managing Director in Akura’s Global Construction Disputes and Advisory Practice. She is a registered professional civil engineer and a construction arbitrator with more than 29 years of experience in project management, scheduling, delay analysis, productivity loss, project controls, and contract management.
Anamaria’s project experience includes power generation, pipelines, petrochemical plants, oil and gas production platforms (on-shore and off-shore), mining, water treatment plants, airports, telecommunications, and commercial construction in Australia, Canada, the U.S., Mexico, South America, South Africa, and Asia. Her expertise as well as her doctoral thesis focuses on forensic schedule analysis.
She has provided program/project management and project control services for projects ranging from $500,000 to $50 billion. As an expert witness, she has written numerous expert reports that led to successful settlements as well as testified in both international and local arbitration hearings and dispute review board proceedings on delay, productivity loss, and damages.
Anamaria has also written numerous publications and taught seminars and courses on scheduling, effective project controls, delay analysis, and dispute management in the U.S. as well as internationally. Additionally, she is the co-founder and chairman of the Society of Construction Law North America Section since 2017.
Managing Director
Ankura
Tampa, Florida, USA
Jonathan Perry is an Managing Director with Ankura’s Construction, Disputes and Advisory Practice. He is a licensed attorney with over 16 years of experience in forensic delay, disruption, and lost labor productivity analyses for construction litigation and property insurance disputes. Mr. Perry’s project experience includes shipbuilding and maritime, power generation and distribution, process plants, transportation, environmental, and mixed-use commercial and multi-family residential construction in Canada, the United States, Central America, Continental Europe, and Korea. Jon’s expertise focuses principally on forensic schedule analysis.
Mr. Perry has conducted expert evaluations of several multi-billion-dollar projects and performed analyses of numerous construction and business interruption claims valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. In addition to his insurance and litigation-focused work, Jon has also assisted owners and contractors in managing project risk and avoiding costly disputes.
His software skills include Primavera P6 Enterprise, Primavera Project Planner (P3), Primavera Suretrak, Microsoft Project, and Deltek Acumen. Jon also specializes in the use of various visual design software to quickly and clearly convey the complex details inherent in construction dispute analysis.
Partner
Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP
Calgary, Alberta
David acts for owners, general contractors and subcontractors in a variety of industrial, commercial and institutional construction projects. He provides advice on drafting construction contracts and on disputes arising during construction, including bid/tender disputes, surety bonds disputes, delay claims, faulty workmanship claims and lien claims. David is familiar with the pressures that clients in the construction industry face, including those arising from the need to maintain project schedules, ensure quality workmanship, and meet project budgets. He provides practical advice enabling his clients to respond to the legal challenges that arise in relation to these pressures.
David’s construction practice is national in scope, recently acting for clients on matters in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Nova Scotia
3:40 - 4:40 PM
IN THE BALLROOM EAST
An Introduction to Canada’s Aging Infrastructure and Their Social Impacts
Partner
Gowling WLG
Montréal, Québec, Canada
Nicolas Cayouette is a partner in Gowling WLG’s Montréal office and has been a member of the Litigation & Dispute Group since 2007. His practice focuses on civil and commercial litigation, insurance law and manufacturer liability, as well as environmental and construction law.
Director
Delta Consulting Group
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Denis Cronin is a Quantity Surveyor with over 15 years’ of world-wide experience working with general contractors, specialist subcontractors and consultancies across a wide range of industries, including infrastructure, commercial and institutional, healthcare, educational, and residential with projects valued up to multiple billions of dollars. Denis provides contract and commercial support and claims assistance to owners, developers, and contractors, including matters in formal dispute processes i.e., mediation, arbitration, and adjudication.
Director
Delta Consulting Group
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Duan van der Merwe has an extensive background in civil engineering and experience providing consulting on various projects. He has developed a broad skillset in planning and project controls, on project advisory and delay/forensic assignments.
Duan has extensive experience in heavy engineering, oil and gas (both upstream and downstream), infrastructure, building, and rail projects. He is experienced in providing project advisory services for various major infrastructure and transit projects.