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SCL Council

The Right Honourable Lord Justice Coulson

The Right Honourable Lord Justice Coulson

President

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Sir Peter Coulson was called to the Bar (Gray’s Inn) in 1982. He was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 2001 and became a Recorder in the same year. He was appointed a Senior Circuit Judge, sitting in the Technology and Construction Court in 2004. He was appointed a judge of the High Court (Queen’s Bench Division) in January 2008. He served as Presiding Judge of the North Eastern Circuit from 2011 to 2014, and was the Judge in charge of the Technology and Construction Court, from September 2016 to February 2018. He was appointed a Lord Justice of Appeal in March 2018.

Hamish Lal

Hamish Lal

Chair

Sub-Committees: Advocacy – Adjudication Training Course, Approval of new members, Case Law Updates, EOT Protocol and Expert, London Programme & Papers, Policy/Constitutional Matters, Regions, University Liaison and Grants & Scholarships/Academia
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Hamish is a Partner at Akin Gump in London. He leads the international construction arbitration practice. He is author of Quantifying and Managing Disruption Claims (second edition due 2023); author of The Manual of Construction Agreements; Editor of Construction Law Journal. He is Chair of the Adjudication Society; Chair of the Oriel Law Society;  Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; Adjunct Professor - University College Dublin (UCD) Sutherland School of Law.

Karen Gough

Karen Gough

Vice Chair

Sub-Committees: Approval of new members, International and ESCL, International Seminars/Workshops, Growth of the SCL Community, London Programme & Papers, SCL Hudson Prize Judges, TCC Users Committee
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Karen Gough is a barrister in practice at 39 Essex Chambers in London. She is also an Attorney-at-Law with full rights of audience in the Courts of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. She is a past president of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a Chartered Arbitrator, and a member of a number of arbitral institution panels, and an accredited adjudicator. She is an acknowledged expert on the resolution of disputes arising under the FIDIC forms of contract. Karen specialises in complex major construction and engineering disputes, and general commercial litigation, with a strong emphasis on international commercial arbitration and ADR. She practises globally as counsel, arbitrator, adjudicator and ADR neutral and in the UK has appeared before the English courts at all levels, including the Privy Council. From 2015-2017 she served as the first lay chairman of the Insolvency Licensing Committee of the ICAEW. She is described in Chambers UK as being "Just the person you want if the battle is going to be hot" in construction claims, and by Legal 500 as "The sort of advocate that most clients dream of instructing."

Jessica Tresham

Jessica Tresham

Secretary

Sub-Committees: Approval of new members, Ethics, Equality and Diversity, Regions, SCL Hudson Prize Judges, University Liaison and Grants & Scholarships/Academia
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Jessica is a contentious construction lawyer and her experience encompasses the full range of construction disputes. She defends and brings claims in the Technology and Construction Court in addition to arbitrations and adjudications. Jessica represents clients in various forms of ADR including expert determination, mediation and negotiation. Jessica also advises in relation to construction-related professional negligence disputes. Jessica has been a regional coordinator for the SCL representing the South Coast region for the last 5 years and became a member of Council in 2016. When not going about her day job, Jessica can be found playing the keyboards in her firm's band Eclectic Zoo!

Paul Battrick

Paul Battrick

Treasurer

Sub-Committees: International and ESCL, International Seminars/Workshops, Growth of the SCL Community
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Paul Battrick is a Managing Director within Driver Group focusing on International clients and projects. Paul is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor, Member of the CIArb and CEDR Accredited Mediator who has acted in respect of dispute avoidance and dispute resolution in many sectors of the construction industry on a global basis as adviser and quantum expert (both party and joint-party appointments) and third party neutral. Paul also provides training and workshops on a variety of topics including FIDIC contracts and commercial management.

Lauren Adams

Lauren Adams

Member

Sub-Committees: Ethics, Equality and Diversity, London Programme & Papers, Regions, SCL Hudson Prize Judges, University Liaison and Grants & Scholarships/Academia
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Lauren is a barrister at Atkin Chambers and specialises in construction work. Her domestic practice involves advising on private residential work and large commercial projects, happily undertaking both adjudication and arbitration work. She also is enjoying developing an international practice in arbitration under the ICC, LCIA, DIAC and HKIAC rules and provides non-contentious advice on prospective construction contracts. She has a special interest in how guarantees and bonds are used in the construction industry and has written both a Hudson paper and a collaborative paper comparing English and Italian law on the subject in the past year. Outside of chambers, Lauren has tutored on the undergraduate law course at Oxford and provides on-going academic support to undergraduate students at Bristol University, Cambridge and the University of Sussex.

David Falkenstern

David Falkenstern

Member

Sub-Committees: Advocacy Training Course & TCC Court Training Course, Practical Workshops, EOT Protocol and Expert, SCL Hudson Prize Judges, Social Events
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David Falkenstern is a managing director and co-leads Kroll's global expert services team. He acts as a delay expert on construction disputes ranging from U.K. domestic adjudications to international arbitrations. David regularly speaks at conferences including London International Disputes Week, Paris Arbitration Week, and Istanbul International Construction Law Conference. He has contributed articles to Building and RICS Construction Journal. He has been recognised as a thought leader construction expert witness and a global leader arbitration expert witness by Who's Who Legal.

Louise Forster

Louise Forster

Member

Sub-Committees: Advocacy – Adjudication Training Course, Case Law Updates, Mentoring Scheme, Policy/Constitutional Matters
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Louise is a partner at Pinsent Masons based in Edinburgh, and specialises in advising on large scale construction and engineering disputes. Her practice includes acting for clients (contractors and employers) on energy and infrastructure projects, both domestic and international. She has advised on many major infrastructure projects in Scotland over the past 20 years and is lawyer to the Civil Engineering Contractors Association in Scotland (CECA Scotland). Much of her experience has been by way of hands on project support on distressed projects, although she also advises on all forms of dispute resolution including adjudication (where she had the honour of conducting the first adjudication enforcement action seen by the Scottish Courts), arbitration, litigation and mediation. She is noted in Who's Who Legal as being a 'first-rate construction lawyer'. She is also a member of the Steering Committee set up by the Adjudication Society to support the Equal Representation in Adjudication Pledge.

Sean Gibbs

Sean Gibbs

Member

Sub-Committees: Practical Workshops, International and ESCL, International Seminars/Workshops, Growth of the SCL Community, Ethics, Equality and Diversity
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Sean is a director with Hanscomb Intercontinental and provides expert advisory and expert witness services to the UK and global construction, engineering and shipbuilding industries. He has worked on project & programme values up to $24 bn though is equally at home on much smaller sized projects. His primary profession is Chartered Quantity Surveyor and he holds Fellowships with the RICS, CIARB, CIOB, CICES and is also a non-practising barrister. Sean’s primary expertise as an expert witness is quantum, and he has given evidence before a variety of tribunals around the globe. Sean also acts as a third party neutral sitting as adjudicator, arbitrator, expert determiner and dispute board member. Sean is a keen supporter of the use of adjudication and founded the Adjudicator Nominating Body, UK Adjudicators and regularly speaks about its benefits to global audiences.

Shy Jackson

Shy Jackson

Member

Sub-Committees: Ethics, Equality and Diversity, London Programme & Papers, SCL Hudson Prize Judges, University Liaison and Grants & Scholarships/Academia
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Shy is a partner with Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, specialising in construction and engineering projects. He has acted on domestic and international disputes using all forms of construction contracts and has advised on major building and infrastructure projects. Before working in London, Shy worked on Israel and Singapore. Shy has written various articles and regularly lectures at King's College and at industry events for bodies such as the RICS and CICES. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors and a committee member of the King's College Construction Law Association.

Anthony Lavers

Anthony Lavers

Member

Sub-Committees: ESCL, University Liaison and Grants & Scholarships/Academia
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Professor Anthony Lavers was called to the Bar (Lincoln's) in 1997 and spent 21 years at global law firm White & Case, where he was Counsel in the Construction and Engineering Practice Group at the London office.  Since retirement from practice, he divides his time between the Centre of Construction Law at King's College, London, where he is Visiting Professor of Law, and his role as Research Consultant at Crown Office Chambers, Inner Temple.  Anthony Lavers has more than 120 publications in legal and construction journals and co-authored 'FIDIC Contracts; Law and Practice' (2009) and co-edited 'Studies in European Construction Law' (2015). Co-ordinator of the International Council for Building Research's Commission on Post-Construction Liability (1994-2001), he edited the publication of the Commission's 19-country 'Studies in Post-Construction Liability and Insurance'. He was awarded a D.Litt by the University of Portsmouth ''for published work of high distinction'' and elected FRICS in 2008. Professor Lavers has given seminars and conference papers in 35 countries worldwide, including 13 to the European Society of Construction Law (2006-2022).  Anthony has been a Member of Council since 1994 and was Vice-Chairman (2002-4) and Chairman (2004-6). He chaired the SCL Hudson Prize Judging Panel for 25 years and is currently responsible for university liaison and the Society's relationship with the European Society of Construction Law.  He has authored/co-authored 12 SCL papers. 

Michael Levenstein

Michael Levenstein

Member

Sub-Committees: Advocacy Training Course & TCC Court Training Course, Astra SCL, TCC Users Committee, University Liaison and Grants & Scholarships/Academia
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Michael is a barrister at Gatehouse Chambers specialising in construction and engineering disputes. His cases frequently involve high-value and technically-complex projects, both in the TCC and international litigation and arbitration. He serves as a member of the Executive Committee of TECBAR, and is an accredited adjudicator and mediator. In addition to his practice, Michael is Visiting Lecturer and an LLM supervisor at The City Law School, University of London. He has written, co-edited and/or contributed to multiple books, including Construction All Risks Insurance, Construction Professional Indemnity Insurance (both Sweet & Maxwell, 2018-present), the British Constructional Steelwork Association's Construction Contractual Handbook (2019) and The History of the Technology and Construction Court on its 150th Anniversary (Hart, 2023).

Jessica Neuberger

Jessica Neuberger

Member

Sub-Committees: Case Law Updates, Practical Workshops, Management of Regions, Social Events, TCC Users Committee
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Jessica is a partner in the London Construction and Engineering Group at Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP. She specialises in all forms of construction, engineering and operational disputes arising in the energy, built environment and infrastructure sectors. She advises on major projects in the UK and around the world both in respect of risk management and dispute avoidance as well as dispute resolution through adjudication, litigation, arbitration, and mediation. Jessica acts for owners, sponsors, equity investors, debt financiers, construction contractors and operators.

Jonathan Pawlowski

Jonathan Pawlowski

Member

Sub-Committees: Advocacy Training Course & TCC Court Training Course, London Programme & PapersSocial Events
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Jonathan is a partner in the construction team at Howard Kennedy. He specialises in issues relating to the construction, engineering and infrastructure industries. Jonathan acts for public utilities, institutions, main contractors and specialist sub-contractors. His experience spans litigation, arbitration, adjudication, mediation, and expert determination. Jonathan has obtained Higher Rights of Audience in all Courts of England and Wales, he is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and sits as an Adjudicator . Jonathan is also a Board member of the Jewish Community Housing Association (jLiving). Jonathan has a keen interest in politics and prior to becoming a solicitor worked at the House of Commons as a parliamentary research assistant.

Rebecca Shorter

Rebecca Shorter

Member

Sub-Committees: ESCL, London Programme & Papers
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Rebecca Shorter is a partner in the London Construction and Engineering Group at White & Case LLP. She advises contractors and owners on dispute resolution in connection with domestic and international projects and is experienced in arbitration, litigation, adjudication and dispute boards as well as alternative methods of dispute resolution such as mediation. She has contributed articles to Building, Construction News, Construction Law, Construction Law Review, Global Arbitration Review and the Property Law Journal and speaks regularly at conferences in the UK and internationally.

Andrea Stauber

Andrea Stauber

Member

Sub-Committees: Astra SCL, International and ESCL, International Seminars/Workshops, Growth of the SCL Community, Mentoring Scheme, IT and Social Media, Social Events
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Andrea Stauber is a partner in King & Spalding’s International Arbitration and Construction Disputes practice groups, based in London. Andrea focuses on complex international commercial disputes, particularly in the construction, engineering, infrastructure and energy sectors. Andrea represents owners, contractors and suppliers in international arbitration, and is also experienced in litigation, adjudication, mediation and expert determination. Andrea also provides strategic risk management and pragmatic dispute avoidance advice throughout the execution phase of projects.

Christopher Sunderland

Christopher Sunderland

Member

Sub-Committees: IT and Social Media, Management of Regions, Social Events
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Chris is Director of Business Development and Marketing for Diales and Driver Trett. Chris commenced his career in the Construction disputes arena in 1997, joining Keating Chambers as a junior clerk after completing a BSc (Hons) in Sport and Exercise physiology at Chichester Institute of Higher Education. He spent 18 years with Keating progressing to Senior Practice Manager at the set. Chris joined Crown Office Chambers in 2015 as the Senior Team Clerk to the Construction, Commercial and Energy and Natural Resources team of barristers, before joining Diales / Driver Trett in 2020. Chris has been a member of the SCL since 2009.

John Tackaberry

John Tackaberry KC

Member

Sub-Committees: Policy/Constitutional Matters
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Former UNCC Commissioner, Former Recorder, Registered Chartered Arbitrator, Adjudicator, Mediator, DB work

At the Bar, JT has undertaken a wide range of work - as a Junior  (Pickin v BRB, Anns v Walcroft, (sub nom Anns v Merton), Birkett v James; and as a silk specialising in construction arbitration inter alia.  As well as in the UK, he has a great deal of expertise in international disputes throughout Europe, the USA, The Middle East, the West Indies, Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, India and South America. He is a member of, or has been admitted to the various Bars and sits regularly in civil law cases. He has been heavily involved in ICC arbitrations. He sat as a recorder for 17 years and was appointed to the United Nations Compensation Commission for a five year term to chair a construction panel.  He has been appointed to international commercial panels, resolving disputes re aircraft licensing disputes, maintenance cases, fraud allegations, taxi franchises, name exploitation.  He has written widely, notably as Principal Editor of Bernstein’s Handbook of Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Practice.

Matthew Taylor

Matthew Taylor

Member

Sub-Committees: Advocacy – Adjudication Training Course, Astra SCL, IT and Social Media, Management of Regions
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Matthew is a Partner in the Infrastructure Construction and Energy Disputes team at CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP. He acts for a broad range of clients across the construction industry, from investors and funders, through to developers, owners, consultants and contractors. He has a particular expertise in dealing with complex, high value delay cases and claims for loss and expense. Matthew regularly provides live project advice to help clients effectively manage risk on their projects. He guides them through their projects, balancing a commercial and pragmatic approach to help clients deliver those projects whist protecting them if disputes do arise. In doing so he becomes a trusted part of the client's project delivery team. He also advises clients on number of international matters that recently include projects in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand (including SIAC and ICC arbitrations). Matthew advises across a wide range of sectors including commercial property, high-end residential, accommodation projects, major infrastructure projects, process plants and off-shore construction / dredging.

Sarah Williams

Sarah Williams

Member

Sub-Committees: Astra SCL, International and ESCL, International Seminars/Workshops, Growth of the SCL Community, Ethics, Equality and Diversity
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Sarah was called to the Bar in 2008 and has been a member of Keating Chambers since 2009. Sarah has developed a diverse practice which covers engineering and technical disputes, surveyor's professional negligence claims, standard form contract disputes (including NEC, JCT, ICE, Federation of Master Builders contracts and RIBA), onshore drilling and energy work, adjudication enforcements, ICC international arbitrations, CIMAR arbitrations, right to light disputes, mediation, utilities disputes, shipbuilding cases, pure construction cases in the TCC, construction adjudication, and pro bono work.

Consultants

Simon Hogg

Simon Hogg

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Joanna Howard

Joanna Howard

Publication of papers

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Edward Peters

Edward Peters

Webmaster

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Jill Ward

Jill Ward

Administrator

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Frances Whitehead

Frances Whitehead

Administrator

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