HKA’s Chris Paterson and Charles Wilsoncroft speak to Alastair about the issues his clients are typically dealing with in the current climate, how his clients have changed the way they interact with his practice, how alternative ways of financing disputes may become more prevalent and what he thinks will be the permanent changes to how the legal/construction community operates post COVID-19.
Recorded: 9 June 2020
Alastair Young, Managing Partner, Dentons
In January 2017 Alastair relocated to Dubai from the Dentons’ London office where he was based since joining the Firm in 2011. Alastair leads the Middle East Disputes practice and has been practising here since 2007. He has a wealth of experience acting for international companies operating throughout the region. Alastair is also the Managing Partner of the Dubai Office.
Alastair specialises in the resolution of engineering, infrastructure and construction disputes. His practice involves all forms of dispute resolution, including international arbitration (which now makes up the majority of his practice), litigation in the United Kingdom’s Technology and Construction Court, working with local lawyers to conduct litigation in the local courts throughout the GCC, statutory/contractual adjudication and ADR (including mediation and expert determination).
He has recently been involved in cases that have included claims for wrongful termination of contract, defects, delay and disruption, certification issues, loss and expense, time, final account disputes, professional negligence claims and issues around engineers/architects’ independence (or lack of).
Alastair is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is dual qualified both as a barrister and as a solicitor, having qualified as a barrister in 1997. Prior to that he served in H.M Forces.
Charles Wilsoncroft, Partner, HKA
Charles is a chartered civil engineer with over 19 years’ experience in the construction industry. Charles has experience dealing with all manner of civil engineering and construction projects, including offshore and onshore infrastructure, energy and construction schemes. He has extensive knowledge of contract dispute procedures, including negotiated settlements, mediation, conciliation, adjudication, arbitration and litigation, both in the UK and overseas and is actively involved in providing advisory services to apply lessons learned to the wider industry. He has practical knowledge of numerous standard construction contract forms including FIDIC, NEC, ICE, LOGIC and BIMCO.
Chris Paterson, Director, HKA
Chris is a chartered marketer and a senior business development professional with over 15 years’ experience developing new business and managing client relationships within professional, legal and financial services. Having spent many years in chambers, Chris has extensive relationships with senior private practice lawyers, in-house counsel and barristers, along with experience of a variety of legal markets.
Where we are now is right at the beginning, and the impact of COVID-19 is going to run for a very long time.”
