Hamish acts for clients in construction and infrastructure disputes throughout a project’s life cycle before Australian courts, in private arbitrations, and expert determinations. His practice covers infrastructure, construction and commercial property. He acts for leading industry Principals, Tier 1 Contractors and premier various government departments involved in infrastructure delivery.
Highly regarded by his clients as “one of the leading construction litigators in Australia, noted for his strategic thinking. He runs his disputes hard, but sensibly, keeping the opposition on their toes, carefully analysing all alternatives and possible developments and keeping his client a number of moves ahead.”
Through his experience managing national project disputes involving transportation (roads, rail and runways), energy and solar renewables, building, mining and oil and gas, Hamish understands the challenges faced across the sector. He can also provide insight into the legislative and policy framework that surround major projects, as well as experience on how to manage the requirements of various NSW government departments.
Hamish's experience includes:
- Infrastructure NSW re Sydney Fish Market: acting for the Principal/Developer in defence of Supreme Court proceedings brought by Multiplex for $254m in respect of time overrun on the very recently completed and opened new Sydney Fish Market, with the subsequent cross-claim against the tenant Sydney Fish Market.
- New Bridgewater Bridge: Govt/Developer role assisting with claims from the head contractor McConnell Dowell on the recently opened new $780m 6 lane bridge across the Derwent River in Hobart.
- •AGL Energy Limited: Federal Court proceedings defending a claim for unconscionable conduct arising from construction of a gas storage facility.
- NorthConnex tunnel toll road in Sydney: Contractor role acting for Lendlease Bouygues JV in claims against subcontractors for defects, delay and non-consequential loss following opening completion of the project.
- Transgrid: dispute relating contractor claims for time and money (i.e.claims by the contractor, which the developer sought to ‘pass up’ to Transgrid) on the Darlington Point solar farm project.
- NSW Country Rail Network: Contractor role acting for UGL in a $750m upstream dispute against TfNSW in relation to the New South Wales regional country rail network, leading to a negotiated ‘contract reset’ of the long term O&M Deed with TfNSW.
- TfNSW re Parramatta Light Rail project: Govt/Developer role for time and money claims brought by the SOM Contractor on the ongoing Parramatta Light Rail project.
- Infrastructure NSW: Advising on the defence of a Supreme Court proceeding brought against Infrastructure NSW on the $800m Powerhouse Museum project in Parramatta, Western Sydney.
