I offer substantial experience as a dispute resolver having been active over 40 years in international business. Over the past 20 years there has been a marked focus on resolving business issues arising out of joint ventures, planning, financing and construction of assets and major infrastructure projects. My experience is principally related to Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. Originally employed in legal advisory roles, my career progressed holding positions as country manager, commercial director and subsequently CEO of a Malaysian Public Company.
Commercial awareness began as a barrister in England in 1980 and later moves into the shipping and marine insurance world added further depth through conducting and managing high value shipping and commodity arbitrations. A number of roles followed as a public company secretary and general counsel in aviation and industrial sectors. The hallmark of my career has been a marked focus on managing disputes arising on major capital projects around the world. r I have lived and worked in places such as Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Middle East. Between 2007 and 2013 I worked in Dubai, initially for the Government and subsequently began a consulting career on major engineering and construction contract disputes as a director with Hill International now HKA.
In 2013 I became a full time Independent Neutral whilst maintaining a consultancy practice. I am a panel member of several well known arbitration institutions and believe in making clear decisions in accordance with contract provisions based on the facts established by evidence. I am above all a passionate believer in Mediation as a tool for promoting successful commercial settlements and outcomes in appropriate cases at the appropriate time. Where parties fully engage in mediation results can be truly impressive. I was accredited by CEDR in 2003 and immediately used the training to settle two long running and expensive international arbitrations. I act as mediator and mediation advocate and in either role my primary duty is to make clients comfortable with the process.
I am solutions oriented and bring a unique understanding of cross-cultural issues to disputes or differences affecting international business. I have conducted ADR training as a member of faculty for the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and have lectured on the LLM program at the British University in Dubai. I was voted ‘Star Arbitrator’ by students and staff of the 2016 Vis East Moot Competition.
My formal qualifications are as a Barrister, Chartered Arbitrator, CEDR Solve International Mediator as well as Adjudicator (CIPAA). My informal qualifications are as a businessman with more than 40 years’ experience of international business and dealing successfully with the problems which arise.
Gordon’s specific areas of expertise are:
Gordon is an accomplished and pragmatic Independent Neutral working primarily on engineering and construction disputes worldwide with a particular focus within the MENA and SEA regions.
Gordon’s early career developed from legal advisory and General Counsel roles with rapid promotion to Commercial Director where in addition to providing board level advice on many highly political water and power privatisation projects in MENA, Asia and South America, he was also entrusted with leading commercial negotiations on project financing, joint venture agreements, mergers, acquisitions, asset sale, asset purchase, private placements and Initial Public Offerings. Over the course of a long career he has successfully managed and resolved major engineering, construction, energy, intellectual property and shipping disputes through a considered mix of negotiation, arbitration and mediation.
In the past few years Gordon has accepted more than 30 arbitrator appointments, as party, sole and chair appointments, and is a panel member of the London Court of International Arbitration, Asia International Arbitration Centre, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, Abu Dhabi Commercial Conciliation and Arbitration Centre, the Thai Arbitration Institute, DIFC-LCIA Centre and the Dubai International Arbitration Centre. In 2016 he was voted ‘Star Arbitrator’ by the students and staff of the Vis East Moot Competition held at City University Hong Kong.
Gordon is an experienced Chartered Arbitrator and CEDR Solve Mediator having experience of over 200 arbitration cases spanning a career over 40 years in the legal and commercial services sector. He is an effective communicator with foreign language skills and has earned an established track record of achieving results in international commerce, acting as advocate, client representative and litigation manager. From his base in the Southwest of England he has recently conducted mediations between parties in Qatar, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Australia.
Familiar with both facilitative and evaluative mediation processes, Gordon specialises in disputes requiring an understanding and appreciation of cross-cultural influences in the international resolution of conflict. Most of all he is a seasoned commercial resource with deep insights into managing issues and people which affect successful business outcomes. He has guest lectured Mediation for the LLM Course at the British University in Dubai.
In the past few years Gordon has delivered commercial and contractual solutions within more than ten jurisdictions. He has been nominated and appointed in more than 30 arbitrations and mediated many construction disputes. He has advised government entities and international contractors on important and strategic infrastructure projects, as well as iconic cultural installations and buildings. The list of projects below highlights a sample of the projects where he has led teams providing successful dispute management solutions to an international client base: