Patrick O'Connor - Arbitration - Mediation - Conciliation

Patrick Oconnor Arbitration, Mediation, Conciliation
Patrick OConnor Arbitrator, Mediator, Conciliator

PROFILE SUMMARY:


Patrick O'Connor - CURRICULUM VITAE:
Barrister-at-Law, LLB, FCIArb, Former Deputy Master of Queens Bench Division (High Court UK),

Former Judge of the High Court Kenya, Chartered Arbitrator, Member of the DRBF. Trained DRB Chairman.
Arbitration and Mediation Court of the Caribbean Panel Member. Appointed member of the Caribbean Court for Arbitration Appeals.

Patrick O'Connor has more than 45 years experience in arbitration and litigation. He is a consultant in construction disputes and in alternative disputes resolution procedures (ADR). He is a Chartered Arbitrator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a regular contributor to the Arbitration Journal and now spends all his time sitting as an International Arbitrator.

After being called to the Bar, Mr O'Connor has, for the most part, specialised in construction law, commercial law and arbitration. He was retained for many years as General Counsel to a UK Public Company specialising in construction disputes but 30 years ago he left and set up his own consultancy which still functions, although these days he sits primarily as an arbitrator.

Mr O'Connor has regularly participated in interlocutory hearings and arbitration hearings in his capacity either as Master of the Queens Bench Division, a Judge, Arbitrator or Advocate.

Contact:

Email: questor.consult1@gmail.com
    Tel: +44 7775 841 241

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RECENT ASSIGNMENTS:

 

  • Legal Counsel and advocate in a $40 million oil pipeline arbitration under the UNCITRAL Rules.
  • Provided legal opinion to Argentinean clients on a $400 million water project in Saudi Arabia.
  • Legal Counsel to a client in Ethiopia in a $30 million international arbitration arising out of the construction of a sugar factory.
  • Legal Counsel to a South African client in a $15 million airport dispute.
  • Legal Counsel to a major international contractor with a large water dispute in Zimbabwe.
  • Advised a number of clients on World Bank/IFC funded projects, including a major hydroelectric scheme in Uganda.
  • Appointed arbitrator in a number of ICC/UNCITRAL/LCIA arbitrations as either sole Arbitrator or Member of a three person tribunal.
  • Experience of several American Arbitration Association arbitrations, many arising out of the A.I.A. Standard Form.
  • Arbitrator in a commercial dispute between a Turkish Company and a Spanish Company.
  • Arbitrator in several multimillion-dollar disputes in the Bahamas.
  • Arbitrator in a large Banking dispute in Kenya.
  • Co-arbitrator in a multinational commercial dispute in Bangladesh.
  • Co-arbitrator in a commercial dispute between a Sudanese Company and a Kenyan based Multinational Corporation.
  • Counsel in an arbitration on the new International Airport in Ethiopia.
  • Counsel and Arbitrator in a number of cases where Sharia Law was the law of the contract, although the arbitrations were in different countries (for example USA, UK, France, Nigeria).
  • Appointed by the Ethiopian government to deal with a number of disputes arising out of major construction projects with various American companies.
  • Appointed sole Arbitrator in a number of disputes in the Bahamas, as well as 9 separate hearings where the other 2 members were Queen Counsel from London.
  • Appointed chairman of arbitrations in South Africa and Malawi.
  • Appointed as arbitrator by the government of Barbados over a major dispute with regard to the construction of a new hotel.
  • Arbitrator or Counsel in a number of arbitrations involving FIDIC, including several major road disputes.
  • Appointed Expert for determination of large PFI dispute.
  • Arbitrator in a multi-million dollar dispute in Barbados.
  • Retained as Counsel to advise and pursue claims arising out of F.A.R. contracts in Iraq.
  • Co-arbitrator in complex, multi-million-dollar arbitration in the Bahamas in respect of a dispute about the construction of a bespoke, high-value private dwelling together with dealing with complex legal arguments alleging fraud.
  • Sole arbitrator in a high-value dispute in the Bahamas arising out of a bespoke construction contract.
  • DAB member of a standing Board in Ghana (West Africa) in a FIDIC contract entered into between the government of Ghana and contractor for $105 million for the construction of a section of road.
  • Co-arbitrator in a substantial civil engineering arbitration in Antigua between the government of Antigua and contractor. Consideration of complex legal arguments, the determination of which dictates whether the substantive issues shall be considered.



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SPECIALIST SKILLS:


Specialist skills:

Consultant in domestic and international arbitration and the ADR process either as an arbitrator or as an adviser/advocate. Regularly appointed as an Arbitrator/Mediator and DAB sole or Board member.

 

Founder member of three User Councils of the London Court of International Arbitration. Examiner for the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Special Fellowship Course for lawyers with 10 years litigation experience, including courses and examinations run overseas.

 

Retained as Counsel or Arbitrator in disputes in:
UK, Spain, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Jordan, Qatar, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Italy, Cayman Islands, Antigua, Zanzibar, Turkey, Nigeria, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Austria, Bahamas, U.S.A, Turks and Caicos, Bermuda, Barbados, United Arab Emirates, India and Iraq.

 

Particular areas of expertise include:

All manner of building disputes based on standard forms and bespoke contracts.

Petrochemical disputes up and down stream.

Road Construction

Civil Engineering disputes

Electrical engineering

Water supply disputes

Cladding

Sewage disposal plant disputes

Curtain walling.

Hydroelectric schemes

Sugar and Ethanol Processing Plant.

Airport construction

 

Experience of a number of diverse commercial international arbitrations as party or Institutional appointed arbitrator.

 

As Head of the Commercial Division of the High Court of Kenya experience was also gained of a number of shipping and Banking disputes.


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PUBLICATIONS:


Publications include;

The rise (or is it the demise?) of arbitration in Kenya .

The law is a suit to be worn, not a straitjacket.

The truth is a lie that hasn't been discovered yet.

Alternative Dispute Resolution; Panacea or Placebo?

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