Expertise
James Macdonald is a Managing Associate in our construction and projects team, based in Dubai, UAE. He has acted for a number of major regional and international construction companies, on both non-contentious and contentious matters, throughout the GCC region.
James's non-contentious experience includes the negotiation and drafting of main construction contracts, contract amendments and subcontracts with employers, government bodies, master developers, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers.
James's contentious expertise covers the handling of construction disputes through a wide variety of forums including litigation, arbitration, mediation and adjudication on issues such as construction and design defects, delay claims, final account disputes and termination. He also has experience of work with disputes under the auspices of the ICC, DIAC, QICCA and ADCCAC as well as ad-hoc arbitrations under the UNCITRAL Rules.
Prior to joining Addleshaw Goddard, James held an in-house legal counsel role for a major regional contractor with involvement from conception and tendering through to completion and final account dispute resolution on projects throughout the GCC and wider Middle East region.
- Experience
- Advising a contractor on a QICCA arbitration in relation to final account claims and various counterclaims totalling over QAR1bn on a major hotel project and luxury residential project in Qatar
- Advising a global contractor on two arbitrations in relation to a major infrastructure project in KSA, with claims and counterclaims of over $1bn
- Advising a developer on a contractor's performance and the right to terminate on a major hotel development in the Sultanate of Oman
- Advising a multinational JV contractor on both upstream and downstream claims on an international airport project in Doha, Qatar
- Advising a major regional contractor on claims against the Employer worth approximately AED 1bn in relation to a high profile shopping and commercial district which led to negotiations and a successful settlement
- Advising a subcontractor on a significant number of claims on numerous residential, mixed use and retail projects including a signature entertainment facility within Dubai, UAE
- Memberships
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb)
- Society of Construction Law (Gulf)
