Full Profile
Sean specialises in advising on the resolution of disputes in the energy, infrastructure and construction sectors. He has extensive experience of acting as counsel in arbitration proceedings under many of the leading institutional rules, including the SIAC, ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL (ad hoc), HKIAC, AIAC and BANI rules, and of resolving disputes by litigation, adjudication and mediation.
Sean also supports clients in managing their risks during project delivery. This includes preparing construction contracts and associated project documentation, and advising on tenders, joint ventures, interim entitlements and claims under insurance or security. He also has significant experience of advising insurers and construction industry insureds on professional indemnity matters.
Sean has been based in Singapore since 2013 and has supported clients and advised on the resolution of disputes on major projects across the Asia Pacific region. Those projects have included production wells, pipelines, jack-up rigs, FPSOs, LNG terminals, refineries and petrochemical plants, power plants (including coal-fired, combined-cycle, solar and geothermal), water treatment plants, metro tunnels and stations, railways, roads, airports, ports, sports stadia and building projects.
Sean has also benefitted from secondments to contractor and insurer clients in Singapore and the UK, and is commercially minded as a result. He helps clients to save time and cost by avoiding formal disputes if possible and by resolving disputes that do arise efficiently.
Experience
Oil & Gas / Power / Renewables – Selected Examples
- Oil Pipeline Dispute - acting for insurers and an international contractor insured in a SIAC arbitration (expedited procedure) pursuing subrogated claims against an international oil and gas operator. Involved complex technical issues regarding the allegedly negligent decommissioning of a subsea oil pipeline in Singapore.
- Refinery & Petrochemical Complex Dispute - acting for multi-national EPC consortium in a SIAC arbitration arising from the construction of a refinery and petrochemical complex in Vietnam. Seated in Singapore, English law governed. Involved a range of very high value delay related and other disputes with the developer.
- Oil Field Facilities Dispute - acting for an owner / operator in a BANI arbitration, seated in Jakarta and subject to Indonesian law, arising from disputes with a consortium of contractors who constructed on-shore production facilities in Indonesia.
- Refinery & Petrochemical Complex Dispute – acting for an international subcontractor in an ICC arbitration regarding disputes with the main contractor arising from the construction of the steam cracker complex at a refinery and petrochemical complex in Malaysia. Seated in Singapore, Malaysian law governed.
- Solar Power Plant Project Advisory – advising Bangladeshi developer on project delivery, including in connection with interim entitlements, the termination of a contractor, and claims under security.
- Geothermal Power Plant Project Advisory – advising Japanese contractor on project delivery, including in connection with a complex consortium agreement, following a landslide during the construction of a geothermal power plant in Indonesia.
- Coal Fired Power Plant Dispute - acting for Indian contractor in a SIAC arbitration concerning payment disputes and delay at a coal fired power plant project in Indonesia. Seated in Singapore, complex jurisdictional issues arose in connection with contracts governed by Singapore and Indonesian law and the insolvency of one of the co-respondents.
- LNG Dispute – acting for US contractor in an ICC arbitration concerning defective works and delay at an LNG regasification terminal project in South Wales.
Transport / Water / Buildings – Selected Examples
- Railway Dispute – acting for a Hong Kong contractor in an ad-hoc arbitration pursuant to the UNCITRAL rules. Seated in Singapore, Thai law governed. The dispute concerned complex jurisdictional and payment disputes under a joint venture agreement in connection with a railway project in Thailand.
- Tunnelling Dispute - acting for a contractor joint venture in a SIAC arbitration arising from the design and performance of tunnel boring machines deployed in the construction of metro tunnels in Singapore. Seated in Singapore and governed by Singapore law. Bond calls were defended successfully pursuant to SIAC's Emergency Arbitrator mechanism and substantial security for costs was also obtained successfully.
- Metro Station Project Advisory – advising Chinese-owned contractor joint venture during project delivery in Singapore, including as regards securing entitlements to additional time and money, and the successful defence of SOP adjudication proceedings commenced by subcontractors.
- Water Treatment Plant Project Advisory – advising Singapore contractor during the construction of a major waterworks facility in Singapore, including in connection with tender, interim entitlement and final account stages.
- Water Utilities Dispute – acting for utilities contractor in an LCIA arbitration and mediation relating to disputes under a Framework Agreement with the services provider.
- Theme and Wildlife Park Project Advisory – advising (1) international owner consortium in respect of the successful resolution of a final account dispute, including as regards variation and extension of time claims, on a major theme park project in Korea, and (2) German specialist subcontractor in respect of interim claims and the resolution of disputes by SOP adjudication on a wildlife park project in Singapore.
- Shopping Mall Project Advisory – advising international contractor during project delivery, including in respect of interim claims for additional time and money and M&E design and construction issues at a shopping mall project in Singapore.
- Sports Stadium Dispute – acting for insurers and contractor insured in litigation and mediation relating to the defective design disputes at Wembley Stadium, UK.
