About
Martin is a Principal at Accuracy. He specialises in dispute resolution services to the construction industry, advising particularly on the causation of delay to infrastructure projects worldwide. He also assists Accuracy globally in relation to ethics, compliance and risk management issues.
Martin has a legal background and has over 25 years’ experience in construction and financial services dispute resolution, including international arbitration, High and Appeal Court litigation, mediation and adjudication, working for both employers (government agencies, corporate and private) and contractors.
Martin has a postgraduate law degree and is a fully accredited mediator.
Qualifications
- BA (1987)
- LLB (1989)
- CEDR-accredited mediator
In-depth expertise
Martin Harris has extensive experience in construction and financial services disputes ranging in value between $25 million and $15 billion arising from capital and other projects based in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia.
Martin has worked on matters before the UK High and Appeal Courts, the ICC, LCIA and SCAI arbitration fora and in mediation and adjudication. He is a CEDR-accredited mediator.
Martin is also responsible for Accuracy’s compliance and risk management issues worldwide.
Example of engagements
Construction disputes
- High-rise residential and commercial development in the Middle East in relation to a DIAC arbitration between the EPC contractor and the owner on the design and construction of a 100-floor high-rise building. Tribunal-appointed delay and quantum expert engagement.
- $15bn new airport and associated infrastructure in the Middle East on behalf of the EPCM in a dispute against the owner on the construction of a new airport. The dispute is being resolved by arbitration under ICC rules.
- $2.5bn large road and tunnelling infrastructure project in Australia on behalf of the owner. The case was resolved during arbitral proceedings and settled following the issue of two expert reports.
- Extension of time and disruption claims by the consortium contractor constructing a jack-up drilling rig in the Caspian Sea against the government-owned employer, who was claiming damages for delay. LCIA arbitration.
- $1.5bn LNG storage facility in Australia on behalf of the owner and operator in an international arbitration against the EPCM to assess the extent and causes of delay to project completion of the downstream LNG plant (review of both onsite and offsite streams). Settlement agreed between the parties following the issue of our preliminary expert report.
- $1.7bn combined-cycle power and desalination plant, Middle East: Analysed the causes of delay to completion in order to assess the contractor’s entitlement to an extension of time. The case settled after the submittal of our preliminary independent report.
- Construction of the largest private power plant (combined cycle, fuelled primarily by natural gas) in Israel. Analysed the delay to the civil works. Determined by ICC arbitration hearing.
Financial services disputes
- Investigation into the financial collapse of the split capital investment trust market, causing the Guernsey-based family trusts significant losses. Subsequent assistance in voluntary liquidation.
- Investigation into the financial collapse of a group of hedge fund companies causing the client losses of £10M, leading to a 100% recovery.