Tayo Okunade

Partner

About

Tayo Okunade is a partner at Accuracy, with over sixteen years of consulting experience gained in both formal dispute and pre-dispute situations. He joined the firm in 2016, after a period working in project controls / contract management on a major UK defence programme.

Tayo provides expert and strategic advice on time-related matters, most often in the context of international engineering and construction contracts. He uses his programming know-how to assist employers, contractors and subcontractors in bringing clarity to causation issues arising from the construction of a wide range of global infrastructure projects, including airports, roads, buildings, process plants and oil and gas disputes.

Tayo holds an undergraduate law degree and is a member of the Society of Construction Law in the UK.

Qualifications

  • LLB (Hons), UK (2005)
  • LPC, UK (2008)

In-depth expertise

Formal dispute situations

Tayo specialises in forensic planning topics, more specifically, delay and disruption analyses. He is familiar with an array of methodologies, and he has applied these methods on numerous high-profile infrastructure projects.

Tayo has been appointed as an independent delay expert witness in international arbitration proceedings in various forums including under ICC rules.

Other dispute resolution forums

Over recent years, Tayo has become increasingly involved in pre-dispute situations, providing pragmatic and robust expert advice on the merits of extension of time claims in anticipation of mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution processes, including collaboration, expert determinations and commercial negotiations.

Tayo has a comprehensive understanding of delay analysis approaches enabling him to provide invaluable advice on the relative strengths and weaknesses of time-related claims.

Example of engagements

Formal dispute situations

  • Appointed as delay expert witness on behalf of EPC contractor in arbitration arising from the contract to construct a €130m fertiliser plant in Europe. Provided written evidence in ICC arbitration proceedings.
  • Acted as independent delay expert in a dispute arising from the contract to install and commission a £30m airport baggage handling system in the UK. The matter was due to be settled through TCC proceedings.
  • Provided independent delay expertise to a contractor responsible for installing a 400 MW offshore wind farm in Europe. The mandate involved the assessment of weather-related productivity delays through the development of a bespoke weather model. Provided written evidence in German arbitration proceedings.
  • Assisted a developer with the rebuttal of a series of EoT claims in the context of an expert determination. The matter arose from the contract for the construction of an AUD 4bn toll road in Australia.
  • Assisted an employer with the rebuttal of an EoT claim in the context of an expert determination. The matter arose from the contract for the construction of a new SAR 675m corporate headquarters in Saudi Arabia.

 

Pre-dispute and advisory situations

  • Appointed as independent delay expert on behalf of EPC contractor to assess the merits of EoT claims arising from the subcontract for the construction of a 40,000-bpd refinery project in Saudi Arabia.
  • Appointed as independent delay expert on behalf of EPC contractor to assess causes of delay to three sub-packages associated with the contract for the construction of a 230,000-bpd crude oil refinery project in Oman.
  • Advised development owner on the merits of contractor EoT claims in the context of contracts for an €8bn business hub in the Middle East.
  • Assisted developer with the assessment of delays in connection to the contract for the £30m refurbishment of a flagship site in London.
  • Provided contractor with claims support in relation to the redevelopment of an existing 5-star hotel in North Africa. Implemented methodology and evidential framework for demonstrating entitlement to EoTs using contemporaneous delay analysis technique.