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Forthcoming Meetings
All members are welcome to attend the following technical meetings, organised for you by your local branch. Attendance is free to all grades of members and the atmosphere is informal. We especially welcome our newer members, who can meet and share experiences with other members of all grades.
Existing and aspiring Chartered Arbitrators and members of Panels are reminded that they are required to gain at least 60 CPD points in each three-year period. Our technical meetings each count as 1.5 CPD points. So whether you are looking to add to your CPD, are interested in the topics, or just want to do some networking, why not come along?
We also provide an optional hot buffet supper for those who wish to stay and socialise after the meeting (or who are hungry). The charge for this is a very reasonable £15 per head.
Tuesday 17th January 2006
HANDS UP WHO WANTS TO BE AN EXPERT WITNESS - Our Experiences
Jim Breakell and Darrell Leek
There is more to being an expert witness than giving oral evidence in a tribunal or court. Jim and Darrell will give us an insight into some of the protocols and procedures that need to be followed and how they approach assignments and deduce conclusions. They will also share with us some good and bad experiences.
Jim and Darrell co-ordinate the Dispute Resolution Group at Mott MacDonald. Their own specialist technical areas are in materials and corrosion control. They have acted as expert witnesses on many cases covering a broad range of problems and industrial sectors both within the UK and overseas.
Tuesday 14th February 2006
THE NEW NEC CONTRACT
Peter Higgins (Chairman, NEC Contract Panel)
The NEC Contract is now well known as an alternative to the ICE and JCT standard forms. NEC is in fact a family of standard contracts, which aim to promote better relationships between the parties by means of a clear and simple document. NEC3 is the result of feedback from industry on many years of usage and it introduces an integrated set of NEC documents.
Come and listen to Peter Higgins, Chairman of the ICE's New Engineering Contract Panel, who will bring us up to date on the latest edition of this form of contract. He is a civil engineer with worldwide experience, a founding director of pdConsult and a past Chairman of our Branch. He is a mediator, expert witness, arbitrator, and adjudicator, and has been appointed in engineering, building and landscape disputes. He runs courses on contract procedures and lectures to professional bodies worldwide.
Tuesday 14th March 2006
PREVENTING CORRUPTION IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING INDUSTRY
Neill Stansbury, Transparency International
Corruption (criminal behaviour in the form of bribery, deception and fraud) is much more widespread in construction and engineering than most of us would acknowledge. It may take place in both developed and developing countries. It may occur at any phase of a public or private sector project, and may be committed by any one of the many corporate or individual participants. The offence may be committed by any of these persons even where they are unaware that they are committing a crime, and even where they stand to make no personal gain. Corruption also occurs in dispute resolution proceedings, with bribery of witnesses, and falsification of evidence. This is a fascinating subject and a talk which all members should attend - ignorance is no defence!
Neill Stansbury is a Project Director in the UK for Transparency International. TI is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to increasing government accountability and curbing international corruption. Founded in 1993, TI is the only global non-profit and politically non-partisan movement with an exclusive focus on corruption. It has an international secretariat in Berlin (with representation in London) and national chapters in over 90 countries.
Members should note that this meeting will be preceded by the Branch's Annual General Meeting, notice of which is included elsewhere in this edition of News & Views.
Tuesday 11th April 2006
LEGAL UPDATE - Arbitration, Adjudication And Mediation
Dr Franco Mastrandrea
All those involved in dispute resolution need keep abreast of legal developments. Decisions from the courts vitally affect our day-to-day work and the advice we give. Franco Mastrandrea will give us an update and personal view of recent developments affecting the three main areas of private dispute resolution - arbitration, adjudication and mediation.
Franco Mastrandrea is Chairman of Northcrofts Management Services Ltd. He started his professional career as a quantity surveyor. He has particular experience in drafting bespoke contracts for unusual and complicated projects, in project management and in the evaluation of contractors' claims (the subject of his doctoral research). He is a CEDR Accredited Mediator, panel-listed adjudicator and Chairman of the RICS Dispute Resolution Policy Committee.
Tuesday 9th May 2006
MEDIATION AND THE COURTS
Mark McGeoch
The Government and the Courts Service have been seeking to increase awareness of the benefits that mediation can bring to all sectors of society and to promote it as a means to resolve almost any type of dispute. Mediation Awareness Week was held in October 2005 to improve knowledge and acceptance of mediation amongst all the key participants in Civil Justice, in particular, court users, the Judiciary, and the Legal Profession. But what should the parties do if encouraged (or required) to go to mediation? Mark McGeoch will give us the benefit of his experience of court-annexed mediation to answer this question. We have also invited a judge from one of the courts in the Branch area which has an active mediation scheme.
Mark McGeoch is an Associate Director of Stapleton International. He is a Chartered Arbitrator, Registered Mediator and Chartered Quantity Surveyor with some 24 years experience who has specialised in Mechanical and Electrical services. Mark has worked on a wide variety of construction and energy projects and is an industry-recognised mediator. He was one of the court mediator representatives during Mediation Awareness Week and was on the RICS stand for the Mediation Awareness Week official launch.