Paul Woods
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Background
Paul acts for a wide range of participants in the construction and engineering industries including Local and State Government. Paul's practice includes litigation, arbitration, adjudication and alternative dispute resolution in complex and technical construction and engineering disputes. Paul also advises on the drafting and negotiation of project documents.
Legal Expertise
- Construction, engineering and infrastructure projects
- Dispute resolution
Relevant Experience
Power
- Advising EPC contractor in a multi-million pound dispute over a contract for a combined heat and power plant in Liverpool, UK. Settled at mediation in London.
- Advising an engineering contractor in connection with a dispute with a Government power authority over the design, construction and operation of a power plant in the British Virgin Islands
- Advising Australian contractor in a multi-million dollar dispute over an EPC contract for a geothermal power plant in Indonesia. Settled at mediation in Singapore.
Rail / Road
- Advised Australian contractor in a payment dispute with a subcontractor arising out of a large rail electrification project in Victoria
- Advised large Australian civil contractor in a payment/defective work dispute with a subcontractor concerning bypass/extensions to the Hume Hwy, Melbourne
Water
- Acted for Australian civil contractor in an arbitration with a regional water authority concerning the construction reticulated wastewater & sewerage mains in central Victoria
- Advised large UK civil and process engineering contractor over disputes with water authority concerning the design and construction of a reticulated wastewater pipeline on the Isle of Wight
Mining
- Acted for subcontractor steel fabrication & tank subcontractor in proceedings in the Victorian Supreme Court arising out of the Murrin Murrin Nickel & Cobalt project in Western Australia.
Building
- Acting for the State Government of Victoria in disputes over defective building work, insurance disputes and disputes with unsuccessful tenderers
- Advising large Australian building contractor in dispute with a principal concerning a multi-million dollar stadium development in Victoria
- Acting for the contractor in a subcontract dispute regarding payment and defective work for a large mixed-used residential/retail development at Docklands, Victoria
General
- Advising on all aspects of the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2002 (Vic) including the conduct of adjudications
- Advising principals, contractors, subcontractors and consultants in a wide range of disputes concerning payment, defective work, professional negligence, delay & disruption in construction and infrastructure projects
- Experienced in litigation, arbitration and expert determination as well as alternative dispute resolution
Transactional experience
- Advising on the preparation and negotiation of documentation for building, engineering and civil construction projects including the engagement of consultants.
- Advised building contractor in the negotiation of a building contract and tripartite deed for the development of land in regional Victoria with Government-funded public housing.
- Advised the State Government of Victoria in the preparation and negotiation of project agreements and building contracts for the design and construction of new housing and social infrastructure in Sri Lanka as part of the post 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami reconstruction.
- Advising developer of a large film and television studio development in the preparation of project documents, including invitation to tender, design & construct contract consultants’ agreements and deeds of novation.