Case studies

What our clients say

“…the Tribunal is impressed with the thoroughness and detail of [the Blackrock Experts’] analysis…”

“Given our previous experience of working with [the Blackrock expert] on similar large disputes, we had no hesitation in inviting Blackrock Expert Services to accept our instructions to act as both programming expert and construction management expert”

“...thank you all for the months and in some cases, years of hard work and dedication it has taken to bring together a particularly difficult and challenging project...”

“[the Blackrock expert’s]...detailed knowledge of the facts and technical abilities was helpful throughout.”

“[the Blackrock expert’s] work was exemplary in all respects with an unflagging objectivity and constructively critical approach...”

“...thank you both very much indeed for all the commitment, effort and persistence you brought to this.”

“...clearly an outstanding expert witness, he is very easy to work with, in that he is calm and unflappable, has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the documents and the events on site, and approaches each task in hand with great professionalism and good humour.”

“[the Blackrock expert] brought considerable clarity to a complicated matter and an exceptional willingness to put in long hours with patience and ability to remain focused on the essentials.”

“We found [the Blackrock expert] and team to be very efficient, thorough and helpful. [the Blackrock expert] got to grips with the issues quickly and produced a very user-friendly expert report...”

“[the Blackrock expert] worked tirelessly on the case... [the] evidence was particularly impressive when taking into account that he was appointed relatively late in the proceedings.”

Our projects

Construction & Engineering

Complex building envelope surrounds research campus dispute

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Construction & Engineering

Complex building envelope surrounds research campus dispute

Engaged to prepare an independent expert report and analysis of critical delay and disruption for an ICC Arbitration hearing relating to a dispute arising on a large energy and environmental research campus in the Middle East. The facility comprises five main buildings: a research centre, library, conference centre, IT centre and musalla, together with ancillary buildings within a 60he site. Key issues surrounded the complex envelope featuring glass reinforced concrete (GRC) façades and roofs that connects the buildings.

Rolls Building London

Technology

Expert advisory services for complex High Court technology case

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Technology

Expert advisory services for complex High Court technology case

Appointed to provide expert technical advisory services for Lead Counsel in a long-running, complex UK High Court public sector technology case. The dispute surrounds the adequacy of a high-throughput electronic funds transfer at point of sale (EFTPOS) system and its various interlinking components and services. The exercise involved assessment of the contemporaneous evidence disclosed in order to ascertain whether hypotheses from the Defendant’s technical expert were valid.

Handheld card reader

Technology

Expert witness services in high-profile information technology case

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Technology

Expert witness services in high-profile information technology case

Instructed as technology expert witness in a high-profile UK High Court case regarding functionality of a large, bespoke electronic funds transfer at point of sale (EFTPOS) payment and accounting system. Analysed contemporaneous and legacy documentation to opine on the suitability of the development process adopted in construction of the system. Key issues included the robustness of the software and its functionality, adequacy of the support services alongside review of historic bugs and issues, and testing practices.

Scales of justice

Technology

Tactical approach to negotiations helps resolve public sector IT dispute

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Technology

Tactical approach to negotiations helps resolve public sector IT dispute

Appointed to provide technical advisory services for a UK public sector IT implementation project which had fallen into dispute due to a disagreement regarding requirement gaps and scope creep. Following a “kill or cure” assessment, deployed tactic to assist the client with analysing the technical components of the delivery against the contractual dependencies to provide a ‘strengths and weaknesses’ portfolio for negotiation. The output provided to the client enabled successful continuation of the implementation.

Construction & Engineering

Adjudication decides contractor -v- subcontractor building services dispute

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Construction & Engineering

Adjudication decides contractor -v- subcontractor building services dispute

Construction adjudication services to resolve a dispute arising between a main contractor and its mechanical, electrical and public health (MEP) building services subcontractor, engaged for the refurbishment of a residential and office building in London, England. The dispute concerned whether the contractor wrongfully terminated the subcontractor’s contract for the supply, installation, testing, demonstration and commissioning of MEP building services systems, and the sum due to either party, depending on the decision on the validity of the termination.

Outside of a listed building

Construction & Engineering

Private residential dispute in London resolved through adjudication

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Construction & Engineering

Private residential dispute in London resolved through adjudication

Third party adjudication services for the resolution of a dispute arising during the refurbishment of a Grade II listed private residence in central London, England. Scope involved construction of a single-storey front basement and single-storey rear basement, including mechanical and electrical services and external works. The dispute concerned the Contractor’s entitlement to extensions of time, partial possession dates, their effect on the parties’ obligations and liabilities, and the date on which practical completion was achieved.

Gold mine

Materials

Detailed programme analysis for open-pit gold mine dispute

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Materials

Detailed programme analysis for open-pit gold mine dispute

Independent delay expert analysis in an international arbitration case concerning the termination of a civil and earthworks subcontractor by the Employer at a US$175m open-pit gold mine facility in West Africa. The 924,000oz gold reserves facility, the first to be built in the region for more than two years, includes a processing plant, tailings storage, ball mill and carbon-in-leach (CIL) tank. Performed a detailed programme and causation analysis relating to delays on the project, leading to a US$50m dispute.

Toll road at night

Transportation

Technology advice for electronic toll charge programme in Southern Africa

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Transportation

Technology advice for electronic toll charge programme in Southern Africa

Technology advisory services in support of a European consortium engaged in a dispute relating to the commissioning of an open road tolling project in Southern Africa. Operating under the FIDIC Gold Book Conditions of Contract for Design, Build and Operate (DBO) projects, the dispute arose over the impact of delay and allegations of the Employer failing to discharge its operational obligations. Assessed fitness for purpose relative to expected KPIs and assumptions, system scalability and performance tuning for the future.

Telecommunications

SAP implementation project recovery for large media corporation

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Telecommunications

SAP implementation project recovery for large media corporation

Expert technology advisory services for a US$60m dispute relating to the implementation of an SAP enterprise resource planning software system at a major UK media and broadcasting corporation. The organisation was advised that specific SAP modules could interface with its legacy systems with no customisation and no changes to the existing legacy systems. In the event, the legacy systems required extensive re-work and the lifespan of the project, initially 12 months, extended to nearly three years.

Early production facility

Oil & Gas

Contract termination stalls early production of onshore oil and gas field

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Oil & Gas

Contract termination stalls early production of onshore oil and gas field

Appointed to produce an expert delay report for an LCIA arbitration case relating to an onshore early production facility in the Middle East. The proposed 150,000 barrels of oil per day scheme included oil and gas gathering systems and pipelines, and associated sulphur handling and granulation plant. Report addressed matters relating to planning and programming with respect to the critical path and delays that occurred on the project, which was terminated during the detailed design stage.

LNG Jetty

Oil & Gas

Independent expert advice for LNG terminal jetty arbitration case

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Oil & Gas

Independent expert advice for LNG terminal jetty arbitration case

Instructed to provide independent expert advice in the disciplines of programming and delay analysis and to produce an expert delay report for an ICC arbitration case for a US$1bn liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal in South America, the first such facility in the southern hemisphere. The dispute relates to the extent and causes of delay to the project completion date for the construction of a 2km-long steel jetty structure and unloading platform under the Marine Works EPC Subcontract.

Utilities

Advisory services for waste-to-energy facility feeding national grid

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Utilities

Advisory services for waste-to-energy facility feeding national grid

Provided advisory services relating to a biomethane-to-grid project in South West England. The 1MW anaerobic digestion (AD) facility is designed to convert organic materials from local food and agricultural waste into gas and electricity, feeding biogas directly into the UK national grid as renewable bio-methane. Reviewed Contractor’s entitlement to an extension of time, which had a direct bearing on the validity of the termination of the contract, following equipment issues and crop feedstock deficiencies.