Hamish Lal

Dr Hamish Lal has been consistently ranked Band 1 in Construction, and Band 1 in International Construction Arbitration in Chambers & Partners UK, and in the Top-Tier in The Legal 500 UK. Hamish is a Solicitor-Advocate (All Higher Courts) and admitted to Part II of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts Register of Legal Practitioners. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (FICE). He has been simultaneously Chairman of The Society of Construction Law and The Adjudication Society. He is the General Editor of the Construction Law Journal published by Sweet & Maxwell, Adjunct Professor at University College Dublin, and Chairman of the Oriel Law Society.

Hamish is a recognised legal authority on international construction arbitration and is held in high regard by clients, peers, tribunals, expert witnesses, and fellow Arbitrators. He has acted under the rules of the International Court of Arbitration (ICC); London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA); Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC); Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC); and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), as well as in the Technology and Construction Court (TCC); DIFC Courts; the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Courts; Mediation; Expert Determination; Statutory Adjudication and in Dispute Adjudication Boards (DABs).

Hamish’s practice covers the full spectrum of issues that can arise on international construction and energy projects, including prospective and retrospective delay analysis; disruption; cumulative impact claims; front-end engineering design (FEED) errors; non-conformance reports; design codes (e.g. DNV-OS-J101); pipeline weld defects; bad-weather windows; vessel-standby; unforeseen ground conditions; professional negligence; taking over / completion; liquidated damages; incentive payments; variations; bond calls (e.g. based on URDG758); international sampling methods; termination (under various forms of contracts under International Federation of Consulting Engineers, FIDIC, CRINE/LOGIC and NEC3/4); joint-venture; consortium and project finance disputes.

Hamish has published widely, including books, Managing & Quantifying Disruption Claims published by Thomas Telford and Manual of Construction Agreements published by LexisNexis. His Papers include Multiplicity in International Arbitration – Procedural Solutions in Matthias Scherer and Catherine A. Kunz (eds), ASA Bulletin, Volume 43, Issue 4 (2025); Security for Costs in International Construction Arbitration in Matthias Scherer and Catherine A. Kunz (ed), ASA Bulletin, Volume 42, Issue 4 (2024); and A Spectrum of Dispute Resolution Choices: What does Strategic Thinking Inform, Keynote Paper at Ho Chi Minh City International Construction Arbitration Conference 2025. Hamish started as a trainee-solicitor at Freshfields and was a Partner at US Firms, Jones Day and then Akin Gump LLP before joining Hamish Lal Partners.

• LPC, Oxford Institute of Legal Practice, 1999
• PhD, University of Dundee, 1999
• BA Jurisprudence, University of Oxford, 1998

• Solicitor-Advocate, England & Wales
• Admitted to Part II of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts Register of Legal Practitioners

• Representing European offshore contractors in two construction disputes related to installation of two offshore wind farms in Taiwan. SIAC Arbitrations with Singapore Seats.
• Representing an international solar energy company in construction disputes related to a solar farm in Brazil. ICC Arbitration with London Seat.
• Representing technology entrepreneurs in disputes arising out of a Share Purchase Agreement of a successful healthcare platform in India. LCIA administered, Delaware law with Delaware Seat. 
• Advised an American private equity investor in disputes relating to a stabilisation clause in a long-term Production Sharing Contract in the CIS and related BITs.
• Represented a major oil company in disputes arising out of high-value Engineering and Procurement Construction (EPC) contract for a large gas condensate facility in Uzbekistan. Issues in dispute included liquidated damages, defects correction, complex civil code interpretation, and variation pricing/procedure. SCC Rules with Stockholm Seat.
• Co-counsel advising on multiple claims against a Southeast Asian state arising under a bilateral investment treaty relating to significant real estate and development projects.
• Advised a client on interpretation and related third-party funding payment issues arising out of a complex prepaid forward purchase agreement.
• Obtained strike-out of Respondent’s substantive defences under SIAC Rule 29 (on the basis that defences manifestly lacked legal merit following Respondent’s breach of Procedural Order on Document Production).
• Counsel for an International Main Contractor in DIFC-LCIA rules and DIFC-seated Arbitration against its unincorporated Joint-Venture Partner and sub-contractor in relation to the construction of a terminal building for a major international airport, termination of the Joint-Venture Agreement, and post-termination profit/loss as governed by UAE law.
• Acted for a major oil company in successful application for an interim mandatory injunction under Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) Rule 30.1.
• Acted for a sovereign developer defending a series of International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Red Book 87 delay and disruption disputes on the $2 billion Barwa City Project, Doha, Qatar.
• Represented an independent oil company in respect of contractor claims for vessel-standby, variations, and local content changes on a sub-sea gas pipelines project in Nigeria.
• Advised the employer on the world’s largest offshore wind farm project on delays, design codes, variations, and non-conformance reports (NCRs) issued for transverse and longitudinal weld defects.
• Advised a contractor on “open” NCRs relating to a $1.4 billion project procured under the FIDIC Yellow Book where the contractor found significantly more work than in the NCRs raising issues of variations, acts of prevention, and deliberate concealment.
• Represented an independent oil company on a drilling contract in Iraq where there was a delta between the actual drilling and completion operations and the contractual regime concerning mobilization, completion, hand-over, and liquidated damages for well clusters.
• Acted for a sovereign developer defending a series of contractor claims for force majeure, acts of prevention, and cumulative impact on a FIDIC Silver Book Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) project in Cairo.
• Acted in an International Arbitration under SCC Rules 2017 for a major international oil company in disputes arising out of an EPC Contract for a gas treatment plant with the nominal capacity of 4.4 billion cubic meters a year, a gas pre-treatment unit, and six gas gathering stations in Uzbekistan. Issues in dispute included delay, force majeure, design changes, liquidated damages, NCRs, bonds, and damages for defects correction.
• Counsel in Qatar Financial Centre Court of Appeal Case No 2 of 2019, Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority v First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC, [2019] QIC(A)3.
• Drafting conditions of contract for a Recycled Water Transmission System with a particular and bespoke focus on minimising scope for cost increase, minimising contractual changes to Scope of Work, maximising the use of contractor’s contract data in quantifying additional costs and time to complete the works, and maximising transfer of design risk to the contractor.

• Presidential Invitation to Fellowship of Institution of Civil Engineers (FICE) for “substantial contribution you have made to our industry” by Professor Jim Hall FREng FICE 2025.
• Chambers & Partners UK 2024 – Band 1 Construction: International Arbitration and Band 1 Construction: Contentious.
• Chambers cited client recommendations, “Hamish is one of the pre-eminent construction and engineering lawyers in the world. He very quickly determines the key issues in a dispute and works tirelessly with his clients to establish and execute the most effective and efficient dispute resolution strategy. I have always been impressed with Hamish’s ability to clearly distil the most complex issues and disputes into concise and understandable terms” and “he is one of the best construction lawyers in the market, whether he’s handling oil, gas, airports or major infrastructure disputes. High-value, complex, international mandates are his specialty.”
• The Legal 500 UK, Leading Individual, Construction: Contentious, 2022.
• The Legal 500 UK 2020 – 2022 – Top Tier Construction.
• The Legal 500 UK, Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration, 2022.
• In 2020, The Legal 500 UK stated, “Hamish Lal is the best construction and engineering disputes lawyer that I have instructed. His understanding of the law, the complex factual and technical matters at play in construction and engineering disputes, and the commercial pressures facing clients is unmatched by his peers.” 
• Chambers & Partners UK 2020 – Band 1 Construction: Purchaser and Construction: International Arbitration.
• In 2020, Chambers cited client recommendations, “he never fails to impress” and added: “His knowledge and experience of the sector is second to none and he makes the most complex of legal situations seem straightforward.”
• Chambers & Partners UK – Band 1 Construction and International Construction Arbitration.
• In 2019, Chambers cited a client recommendation, “Hamish Lal highly respected in this area, and has exceptional insights into complex construction disputes,” adding: “He is effective and responsive, giving us timely advice that is always strategic, measured and well-reasoned.”
• In 2018, Chambers noted, “[O]ne client enthuses ‘that his understanding of the commercial and legal landscape is astonishingly good and his capacity to comprehend factual and technical issues is unmatched.’”
• In 2017, Chambers cited a client recommendation, “His excellent understanding of all the technical, legal and commercial issues makes him a natural leader.”
• In 2016, Chambers quoted a client as saying, “His advice is always spot-on and he can always be relied on for measured, sensible, commercial and legally astute counsel.”
• In 2015, Chambers stated that clients have “been particularly impressed with the way he makes even the most complex point seem easy.”
• In 2018, The Legal 500 UK stated, “Head of team Hamish Lal is very highly recommended” quoting a client as saying “he is a stand out litigator with an astute brain possessing unparalleled legal knowledge.”
• In 2017, The Legal 500 EMEA recognized that “construction specialist Hamish Lal is ‘a top-class technical lawyer with a breadth of strategic thinking.’”
• In 2017, The Legal 500 UK commented that Hamish “offers an unparalleled degree of business acumen and industry knowledge” and has the ability to “execute robust resolution strategies.”
• In 2016, The Legal 500 commented that Hamish “provides a level of intellectual and factual rigour that is unmatched in the contentious construction market.”
• Best Lawyers UK, Construction Law.
• The Lawyer Hot 100 in 2012.

• Fulbright Scholar
• Adjunct Professor, Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin (UCD)
• Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb)
• Fellow, Institution of Civil Engineers (FICE)
• Awarded Parkman Medal by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in 2008 and 2014
• Editorial Board, Construction, Engineering and Energy Law Journal published by Thomson Reuters
• Editor, Construction Law Journal published by Sweet & Maxwell
• Author, Manual of Construction Agreements published by LexisNexis
• Member, Society of Construction Arbitrators
• Member, Worshipful Company of Arbitrators
• Chairman, The Oriel Law Society

• Delivering Paper, “Accidental Bias for Expert Witnesses in International Arbitration”, The Academy of Experts, London, February 10, 2026.
• Speaking on “Witness Preparation and Cross Examination in Construction Arbitration” at India ADR Week 2025, organized under the aegis of the Mumbai Centre for International Arbitration (MCIA), Hotel Oberoi, New Delhi, India, September 18, 2025.
• Speaking on “Proving Liability and Quantum in Construction Arbitration” at Delhi Arbitration Week 2025, Hotel Novotel, New Delhi, India, September 15, 2025.
• Speaking on “Key Failings of the SCL Protocol on Delay & Disruption” at International Conference on Construction Law & Arbitration “Construction Law 2.0: Building a better tomorrow”, Four Seasons, Mumbai, India, May 3, 2025.
• Delivering the Keynote Paper, “A Spectrum of Dispute Resolution Choices: What does Strategic Thinking Inform”, Ho Chi Minh City International Construction Arbitration Conference 2025, Vietnam, April 10, 2025.
• Delivering Paper, “Conflicts of Interests for Experts in International Arbitration”, The Academy of Experts, London, February 18, 2025.
• Delivering Paper, “Condition Precedent Clauses” to ARBRIX Construction Group 2024 Conference, October 12, 2024.
• Delivering the Nael G Bunni Lecture 2024, “International Construction Arbitration: Seven Current Conundrums”, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, January 23, 2024.
• Chairing The Society of Construction Law Annual Spring Conference 2023, Leeds, March 3, 2023.
• Speaking at Quarterly Case Law Update [cases covered Manor Co-Living Ltd v RY Construction Ltd [2022] EWHC 2715 (TCC); Northumbrian Water Ltd v Doosan Enpure & Anor [2022] EWHC 2881 (TCC); Sudlows Ltd v Global Switch Estates 1 Ltd [2022] EWHC 3319 (TCC); and LJR Interiors Ltd v Cooper Construction Ltd [2023] EWHC 3339 (TCC)] for The Adjudication Society, London, January 24, 2023.
• Speaking at 35th Anniversary Conference of The Centre of Construction Law & Dispute Resolution at Dickson Poon School of Law, London, November 17, 2022.
• Speaking at Conference “An overview of road, airport, marine & wind-farm construction disputes”, Dublin, Ireland, November 24, 2022.
• Chairing SCL Peru Conference “The differences between NEC3 and NEC4, the UK/Peruvian experience”, Lima, Peru, October 19, 2022.
• Delivering Paper, “Third party funding in international construction arbitration” at International Construction Arbitration Conference of The Centre of Construction Law & Dispute Resolution, The Dickson Poon School of Law, London, September 15, 2022.
• Delivering Paper, “The Legal and Practical Impacts of Sanction on Construction Contracts” at Informa Construction Contracts & Law Conference, London, July 5, 2022.
• Delivering Paper, “Expedited Arbitration and Due Process” at The 6th CARTAL Conference on International Arbitration titled “Leaps and Bounds: Arbitration Evolving” at National Law University Jodhpur, India, April 3, 2022.
• Speaking on “Loss of Productivity and Disruption claims” at GAR Live: Construction Disputes, Paris, France, March 31, 2022.
• Delivering Keynote Paper, “International Best Practices on Adjudication” at Indonesia Dispute Board Forum 2022, Semarang Jawa Tengah, Indonesia, March 18, 2022.
• Delivering Paper, “The Strategic Benefits and Risks in ‘Expert Shopping’” to The Academy of Experts, Gray’s Inn, London, March 15, 2022.
• Speaking on “Third Party Funding in 2022: the lawyer, the arbitrator and the funder’s view” at a joint event hosted by The Society of Construction Law & The Adjudication Society, London, March 2, 2022.
• Chaired the lecture delivered by Cherie Blair CBE QC on “International Arbitration and Human Rights: Exciting Opportunity or Existential Threat?”, the Akin Gump Arbitration Lecture, London, November 23, 2021.
• Speaking on Panel “Key issues in using arbitration in construction insurance disputes” at SCL Ireland Annual Conference with Ben Patten QC and Roger ter Haar QC, Dublin, Ireland, October 19, 2021.
• Advocate at GAR Live: Construction Disputes, “Call me, maybe? A mock arbitration hearing segment in front of Arbitrators: Sir William Blair, Brian King, Smitha Menon”, Paris, France, September 23, 2021.
• Delivering Paper, “Top Ten Issues in International Construction and Related” hosted by The Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA) and CIArb (Egypt Branch) and moderated by Professor Dr. Abdel Wahab, Cairo, Egypt, June 2, 2021.
• Delivering Paper, Joint Venture Contracting at Conference Experiences and Lessons from Various Jurisdictions, SCL Korea, May 20, 2021.
• Chairing Lecture, “The Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 – The First 25 Years: a Silver Jubilee?” delivered by Alexander Nissen QC Head of Chambers, Keating Chambers, London, May 6, 2021.
• Chairing Advocacy in Construction Adjudication hosted by The Society of Construction Law, Dublin, Ireland, May 6, 2021.
• Speaking on “Making and Defending Claims for Time and Money” at the Society of Construction Law Webinar including Professor Doug Jones AO; Denise Kennedy, Professor Dr. Abdel Wahab and Anthony Houghton SC, London, March 11, 2021.
• Speaking and Moderating Panel on “Institutional Rules – What Is Happening? Improvement or Harmonization?” at International Arbitration Symposium with Professor Dr. Nathalie Voser; Kristina Ljungström; and Alexandra Johnson, Geneva, Switzerland, March 4, 2021.
• Chairing a Panel Seminar “Halliburton v Chubb: What it really means for Construction Adjudication and Arbitration” hosted by the Society of Construction Law and the Technology and Construction Solicitors’ Association (TeCSA) and including HH Frances Kirkham CBE, Caroline Pope, Neil Kitchener QC and Jonathan Cope, London, January 19, 2021.
• Speaking on “Access to Commercial Justice” at Symposium ‘Transnational Commercial Law, Insolvency, Restructuring, Entrepreneurship: Promoting Trade & Development post the Pandemic,’ National Law University Delhi, India, January 6, 2021.
• Speaking on “Third Party Funding in Construction Law” at the Construction Law Conference, Dublin, Ireland, December 2, 2020.
• Speaking on “Differing International norms and practices in disclosure and factual witnesses” at the International Construction Law Conference, London, September 10, 2020.
• Delivering Paper, “Making Claims for Time and Money in the Middle East” at DIFC Academy, Webinar, Dubai, UAE, July 21, 2020.
• Chairing the Society of Construction Law Conference on “Making and Defending Claims for Time and Money,” Ireland, January 30, 2020.
• Delivering Paper “Claims for Delay and Disruption” at International Conference on Construction Law and Arbitration hosted by CIArb-India and Society of Construction Law – India, New Delhi, India, December 6-8, 2019.
• Chairing the Society of Construction Law Conference on “Making and Defending Claims for Time and Money,” Ireland, October 24, 2019.
• Delivering Paper, “Concurrent Delay – Is the ‘Malmaison Approach’ still Relevant?” at ARBRIX Construction Group Autumn 2019 Meeting, London, October 12, 2019.
• Delivering Paper, “Liquidated damages versus unliquidated damages” at The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, London, October 2, 2019.
• Chairing the Society of Construction Law Conference 2019, London, September 19, 2019.
• Chairing a Panel Seminar “International Construction Arbitration – What You Need to Know” hosted by Arcadis LLP and including Roberta Downey, Nicholas Fletcher QC, Gary Kitt and Craig Tevendale, London, May 14, 2019.
• Speaking at “Do Arbitral Tribunals reveal the truth?” colloquium hosted by the Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation and the Netherlands Arbitration Institute, Brussels, Belgium, March 21, 2019.
• Burford Capital’s International Arbitration Roundtable on “Trends and Key Issues Faced by Arbitration Lawyers in London,” Elizabeth Fisher, Head of Business Development at Burford Capital moderated the discussion, March 6, 2019.
• Chairing and speaking at the Society of Construction Law Conference Construction Contracts Act 2013, Dublin, January 31, 2019.
• Chairing the lecture delivered by Professor Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler on “Rise and Reform of a Dispute Settlement Regime,” Akin Gump Arbitration Lecture, London, October 30, 2018.
• “Liquidated Damages: Loss Calculations and the Claims Procedure,” Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors CPD Series, London, October 17, 2018.
• Chairing discussion on Paper by Professor John Connaughton, “Integrated Project Insurance,” The Society of Construction Law, London, October 2, 2018.
• “Penalty Clauses Around the World,” 8th International Society of Construction Law Conference, Chicago, USA, September 26, 2018.
• “Arbitration and Infrastructure,” Dias Carneiro Advogados and Akin Gump event including the leading Brazilian arbitrators, lawyers and experts reviewing the climate in Brazil and Latin America in terms of oil field services, construction projects, infrastructure and international arbitration, São Paulo, Brazil, May 29, 2018.
• “Arbitration Workshop and Arbitration Law Update,” Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors ARBRIX Construction Group Spring 2018 Meeting, March 9, 2018.
• “Update on Construction Law,” Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors CPD Series, London, January 16, 2017.
• Panel Chair, “Assessing Disruption: Different Methods and Do They Matter?” 6th IBA Construction Projects from Conception to Completion Conference, Brussels, Belgium, September 15-16, 2017.
• Panel Moderator, “Starting an Adjudication, Appointing an Adjudicator and Keeping the Adjudication on Track,” The Adjudication Society Conference, Dublin, Ireland, May 10, 2017.
• “The Society of Construction Law Delay and Disruption Protocol – Progress?” Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors ARBRIX Construction Group Cambridge, March 11, 2017.
• Host, “Akin Gump Arbitration: The Expert Academy,” Conference bringing together clients, leading arbitrators and a range of testifying experts. The keynote paper was given by Sir Vivian Ramsey and the closing was given by Sir Bernard Eder, London, November 10, 2016.
• “Mutual Confidence in Arbitrators: Independence and Impartiality,” Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors ARBRIX Construction Group Spring Meeting, Cambridge, March 12, 2016.
• “Time-Bars—Where Are We with Condition Precedent Clauses?” Society of Construction Law, London, February 1, 2016.
• “JCT v. NEC3: A Comparison,” Webinar, LexisNexis, London, January 2016.