Derek Griffiths - Profile
Consultant in Construction Law, Contracts & ADR
Derek Griffiths is a qualified lawyer. He has 25 years experience as a construction specialist lawyer with major international contractors serving the promoters of building, civil engineering, commercial development, defence, mass transit, mechanical and electrical engineering, mining and nuclear power projects. From 1994 to the end of 2003 he worked for the promoter and procurer of contracts for one of the biggest undertakings of its kind in the world in the last 15 years – the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. He is well versed in the standard forms of documents used to procure consultancy and construction services and in their drafting (including their customizing to meet project or client peculiarities).
Education
BA in Industrial Relations with Law, University of Wales, Cardiff
LL.B., University of Wales, Aberystwyth
Post-graduate Diploma in Arbitration, Reading University
Diploma in Finance for Managers, Open University
Qualifications
Solicitor (non-practising)
Adjudicator registered with Nationwide Academy of Dispute Resolution.
Memberships
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Society of Construction Law
Dispute Resolution Board Foundation Inc.
Nationwide Academy of Dispute Resolution
Association of Welsh Mediators
Reported cases
- Afan Borough Council v Thyssen (Great Britain) Ltd,Court of Appeal
D Jones t/a Fynnon Plant v Thyssen Taywood Joint Venture, Court of Appeal
The Channel Tunnel Group Ltd. and France Manche S.A. v. Balfour Beatty Construction Ltd. and others, House of Lords
Lesotho Highlands Development Authority v Impregilo SpA and Others, Queen's Bench Division.
Lesotho Highlands Development Authority v Impregilo SpA and Others, Court of Appeal Civil Division
Special Skills
Derek has considerable experience of formulating, negotiating, agreeing and successfully interpreting commercial, human-relations, socio-economic and environmental aspects of major contracts in order to keep disputes to a minimum,allied to claims formulation and analysis, with a view to their successful resolution, either before or by various resolution processes – ADR, arbitration or litigation – in a cost-effective manner.
Special Interests
Having worked on both sides of the domestic and international building, construction and engineering industries and with contracts administrators, Derek is now making this experience available to all role players in order to achieve clear contracts and avoid disputes as far as possible.
He also aims to avoid or lessen disputes by: contracted, early-neutral evaluation, facilitation, general trouble-shooting and mediation. Where disputes cannot be avoided he aims to solve them by cost-effective dispute adjudication/review boards (DRB/DABs ) adjudication, mediation, conciliation and arbitration; whether acting for either party or as an appointed DRB member, adjudicator, mediator, conciliator or arbitrator.
Having worked for each Party to a typical construction contract and being a lawyer with considerable experience in construction law he also meets the criteria for DAB appointments put forward in The FIDIC Contracts Guide.