We have a range of highly experienced construction industry consultants, who we engage on a project by project basis, including quantity surveyors, programmers and planners, building surveyors, defects specialists etc.
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Administrative Support
All Admin Support is provided by Sheila Bunton, a partner in Bunton Consulting.
International Appointments
INTERNATIONAL MAJOR PROJECTS DISPUTE RESOLUTION SAMPLES OF EXPERIENCE
Expert Witness in front of an International Arbitration Tribunal on a power station project constructed in India. Preparation of an Experts Report on Quantum, which included visits to clients offices in Germany, and giving evidence to the Tribunal in Delhi, India. Parties not identified due to confidentiality agreement.
Expert Witness for the Respondent relating to extension of time and quantum submissions by the Claimant, in Mediation Proceedings, in connection with the construction of two Cooling Towers, on a massive petrochemical project constructed in Kuwait. Report submitted and mediation concluded. Investigations included examining records of the project, held in Amsterdam, Holland. Multi million dollar in dispute.
Az Zour Power Station, Kuwait. Appointed by Japanese Main Contractor to provide independent report on extension of time and quantum claims on steelwork package on the structure. Involved site visit to Kuwait. Team of three consultants involved.
ABB Zurich, Switzerland. Carried out project reviews of cost overruns of several projects located in Lithuania, and Saudi Arabia. Preparation and negotiation of claim settlement. Based in Zurich.
ABB Zurich, Switzerland. Provided contractual advice for ABB in connection with disputes with SECL and IPSL.
Mitsui Babcock, Scotland and London. Lead technical adviser on claim negotiation with Foster Wheeler Energy. Prepared technical submission for Arbitration proceedings. Negotiated settlement.
Mitsui Babcock, Scotland and London. Lead technical adviser on claim negotiation with Conoco Phillips. Prepared technical submission for Arbitration proceedings. Negotiated settlement.
SGL Carbon Fiber, Frankfurt. Lead technical adviser on two adjudications relating to extensive cost overruns on a new production facility. Arbitration proceedings now underway. Multi million pound dispute. NEC 3 form of Contract.
Harland and Woolf, Belfast. Investigation of financial claims submitted by several sub-contractors on construction of an offshore vessel. Multi million dollar dispute. All issues resolved.
Contractual advice to Owners in relation to a range of financial disputes on Power Stations at Sellafield, Torness, Hunterston and Selby.
Contractor in Stockholm. Providing contractual advice in relation to a muliti million dollar facility to be constructed for Coco Cola in Sweden. Analysed risk management issues with Owners, prior to commencement on site. Project completed with no contractual disputes.
Washington DC, provided contractual and financial advice to DMS Project Management, based in Washington DC, USA.
Provided contractual advice to international contractor involved in a dispute resolution process on a major transportation project.
Kvaerner Govan Shipyard. Preparation of time and quantum claims against head contractor on multi million pound dispute on the construction of a naval frigate for the Ministry of Defence, negotiated settlement of claim.
Len has provided contractual advice on projects constructed in India, Kuwait, Lithuania, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Portugal, Gibraltar, Spain and Holland.
Len is listed on the Dubai International Arbitration Centre Panel of Arbitrators, and on the Qatar International Arbitration Centre, and a member of the Dispute Board Federation, Geneva, a member of the Dispute Resolution Board Federation, and is also a Director at the Scottish Arbitration Centre.
LCH BUNTON FRICS FCIArb
len@buntonconsulting.co.uk
mobile 07769 670089
Practice Areas
Contract interpretation, professional negligence, defects in construction, measurement issues, valuation issue problems, quantum, extension of time, loss and expense, determination, delay and disruption issues, fraud investigations, insolvency investigations, bank investigations.
Lens professional work has a covered all sectors of construction and engineering, and all sectors of the UK economy.
International appointments [see separate CV] have included dispute resolution cases on power stations and petro-chemical plants.
Len has been appointed on dispute resolution cases in Kuwait, Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, USA, Holland and India [see separate CV]. Recent trips to Dubai and Qatar regarding potential Expert Witness Appointments.
Qualifications
Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Honorary Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland
Panel member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Arbitration Listing held by the Dubai International Arbitration Centre
Arbitration Listing held by the Qatar International Arbitration Centre
Member London Court of International Arbitration
Member RICS Register of Accredited Dispute Board Members, attended the RICS Dispute Board Training Course in June 2012
Chairman’s Panel of Adjudicators Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland.
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Presidents Panel of Adjudicators England, Wales and NI.
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Panel of Adjudicators
Ireland Panel of Adjudicators
Institution of Civil Engineers Panel of Adjudicators
Major Projects Adjudication Panel
Panel of Professional Adjudicators
Terminal 5, Heathrow Panel of Adjudicators
Confederation of Construction Specialists Panel of Adjudicators.
Confederation Industry Council Panel of Adjudicators
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Scotland Chairman’s Panel of Mediators
Member Adjudication Society
Member of the Law Society of Scotland Regulatory Committee
Writings / Appointments
ARTICLES WRITTEN
Len has written articles for Property Executive, Project Scotland, Contract Journal, the Building magazine on conditions of contract, arbitration, adjudication, extension of time and loss and expense claims, construction insolvency and on PFI/PPP for the PFI Report and the PFI Journal.
He has recently completed a review of current adjudication issues.
He is a former editor of the Adjudication Society newsletter (www.adjudication.org).
BOOKS AND BOOK REVIEWS
Len has contributed to several text books by Vincent Powell Smith, by adapting sections to reflect Scots Law.
He also edited the text book by Ian Cherry on the Standard form of Building Contract.
He currently reviews books for the RICS, the CIArb and Project Scotland.
PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS
Current Chairman of the Scottish Conflict Avoidance Process Working Group
Chairman of the Scottish Building Contracts Committee Limited 2014 – 2016
Chairman Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Scottish Branch, 2006 – 2008
Chairman Construction Scotland Innovation Centre Project Delivery Group
Former Convener, Education and Training, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Scottish Branch 2009 – 2012
Former Director of the Scottish Arbitration Centre
Appointed as Chairman of RICS Assessment Panels for Adjudicators.
Member of the Advisory Board of the Association of Construction Adjudicators
Chaired study group set up by the Chartered Institute of Arbiters on construction disputes.
Former Member of the CIArb Scottish Branch committee
Former External Examiner at Robert Gordon’s University
Training
Len has provided training courses on the Joint Contracts Tribunal forms of Contract, the SBCC Forms of Contract, The Engineering and Construction Contract, the ICE Conditions of Contract, FIDIC for employers, contractors and sub contractors, and NEC 3, and has provided consultancy services to a number of UK major construction companies. He is an approved trainer for the RICS and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He has also provided training courses on construction insolvency for the UK’s leading insolvency practitioners and banks.
Presented courses on commercial management of construction constructs for the Specialist Engineering Contractors Group [ SECG].
Presented Courses on SBCC 2016 for various Chapters of the RIAS.
Len has spoken at a number of UK conferences on arbitration, adjudication, expert witness appointments, partnering, public sector procurement, PFI, design and build, PI claims, extension of time and loss and expense claims. He is also a very experienced conference chairman.
Dispute Resolution
26 appointments as Arbitrator, or as party adviser in Arbitration.
I have acted as lead technical consultant on two major arbitrations in the UK.
Over 400 appointments as adjudicator both pre and post the HGCR Act.
Over 50 appointments post the HGCR Act as adviser to the parties.
15 appointments as expert witness.
Acted as Expert Witness to an International Arbitration Tribunal in Delhi, India, and in a Mediation in the UAE.
Appointed in five expert determinations.
Accredited Mediator. Three appointments as Mediator, all settled. One appointment as technical assessor to the Mediator. Represented parties in six Mediations, all settled.
Len Bunton
Len Bunton is a quantity surveyor with a significant track record in the construction industry. He has been involved in commercial developments, health and defense projects, schools, industrial developments, power stations, hotel and leisure projects, golf courses, governmental buildings, private finance projects, public/private sector partnerships, manufacturing and production facilities.
Len qualified in 1972 and after a period in the public sector he became an associate then partner with a professional QS firm. He commenced his own firm in 1979 and from a standing start developed this into a 50 strong practice by the mid 80’s where he became senior partner. He developed the firm into project management, cost management, building surveying and dispute resolution.
In the early 90’s he was approached by a leading UK company, Beard Dove Ltd, who acquired his firm, with Len becoming Operations Director in Scotland. He developed into other areas of this company and eventually was appointed as a main board director in 1995, with operational responsibility for the northern part of the UK. He also set up and was responsible for the company’s Contract Advisory Services unit in the UK.
In 1996 Len joined the Bucknall Group as main board director and again took operational responsibility for operations in the north region of the UK. In the following years he developed further his high level procurement experience on major building and civil engineering projects, developed the companies PFI/PPP consultancy and also became involved in contractual issues on Prime Contracting. He has played a significant role in customer care, best practice and business development etc.
He has acted as project director for cost management on a number of major construction projects.
Len first developed focused experience in dispute resolution in 1978. He took a specific interest in construction law and has lectured regularly on conditions of contract internally, and also to clients.
From 1978 to present he has been involved in many dispute resolution issues and has acted as arbiter, adjudicator, expert witness, mediator, conciliator and claims consultant, in the United Kingdom and Internationally. He has appeared in court on a number of instances as expert witness.
He also developed specific experience in construction insolvency and corporate recovery.
Len is the current chairman of the Scottish Building Contracts Committee.
He has been appointed to conduct two expert determinations and has advised a major client in a multi million pound expert determination.