Addleshaw Goddard has bolstered its GCC Construction practice with three new hires, growing the market-leading team to nine specialist lawyers.

Further consolidating AG's status as one of the largest and most active Construction practices in the region, the new hires will be based in the Firm's Oman and Dubai offices.

Joining the Oman office as a Managing Associate, experienced litigator Nic Henrikson has acted for a range of construction and insurance sector entities, including: principals, major contractors, blue chip insurers and government entities. Previously at top tier Australian firm, Minter Ellison, Nic acted on some of the largest construction adjudications to date in Queensland. 

With a breadth of contentious and non-contentious experience, James Macdonald and Luke Johnson will join AG's Dubai office as Associates. Joining from Eversheds, Luke specialises in advising Contractor and Employer clients across the UK and GCC and his experience includes: adjudications, mediations, litigation and negotiated settlements covering issues such as design defects and changes, delay claims, late payment issues, final accounts and termination. Most recently working in-house for a major regional contractor, James has been in the GCC for nine years, and has advised government bodies, contractors and subcontractors on public works projects, mixed use developments, ports, shopping malls and airports. 

Head of the GCC Andrew Greaves, commented: "We continue to advise a full spread of clients across the region and we are proud that we are able to continue to strengthen our position in the market and attract quality lawyers to our team. 

Nic, James and Luke have impressive skill-sets, which will enable us to continue to enhance our sector focus and compliment the investment we have already made into our UAE construction practice."

With work spanning the entire GCC, AG's construction team regularly advises government bodies, developers, contractors, subcontractors, consultants, suppliers and funders on a broad range of matters, and has appeared in all the major centres for International Arbitration. The team has a market-leading position in the Transport and Energy sectors.

Notes to editor

Major project conception and dispute resolution the Construction team has advised on include:

• Leading the team that advised the successful bidder upon the award of a 29 year concession agreement relating to the design, build, finance, operation and maintenance of district cooling services on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi;
• Providing the Main Contractor, in relation to 5 residential towers at the Pearl Development (Qatar), valued in excess of US$ 500 million, legal and strategic advice, in relation to a number of complex construction law issues including design, variations, delay, extension of time, liquidated damages, defective works and termination.
• Drafting an ad hoc co-operation agreement in relation to a new build maintenance & work shop facility for the Sheraton Park Project (US$ 100 million) as part of the Integrated Rail Network in Qatar;
• Acting for a contractor in a DIAC arbitration for a AED 2.8 billion claim against a developer. The project concerned the construction of a large sports and leisure facility in Dubai;
• Advising an Abu Dhabi based EPC Contractor in relation to a US$ 120 million dispute arising out of the design and construction of a tank farm facility in Fujairah;
• Acting for a KSA-based EPC Contractor in pursuing a substantial multi-million dollar claim against a regional engineering company for defective workmanship relating to a major oil and gas installation; 
• Advising a major Abu Dhabi based EPC contractor in relation to a US$ 60 million dispute arising out of the engineering, design, construction and testing of a floating oil rig constructed in Abu Dhabi