We are delighted to host and sponsor the upcoming Young Energy Arbitration Club (YEAC) event taking place on 9 March 2026, bringing together leading practitioners and emerging voices in the energy disputes community.
Michael Laming, Principal | HKA
About YEAC
The Young Energy Arbitration Club is the junior arm of the Energy Arbitration Club, a respected international forum for arbitration specialists focused on the energy sector. With a growing network of approximately 250 members worldwide, YEAC provides a platform for knowledge-sharing, professional development, and meaningful industry dialogue through its annual programme of events.
2026: Energy Arbitration in Spain and Latin America
This year’s session will focus on energy arbitration in Spain and Latin America, two regions that continue to generate significant activity and precedent in the global energy disputes landscape.
Given the continued growth of energy investment and regulatory change across these jurisdictions, the programme offers a timely opportunity for clients and practitioners to deepen their understanding of this dynamic area.
• Co-moderators: Kate Johnston (Eversheds Sutherland) and Michael Laming (HKA) • Speakers: Vanessa Rivas Plata Saldarriaga, Carlos Pires and Pedro Claros • Organised by: Young Energy Arbitration Club (YEAC) • Format: Expert panel discussion and networking
Why Attend
This event offers a valuable opportunity to:
• Gain market-relevant insight into Spain and LATAM energy arbitration • Connect with leading practitioners and peers • Engage with the YEAC international network • Stay ahead of developments in energy disputes
We look forward to welcoming members of the energy and arbitration community for what promises to be an insightful and engaging session. To find out more visit YEAC.
Michael Laming is a Chartered Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner who delivers high‑clarity financial insight in complex disputes across Spain and Latin America. Bilingual in English and Spanish, he is repeatedly recognised as a Future Leader in Arbitration and Quantum by the Lexology Index. Michael is praised for his sharp analysis, confident testimony, and ability to cut through complexity in high‑value litigation and international arbitration.
With a decade of experience in damages, valuations, forensic accounting, and investigations, Michael brings strong sector expertise across energy, renewables, construction, oil & gas, financial services, transport infrastructure, and TMT. Known for his precision, clarity, and cross‑border expertise, he is widely regarded as one of the most dynamic emerging experts in the Iberian and Latin American disputes markets.
In an era marked by geopolitical uncertainty, sanctions regimes, and volatile market conditions, damages models are facing more pressure and scrutiny than ever before. This session explores what happens when standard economic and financial models no longer hold, and how experts can stress‑test assumptions to produce credible, defensible damages analyses.
Our panel will examine real‑world challenges arising in sanctioned markets, disrupted supply chains, high‑inflation economies, and rapidly shifting regulatory environments. Speakers will share practical methodologies for navigating data gaps, unreliable benchmarks, and unprecedented events, as well as strategies for supporting tribunals when damages models “break.”
Join a room full of arbitration specialists, quantum experts, and disputes lawyers with who you can stay afterward to swap experiences and compare survival strategies over a light lunch.
Construction disputes often focus on what is most visible on site: variations, delay, acceleration and the additional costs that follow.
But, in a world of geopolitical uncertainty, increased performance risk transfer and fast track procurement, cost uncertainty, currency fluctuations, and constrained financing, some of the largest contractor losses are the ones nobody sees. Productivity losses, recovery of head office overheads, financing costs and cashflow strain, and loss of opportunity still go unexamined, under evidenced and frequently unrecovered.
Our panel brings together quantum specialists, financial experts and experienced practitioners to explore how market pressures and global events translate into real commercial impact. You can expect clear guidance, practical examples and a better understanding of how legal strategy and expert analysis should work together.
Join us for a focused and useful discussion, followed by networking with peers from across the sector.
HKA’s Juan Francisco Nasserwill be speaking at the panel session called “The Quantification of Lost Profits and Reputational or Moral Damage”. panel held on the 12 February 2026 at 9:00AM,
Panelists Gianna Cersosimo (Moderator), Facio & Canas Felipe Gutierrez, Managing Partner of Conexig Jean-Marie van der Elst, Finance Expert Witness, Econ One Juan Francisco Nasser, Partner, HKA
Juan Francisco Nasser is a forensic accountant and corporate development professional with more than 20 years of experience. He regularly acts as a quantum and contentious valuations expert in commercial disputes.
Juan has given expert testimony over 65 times, both in arbitration proceedings and in judicial proceedings. He has testified in both English and Spanish for disputes with values in excess of €600 million. He also prepares expert determinations in mergers and acquisition disputes.
Juan’s expertise includes quantification of damages, contentious valuations, economic analysis, and complex financial and accounting matters. He has advised corporate clients and their legal teams across a wide range of sectors, including renewable energy (wind, photovoltaic, hydro), fossil fuels, water infrastructure, technology, real estate, and sports.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain practical insights from leading experts in the field. And, if you are at the CAI, please feel free to reach out to Juan Fransisco directly.
Design responsibility often sits at the heart of construction disputes, raising complex questions about risk allocation and accountability. This session will explore typical issues and dispute patterns arising from design obligations, including errors, omissions, and ambiguous contractual terms as well as unpicking the insurance reality. With the Building Safety Act introducing new statutory roles most notably the Principal Designer, the panel will examine how these changes could impact liability and coordination across the team.
The panel will share practical strategies for mitigating disputes, examine the interplay between designers, contractors, and clients, discuss best practices for investigating design-related claims, bringing legal, technical, design and contractual perspectives to the table.
Registration
There will be no charge to attend, but prior registration is required. For registration, please contact Elinor Pritchard at elinor@thevirtualpartnership.co.uk
Panel Speakers
Magdalena Prus, Associate Director at HKA. (Moderator) Magdalena is a Chartered Architect and an Expert Witness, specialising in the analysis of technical issues in adjudication, arbitration and litigation proceedings across the UK and in the Middle East; Magdalena also serves as the current Honorary Secretary of the CIArb London Branch Committee.
Anneliese Day KC, Fountain Court Chambers. Anneliese Day KC is a leading King’s Counsel and one of the UK Bar’s most respected advocates, called to the Bar in 1996 and taking silk in 2012. She is widely recognised for her exceptional expertise in construction, energy and infrastructure disputes, regularly acting as lead counsel and arbitrator in high-value, complex cases both domestically and internationally. Her construction practice spans litigation, arbitration and adjudication across major projects including PFI/PPP work, transport infrastructure, nuclear facilities and high-profile contractual disputes and she has appeared at the Supreme Court, appellate courts and major arbitral institutions. Anneliese is repeatedly ranked as a Star Individual for construction by leading legal directories, has been named Construction Silk of the year numerous times and has contributed to landmark decisions shaping construction law practice.
Mubina Fattoum, Senior Associate at PLP Architecture. Mubina has extensive experience navigating design responsibilities across both the pre- and post-construction process. Mubina is currently studying to join the RIBA Principal Designer Register and is an active contributor to the practice’s technical and material resource team, where she shares updates on legislation and helps coordinate continuing professional development. Alongside her project work, Mubina plays an active mentoring role both within PLP and externally, through initiatives such as the RIBA Future Leaders programme and Women in Architecture. Her project portfolio includes high-profile residential and workplace developments in London, often delivered on complex and sensitive urban sites.
Paul Jolly, Principal at HKA. Paul is a Chartered Architect with over 25 years’ experience. He is accredited with the Royal Institute of British Architects Register of Experts and is a Practising Member of the Academy of Experts (MAE). He has been responsible for the delivery of several award-winning schemes covering a variety of sectors including performing arts venues, education facilities, commercial offices and mixed-use developments on sensitive urban sites. Paul is an in-house buildings and infrastructure expert at HKA. He has worked as a named expert witness in preparing reports and undertaking forensic analysis on disputes involving professional negligence matters, fire safety compliance and construction defects including water ingress and external envelope performance. In 2023 he was recommended as a Technical Expert in the Lexology (formerly Who’s Who Legal) Construction and Consulting Experts indexes.
Mariya Rankin, Senior Associate at Eversheds Sutherland. Mariya is a Senior Associate specialising in construction and engineering disputes. She has acted for developers and engineering contractor clients on matters involving all forms of dispute resolution. In 2024, she completed her MSc in Construction Law & Dispute Resolution at King’s College and has since been featured in a number of industry publications (including the SCL Journal and Construction Law Journal) on the topic of her dissertation research, which focused on addressing legal liability issues associated with the reuse of construction materials and sustainable building practices. Her recent practice has focused on resolving issues around design responsibility in forms ranging from contractor obligations under JCT forms of contract, to bespoke forms of contract for offshore engineering works and building safety disputes.
We are delighted to announce that Derek Nelson, Partner at HKA, will join an esteemed panel at the Swiss Arbitration Summit for an interactive breakfast discussion on Managing, Micromanaging, Mismanaging – How to Control Expert Evidence in Infrastructure Disputes?
This session will explore practical techniques and procedures for managing expert evidence in complex infrastructure arbitrations, bringing together perspectives from key stakeholders:
Panellists
Derek Nelson,Partner HKA
Maria Irene Perruccio Lourie, Legal Counsel Webuild Group
Philipp Habegger, Arbitrator, Habegger Arbitration
David Roney, Partner Sidley Austin LLP
Gain insights from leading experts on how to effectively manage expert evidence in high-stakes infrastructure disputes. This is a unique opportunity to hear from an arbitrator, in-house counsel, scheduling expert, and external counsel in one dynamic discussion.
Don’t miss this engaging and practical conversation at one of the most respected gatherings in the arbitration calendar.
We are excited to be sponsoring and attending the 27th ICCA Congress from 12-15 April.
With our silver sponsorship, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting the international arbitration community and fostering meaningful dialogue on the present and future of cross-border dispute resolution.
Follow us on LinkedIn to stay tuned for any updates on our participation and insights from the event.
Current Issues in Contaminated Land Risk Assessment
HKA’s Alex Lee, Partner is delighted to be speaking at the SoBRA / RSC December 2025 Conference, taking place at The Royal Society of Chemistry in London. Alex will be joined by Emily Nicholson, Partner at Mishcon de Reya talking about ‘Understanding Foreseeability in PFAS Contaminated Sites: Bridging General and Specific Impact‘.
10 December 2025 -12.20 PM – 12.45 PM Understanding Foreseeability in PFAS Contaminated Sites: Bridging General and Specific Impact
The legal landscape surrounding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) cases is evolving as scientific understanding, regulations, public awareness and media attention increase. This presentation will consider the main challenges related to definitions, exposure and toxicology. It will include a focus on the key issues of foreseeability and causation. Establishing specific causation is critical in personal injury cases, but no single disease is definitively linked to PFAS exposure. Proving a direct link between PFAS exposure and an individual’s specific health condition is complex due to long latency periods and multiple exposure sources. Multidisciplinary expert teams are required to address these issues.
The United States remains the focus for the largest international class actions, including the recent multidistrict litigation (MDL) involving thousands of cases. In 2023, 3M reached a $10.3 billion settlement to address claims related to contamination of public water supplies. PFAS litigation still has the potential to become one of the most significant issues in UK environmental law in the future. Differences in regulatory frameworks, litigation culture and legal mechanisms shape how each country addresses the risks posed by PFAS.
Now in its 39th year, this premier event provides education, discussion, and analysis on critical issues affecting today’s construction industry, with sessions tailored for attorneys, engineers, consultants, and other industry leaders.
HKA is proud to have a strong presence at this year’s event:
“Resolution Revolution – Evolution of International Construction Arbitration” Speaker: Maged Abdelsayed | December 9, 2:45 PM – 4:00 PM ET
“Mitigating Risk in a Progressive Design-Build Environment” Moderator: Caryn Fuller | Panelist: Francisco Matta | December 10, 2:30 PM – 3:45 PM ET
Plus, join us for the HKA-sponsored Knowledge Exchange Breakfast on Thursday, December 11, at 7:45 AM ET.
Looking forward to connecting and sharing insights that shape the future of construction law and risk management.
Join HKA, Adam Benedict, and Gatehouse Chambers for an in-depth seminar on an historic High Court ruling under the Building Safety Act 2022.
This session will explore the first-ever Building Liability Order made by the High Court under s130 of the Building Safety Act 2022, following the finding of a “relevant liability”, arising as a result of a “building safety risk” in the landmark judgment of HHJ Jefford DBE in the 381 Southwark Park Road case. This decision, to date, remains the only case under which such an order has been made and will undoubtedly be of significance in considering future applications in other cases.
The dispute involved structural and fire safety concerns (amongst other things) following the attempted installation of modular penthouse units to a residential building in Southwark. The removal of the roof in this process allowed for substantial water ingress, leading to significant damage both to the structure of the property and to the individual flats, leaving many uninhabitable. The use of this remedy by the High Court provides a glimpse of the Court’s powers in holding associated corporate entities to account under the Building Safety Act 2022.
