Alison Close is a construction lawyer specialising in the management of technically complex disputes by way of conventional and bespoke dispute resolution procedures.
She has a broad skill set in major projects across a range of industry sectors, including a stint as General Counsel at Nexus Energy. She is technically excellent and understands back end litigation and the strategic management of disputes, setting herself apart with her outstanding client management and relationship building skills.
Alison's passion is working with multi-disciplinary teams to resolve issues in a strategic and practical manner, without recourse to formal dispute resolution procedures. She is also skilled at educating engineering personnel in best practice project delivery and claims avoidance, and at translating her experiences to improve contract documentation at procurement stage.
Clients will benefit from Alison's extensive experience of energy, aviation, road and hospital project procurement, delivery, operations and maintenance phases, and from her commercial and practical approach to claims management.
Expertise
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Construction and Major Projects
Disputes
- West Gate Tunnel Project – West Gate Tunnel Authority: Alison is managing the State's response to Project Co claims during the delivery stage and assisted in the development of the project scope and requirements during procurement.
- Peninsula Link – Linking Melbourne Authority/VicRoads: Alison was a member of the State project team managing Project Co and various stakeholders in the delivery of Peninsula Link. This included the resolution of various extension of time and completion claims, several series of proximate state work, and in the management of the interface with EastLink. She also assisted in the resolution of defects claims and other issues arising during the O&M phase of Peninsula Link including Service Centres development.
Project delivery and claims avoidance
- CityLink – VicRoads, Linking Melbourne Authority, Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure, and the Department of Treasury and Finance Victoria: Alison advised on the impacts of West Gate Tunnel, East West Link and groundwater related issues on the State's rights and liabilities arising under the CityLink Concession Deed.
- East West Link Project – Linking Melbourne Authority: Alison assisted the engineering team to prepare, negotiate and finalise project requirements and project scope.
See Construction and Major Projects
Energy and Resources
- Basslink Project – Hydro Tasmania: Alison is acting in three arbitrations and is advising in relation to commercial issues associated with the Basslink interconnector.
- Ichthys Project: Alison advised INPEX in relation to large extension of time and variation claims made by JKC, the contractor for the onshore LNG processing facility.
- GLNG Projects: Alison prepared evidence in a UNICITRAL arbitration to recover costs associated with delayed construction of a pipeline to the Curtis Island LNG Facility in Gladstone, Queensland.
- APLNG Project: Alison provided claims advice for financiers.
- Uranquinty Project – Origin Energy: Alison acted in a successful arbitration against Siemens to recover the cost to rectify the Uranquinty Power Station, a gas fired power station emitting noise in excess of EPA requirements.
- Nexus Energy: Alison acted in defence of a $70 million Federal Court action brought by Sedco Forex for repudiation of a contract to drill exploration wells within the Crux oil and gas field in the Browse Basin. The second defendant to the proceeding was Nexus's joint venture partner, Osaka Gas, and the matter was required to be managed in the context of an ongoing joint venture relationship.
- Darling Downs Project – Origin Energy: Alison negotiated the recovery of liquidated damages from GE for the supply of defective equipment required to construct the Darling Downs power station project in Queensland. This outcome was achieved without reference to the dispute resolution provisions of the supply contract.
- Telfer gas pipeline project – McConnell Dowell: Alison acted in the prosecution of two Victorian Supreme Court actions. The first to recover from GasNet, the pipeline operator, variation and prolongation costs following the construction of a gas pipeline from Port Headland to the Telfer gold mine in Western Australia. The second Supreme Court action was to defend a claim brought by McConnell Dowell's subcontractor, Ancon Trading, in relation to defects in a pipeline affecting the subcontractor's ability to perform its scope of work.
See Energy and Resources
Transport and Logistics
- New Terminal 4 and Multi-Level Structure (MLS) Projects – Australia Pacific Airports Corporation (APAC): Alison assisted in the management of over 65 extension of time and variation claims by the D&C Contractor and in the documentation of a settlement with the D&C Contractor to accelerate the date of completion.
See Transport and Logistics