Principal Sponsor

The program has been structured to appeal to a range of delegates from both private and public sectors and to provide detailed insight into various recent applications of Dispute Boards and their future use in major construction projects and other commercial contracts.

Papers prepared by the invited speakers will be issued to delegates in electronic format at time of registration, and published in the DRBF and DRBA website libraries after the Conference. DRB concept originated in the United States in the 1970s as a means to reduce the high level of disputation in the construction industry. As the concept expanded internationally and the focus on dispute avoidance has increased, the generalised term Dispute Boards (DBs) has come into common usage

Day 1 - Thursday 3 May 2012

SOLD OUT
Register for Waiting List

DRB Advanced Training Workshop: 
Lessons learned – how can we do better?

Workshop Sponsor

Welcome Cocktail Reception

1800 – 2030

Star Room, Darling Harbour Sponsor

Day 2 - Friday 4 May 2012

Conference

0815 – 0845	Registration and Morning Refreshments
0845 – 0900	Introduction by DRBA President - Doug Jones AM DRBA President Welcome Address Volker Jurowich - DRBF President
0900 – 0920	Keynote Address The Hon Nick Greiner AC, Chairman, Infrastructure NSW
0920 – 0925	Principal Sponsor Address Peter Brecht, President, Australian Constructors Association
0925 - 0930	Procedural announcements
0930 – 1100	Session 1 – Chairman: Doug Jones AM Dispute Board Concepts Internationally - Divergence or Convergence? Roger Brown -The United States / Canada (Region 1) Approach of DRB Procedures Including Dispute Avoidance Practices Dr Götz-Sebastian Hök - FIDIC/MDB approach in respect of Dispute Adjudication Boards Ron Finlay - DRB Practices and Trends in Australasia Sponsor
1100 – 1130	Morning Tea/Coffee Break
1130 – 1300	Session 2 – Chairman: George Golvan QC Dispute Avoidance – What does a Dispute Board offer? Ferdinand Fourie - Dispute Avoidance – What Does A Dispute Board Offer? Romano Allione - The Inherent Dispute Avoidance Properties of Dispute Boards Alan McLennan PSM -Dispute Avoidance Using Dispute Boards Sponsor Sponsor
1300 – 1400	Networking Lunch
1400 – 1530	Session 3 – Chairman: Alan McLennan PSM Owners’ Perspectives on Dispute Boards Deborah Bovarnick Mastin - Dispute Boards in the United States Chris Lock - Dispute Resolution Boards in Transport Infrastructure in NSW: Promoting a Collaborative Approach to Achieve Best-for-Project Outcomes Derek Skinner -The application, learnings and future direction of Dispute Resolution Boards in TMR Sponsor
1530 – 1600	Afternoon Tea/Coffee Break
1600 – 1715	Session 4 - Chairman: Tim Sullivan Future Opportunities for Dispute Boards Jim Perry - The Future of Dispute Boards in Non-Construction Applications and Why it Matters Ian Briggs - Future Opportunities for DRBs – IT, ICT, Resources and Insurance Sectors John Cooper - The use of DRBs in the oil and gas, manufacturing and defence industries Sponsor

Networking Cocktail Reception

1815 – 2100

Clayton Utz, Level 15, 1 Bligh Street Sponsor

Day 3 - Saturday 5 May 2012

Conference

0845 – 0935	Session 5 – Chairman Richard Kell AM FIDIC’s Experiences with Dispute Boards Keynote Speakers:  Geoff  French - FIDIC President - Dispute Boards in FIDIC Contracts. Aisha Nadar -The FIDIC Experience with Dispute Boards Sponsor
0935 – 1100	Session 6 – Chairman: Ron Finlay Key Legal Issues for Dispute Boards Michael Weatherall - Confidentiality and the Privileged Nature of DRB Meetings and Communications. Robert Regan - Some Comparisons with Arbitration Paula Gerber - The Role of Lawyers in DRBs Gerlando Butera - Statutory Adjudication v DRBs Deborah Bovarnick Mastin - Admissibility of Nonbinding Written Dispute Board Recommendations Presentations followed by an interactive Q & A Panel Session Sponsor
1100 – 1130	Morning Tea/Coffee Break
1130 – 1300	Session 7 – Chairman: Graham Easton Recent Experiences with Dispute Boards Hal McKittrick - James J. Audubon Bridge Project - Case Study In Dispute Avoidance Approach Paul Taggart - Case Studies_Xiaolangdi Multi-Purpose Dam and Ghazi Barotha HPP Dick Appuhn -DAB Use of Experts and Time Limits under the FIDIC Rules: A Case History George Golvan QC - Recent Experiences with DRBs in Australasia Sponsor
1300 – 1400	Networking Lunch
1400 – 1530	Session 8 – Chairman: Graeme Peck Future of Dispute Boards in the Asia-Pacific Region Graham Easton - Future for Dispute Boards in Australia and New Zealand Gordon Jaynes -In the Asia Pacific Region, "Quo Vadis" Dispute Boards? Toshihiko Omoto - JICA’s efforts for promotion of the use of Dispute Boards in the Asian region Colin Wall - The Dispute Resolution Adviser System Sponsor
1530 – 1600	Closing session - Chairman: Graeme Peck Volker Jurowich, DRBF President - Future DRBF developments Jim Perry, DRBF Region 2 Director - 13th International Conference Doug Jones AM, DRBA President - Closing Remarks
1600 – 1630	Afternoon Tea/Coffee Break

Gala Dinner - Venue: Art Gallery of NSW

1800 – 1900	Pre-Dinner Optional guided tour of selected gallery exhibits and the Archibald Prize Exhibition
1900 - 2230	Pre-Dinner Drinks and Canapés, followed by Gala Dinner Speakers: Welcome: Doug Jones AM DRBA President Sponsor’s Address: Ian Robertson Holding Redlich Guest Speaker: The Hon RJL (Bob) Hawke AC Sponsor

Exhibitor Sponsors
Media Partners

Social function details

Welcome Cocktail Reception: Sponsored by Evans & Peck this function will take place on the evening of 3 May at the Star Room in Darling Harbour. The venue has magnificent views over Darling Harbour and the city, and is conveniently located relative to the conference centre and Four Points by Sheraton. Formalities will be minimal. The objective is to give conference attendees and any accompanying persons an excellent opportunity to renew acquaintances and/or friendships with other delegates from Australia and around the world on the evening before commencement of the official conference program. The cost is included in the registration fee for delegates and any accompanying partner and is available as an optional event for workshop-only registrants and delegate guests other than accompanying partners. Dress code is smart casual.

Networking Cocktail Reception:This function will take place on the evening of the 4 May at the conclusion of the first day of conference proceedings. It is being fully hosted and catered for by one of Australia’s leading law firms, Clayton Utz, at their newly opened CBD offices. Dress code is lounge suit/cocktail dress.
The venue is a short taxi ride or brisk 15 minute walk from the conference venue and Four Points by Sheraton hotel.

Gala Dinner: The conference Gala Dinner will take place 5 May at one of Australia’s iconic cultural venues, the Art Gallery of New South Wales. This function will mark the closure of the conference and will be an ideal opportunity for delegates and their partners to cement new friendships and farewell old friends. Dress code is lounge suit/cocktail dress.

International Construction Law Conference 2012

The 12th Annual International DRBF Conference has been arranged to allow delegates an opportunity to attend the Society of Construction Law’s 4th International Conference to be held in Melbourne from 6-8 May. The SCL conference will be of interest to many attending the DRBF conference in Sydney. See www.constructionlaw2012.com