Nick Oury
Nick is a Partner specialising in construction and engineering disputes in the infrastructure and energy sectors.
Nick is a Partner and Head of the firm’s Middle East contentious construction and engineering practice. Based in Dubai, Nick advises on disputes across the GCC and wider Middle East.
Nick helps parties involved in major international projects navigate the various issues that arise in construction and engineering disputes. He has an in-depth understanding of the complex challenges in bringing and defending claims relating to time, cost and quality. He works closely with the various technical experts that are often essential to the successful resolution of construction disputes, leveraging their evidence in legal argument to achieve a commercially favourable result.
Nick’s experience covers matters of a variety of scale and complexity in the energy (including renewables), infrastructure, oil & gas, and transport sectors. Nick has acted on international arbitrations under all the major institutional rules, and involving all major forms of procurement (construction, design and build, EPC). He also regularly conducts training on issues specific to construction arbitration in Middle East jurisdictions.
His expertise is recognised by his rankings in the leading legal directories, including Chambers & Partners, the Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal.
Background
Before beginning his career in law, Nick read Classics at Oxford University. Nick trained with the firm, qualifying as a solicitor of England and Wales and spending eight years in the firm’s London office.
Prior to Dubai, he also spent time in the firm’s Paris and Tokyo offices, and has a wealth of experience of working with clients across the globe, in particular on their projects in the Middle East.
Nick became head of the firm’s highly-rated Middle East construction disputes practice in 2019.
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- a consortium of international contractors a consortium of international contractors on a dispute relating to a USD 20 billion major infrastructure project in Saudi Arabia
- an international oil and gas company on various disputes arising out of two separate EPC contracts for the construction of oil and gas facilities in Iraq
- a Korean contractor in relation to force majeure and change in law claims arising due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction of a significant project in Dubai
- a major real estate development company on DIAC arbitration proceedings regarding a joint venture agreement to develop a major residential and leisure infrastructure project in the UAE
- a Saudi Arabian subsidiary of a Chinese oil and gas company on a Singapore-seated ICC arbitration arising from an aromatic project subcontract governed by English Law in relation to a petrochemical project in Saudi Arabia
- the Operator and Maintenance Contractor of a major Saudi Arabian power and water plant in relation to potential claims against the Plant Owner in respect of contractual payment provisions
- a Saudi Arabian investment company on claims for additional cost and extensions of time arising from a hotel and shopping mall project in the UAE
- an international gas and renewable energy company on issues arising out of the operation and maintenance of an IWPP in Abu Dhabi
- an international consortium of contractors on ICC arbitration proceedings arising out of the termination of a £250 million EPC contract (FIDIC Silver Book) for a substantial infrastructure project in the Middle East
- a Japanese heavy industries contractor on claims for delayed payment and extensions of time arising from a refinery project in Saudi Arabia
Sectors
