Presenters

Mark Gillard, Special Counsel, Simpson Grierson
Mark is a Special Counsel in Simpson Grierson’s construction group, specialising in construction, infrastructure and procurement. Mark joined the Simpson Grierson in 2018 after spending 15 years in Australia where he worked both in top tier law firms (Clayton Utz and Herbert Smith Freehills) and in-house roles assisting with the successful delivery of major infrastructure projects across Australia, including several significant public transport projects in Sydney. His experience covers projects across the rail, roads, telecommunications, water, energy, property development and defence sectors. These projects have been delivered using a wide variety of documentation, from short form minor works contracts to suites of complex PPP documents for the financing and construction of major infrastructure. Mark has advised on resolving complex, high value disputes, including the renegotiation and amendment of project documents for PPP, joint venture and alliance arrangements. Where a dispute cannot be avoided, Mark is experienced in developing and implementing strategies which resolve disputes efficiently and minimise their impact on project delivery.


Helen Macfarlane, Partner, Hesketh Henry
Helen practices in the cross-over areas of construction and insurance law, within which areas she provides both front-end and dispute resolution advice. She is a truly international lawyer, having been admitted as a barrister in London before working in New York for 15 years with leading law firm, Shearman & Sterling (now A&O Shearman), including on major construction disputes. Helen advises on projects in the commercial and infrastructure space, including front-end contract drafting and negotiations, advising during project construction, and handling disputes ranging from payment claim / EOT disputes to defending defective design and construction claims in High Court proceedings. Complementing her construction expertise, Helen’s insurance practice includes advising on professional indemnity, third party liability, material damage and contract works policies and acting as defence counsel in construction related professional indemnity claims. Helen is the current President of the New Zealand Society of Construction Law (NZSCL) and is individually recommended by Legal 500 as a leading construction lawyer and by Chambers as a Notable Practitioner in Insurance.