Be sure to register for the fourth and final webinar of this series, Best P3 Practices in the US – Dispute Management, Mitigation and Resolution, scheduled for December 19 at noon EST.
This series is based on developing best practices for US public-private partnerships (P3s). P3s are coming into their own across the US, with high expectations as to how federal and state infrastructure funds can be leveraged when partnered with the private sector. Partnerships are complex on a good day, and parties often must readjust expectations based on market risk, interest rates, contractor and supply shortages, and recognition that risk has to be allocated on a reasonable basis, acceptable to both the private and public sector.
We hope you will join us and that you will feel free to submit questions ahead of time or ask during the webinar.
We are thrilled to announce that Sandra McQuain, CEO of the McQuain Group, will be our moderator. Her infrastructure experience and quick wit will make for a good conversation with our panelists.
Karol Denniston, our Global Projects Partner, is excited to welcome Sandra McQuain, Ann Russo, Graham Thomson, and Jonathan Taunton to our webinar panel.
About the Panelists
Sandra McQuain
Sandra McQuain is the founder and CEO of The McQuain Group LLC. She is a passionate advocate for the utilization of the P3 model for building and improving transportation and social infrastructure in the US. Through her media and public relations firm, she provides private and public sector clients with guidance on community engagement strategies for their P3 endeavors. Sandra also serves as director of programs for the Association for the Improvement of American Infrastructure (AIAI), is the national master of ceremonies for P3C Media’s seven infrastructure conferences and is a contributing writer to P3 Bulletin, an international publication reporting on P3 projects and trends across the globe.
Karol Denniston
Karol Denniston is a member of our Global Board and the firm’s Global Projects Partner, responsible for our ongoing expansion of global infrastructure projects. Karol is a key component of the firm’s commitment to P3 representations and other infrastructure work in North America and around the world. Karol has a long history in infrastructure finance and development and has broad knowledge regarding project structuring and financing. She is a deeply experienced restructuring lawyer familiar with righting struggling infrastructure projects and putting them back on track.
Ann Russo
Ann Russo is Executive Director of the Dispute Resolution Board Foundation, the non-profit association dedicated to the effective use of Dispute Review Boards worldwide. She is co-editor of the Dispute Board Manual: A Guide to Best Practices and Procedures. Prior to joining the DRBF in 2002, she served as Public Relations Manager for J.A. Jones, Inc., $2.4 billion global engineering and construction firm. She received the DRBF President’s Distinguished Service Award in 2005.
Graham Thomson
With a background in engineering, law, collaborative working and technology, Graham has decades of experience in major projects globally. As a project engineer, Graham initially spent 10 years in large-scale international project management. Transitioning to law, Graham quickly developed an international reputation for successful resolution of complex legal and commercial issues; as a partner of major law firms and as CCO for the largest Independent Power Producer in Asia.
Over the same period, Graham led the development of the 'pure alliance' model in Australia and beyond, and is passionate about the benefits of collaborative working. This unique mix of skills and experience led to an appreciation of the pivotal importance of technology in transforming the understanding and management of complex contracts, which Graham lives and breathes every day as CEO of Affinitext.
Jonathan Taunton
Jonathan Taunton focuses his practice on construction law and construction disputes. He represents US and international clients, including owners, contractors and designers. His disputes practice spans mediation, arbitration and litigation involving projects in the Middle East, Africa and the US. Representative projects include major international airports, highways, mass transit systems, commercial and residential developments, and oil and gas facilities. His clients include governments, developers, manufacturers, design firms, contractors and subcontractors. Jonathan’s dispute practice includes appearances in arbitrations under the ICC, LCIA, ICE, DIAC, AAA and ad hoc arbitrations. He also represents clients in the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts and advises on disputes before courts in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Iraq.
