HKA

  Turmoil in the global economy is exposing an increasing number of large projects to unprecedented productivity and financial pressures. Severe microeconomic issues can arise on projects that stem from unforeseen macroeconomic events. We discuss this evolving situation and potential mitigants below. Introduction Turmoil is defined as “a state of confusion, uncertainty, or disorder”[1]https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/turmoil jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_53898_2_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_53898_2_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position:…

The use of delegated design in construction, where a project’s design professional of record (DPR) assigns responsibility for a specific part of the design to the contractor, is on the rise throughout the industry. This approach, historically limited in practice to a narrow set of specialized elements like steel stairs and fire sprinkler systems, is now being used for an ever-growing scope of specialties, from intricate excavations and sophisticated deep…

Maintaining an expert’s independence is of utmost importance. All participants in an arbitration or court proceedings know that a situation where an expert’s independence is being questioned should be avoided. However, what is a reasonable level of caution for legal advisors to hold when working with experts? Rebecca Ruthven Associate Director, Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages RebeccaRuthven@hka.com   The use of and interactions with experts can vary between litigation and…

As part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress on November 15, 2021, BABA established a domestic content preference for federal financial assistance obligated for infrastructure projects. The domestic content preference applies to three separate product categories: (i) iron or steel products, (ii) manufactured products, and (iii) construction materials.[1] Who Does BABA Apply to? BABA applies to non-federal entities (e.g., state governments, local governments, Indian tribes, institutes…

Attitudes towards women in the workplace are changing in the Gulf states – and the unlikely combination of technology and empathy can accelerate this transformation, according to pioneering female figures in construction. How women can succeed in the industry was the theme of a webinar on 22 June 2023 jointly hosted by global risk mitigation consultancy HKA and Reed Smith, the international law firm. Acknowledging the positive changes in the…

ChatGPT: Revolutionary tool or dangerous shortcut? Anna Kelly - Senior Consultant - annakelly@hka.com We asked ChatGPT, an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) language model developed by OpenAI, to write an article on the use of ChatGPT by damages expert witnesses. The result was 650 words of coherent and contextually relevant text produced in mere seconds. In the introduction, ChatGPT boldly claimed, “the emergence of advanced language models like ChatGPT has revolutionized the way…

HKA, a leading global consultancy in risk mitigation, dispute resolution, expert witness and litigation support services, announces today that Andrew Flower and Matthias Cazier-Darmois have joined the Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages (FACD)  practice, as Partners based in the firm’s Paris office. These two significant appointments further strengthen the firm’s capabilities in Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages, as the team continues to grow its presence across multiple industry sectors both…

By: Peter Caillard Peter Caillard asks why road construction projects suffer from the same disputes time and time again, and what can be done to straighten out the bends? Building roads for the betterment of transportation links remains a cornerstone of the economic growth strategies of many developed and developing nations. Road construction can be a complicated endeavour and every project is unique, but with thousands of years of experience…