Strategy

Transaction

Disputes

Commercial

Contract Dispute
and Expert Witness

Drawing on our extensive experience and knowledge, we provide integrity, insight and advice when our clients need it most. Our depth and hands-on experience, combined with our ability to apply rigorous forensic assessment and logical questioning to the issues, ideally positions E3 Advisory to provide expert opinion and advice on contractual disputes. This includes across the full range of infrastructure projects, from economic to social infrastructure, as well as commercial building and resource projects.

We help clients successfully manage and resolve disputes throughout the project life cycle. We provide robust expert advice on quantum (cost), time, constructability and defects analysis. This includes assessment of variations, delay, prolongation, disruption and acceleration.

Integrity, insight and advice

What we do

Our focus is on the successful resolution of issues as early and as efficiently as possible. We are here to support our clients where and when they need us.

Preparing Claims: We help clients to prepare claims to secure the best outcomes. We undertake forensic examination of the project records and bring specific expertise, which significantly improves the client’s success.

Assessing Claims: We advise clients as to the value and risks associated with claims presented to them prior to engaging in a formal or alternative dispute process.

Navigating Alternate Dispute Processes: We help clients avoid formal disputes by advising them through various alternate dispute processes available. We provide insight and guidance on negotiation strategies to achieve better outcomes.

Providing Expert Witness: We provide independent opinions for formal dispute resolution processes and add value by being able to provide opinion on both cost and time for today’s complex disputes.

Meet the team

Our team draws on a core of experience from delivering complex projects for both owners and contractors. This experience allows us to provide an advantage to our clients in understanding the issues and how best to resolve them.

Peter ByfordPrincipal

Peter Byford Principal

Peter is a Chartered Professional Engineer and Principal at E3 Advisory with over 50 years’ experience in construction. He provides front- and back-end advisory services for multi-billion-dollar transport and social infrastructure projects, delivering pragmatic solutions to even the most intractable dilemmas. Over the past five years, he has been involved in resolving the majority of megaproject disputes across the East Coast. Peter enjoys helping the next generation of advisors to develop their talents and chart their future careers. He is also a keen sailor with a strong appreciation for the importance of teamwork both on deck and on infrastructure projects.

  • Chartered Professional Engineer
  • Institution of Engineers Australia (member)
  • Australian Institute of Company Directors (fellow)

Peter is a Chartered Professional Engineer and Principal at E3 Advisory with over 50 years’ experience in the national and international construction sector. He is a strategic specialist, providing front- and back-end advisory services for multi-billion-dollar transport and social infrastructure projects. After half a century in the industry, Peter draws on a wealth of knowledge to deliver pragmatic solutions to even the most intractable dilemmas. He loves the challenge of helping his clients to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. 

Peter’s exceptional commercial dispute resolution capabilities make him an asset to clients involved in major contractual disputes. Over the past five years, he has been involved in resolving the majority of megaproject disputes across the East Coast. He is personally accountable for the delivery of detailed independent time, quantum, and constructability reviews and provides expert evidence before a range of tribunals. 

As one of the most experienced members of E3 Advisory, Peter is an invaluable mentor to his energetic younger colleagues. He enjoys helping the next generation of advisors to develop their talents and chart their future careers. Peter is also a keen sailor. He has a strong appreciation for the importance of teamwork on deck, seeing considerable parallels with the requirements of successful infrastructure projects.

Ian ThorpePrincipal

Ian Thorpe Principal

Ian is a Principal at E3 Advisory with over 30 years’ experience in the construction sector. He is a specialist delay analyst who provides clients with expert advice concerning the cause and extent of delays to their projects. Ian has prepared claims and expert reports for a range of formal and informal dispute resolution proceedings, including Supreme Court litigation. He is particularly proud of his role in helping one client to defend a security of payment claim valued at $60 million. When he’s not busy poring over figures, Ian likes to get away from it all by taking a bushwalking or going camping.

  • Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical)
  • Institution of Engineers Australia (member)
  • Resolution Institute (member)
  • Society of Construction Law Australia (member)

Ian is a specialist delay analyst and Principal at E3 Advisory with over 30 years’ experience in the construction sector. He provides clients with expert advice concerning the cause and extent of delays to their projects. Ian is a meticulous ‘numbers man’ who enjoys the challenge of identifying the right analytical approach for a particular case and producing an accurate delay assessment. He has delivered advice on delay causation for hundreds of projects spanning the commercial and residential construction, transport, energy, mining, water, aviation, petrochemical, and telecommunications sectors. 

Ian has prepared claims and expert reports for a range of formal and informal dispute resolution proceedings, including Supreme Court litigation. He is particularly proud of his role in helping one client to defend a security of payment claim valued at $60 million.  

When he’s not busy poring over figures, Ian likes to get away from it all by taking a bushwalk or going camping.

George TsipisPrincipal

George Tsipis Principal

George is a quantum and delay specialist and Principal at E3 Advisory with more than 35 years’ experience in the construction sector. He provides expert advice regarding the quantum and delay aspects of contractual disputes. George enjoys resolving contractual disputes that have a real impact on commercial outcomes. His extensive track record includes the arbitration of an international mega dispute in the International Chamber of Commerce which concerned the construction of a coal-fired power station in Guatemala. George loves fast cars and taking long drives in the country. He is also a sports fanatic with a particular appreciation for cricket.

  • Bachelor of Engineering (Civil)

George is a quantum and delay specialist and Principal at E3 Advisory. Leveraging more than 35 years’ experience in the construction sector, he provides expert advice regarding the quantum and delay aspects of contractual disputes. He enjoys resolving significant contractual disputes that have a real impact on the commercial outcomes of major projects. 

George applies his commercial acumen to a wide range of complex, multidisciplinary construction projects, from motorways, rail tunnels, and renewable energy to mining and energy mega projects, both in Australia and overseas. His extensive track record includes the successful resolution of an international mega dispute concerning the construction of a coal-fired power station in Guatemala. Resolved through arbitration in the International Chamber of Commerce, this dispute involved parties from the US and China as well as lawyers and experts from the US, Australia, the UK, and Hong Kong.

George loves fast cars and taking long drives in the country. He is also a sports fanatic with a particular appreciation for cricket.

Jay FlemingPrincipal

Jay Fleming Principal

Jay is a civil engineer and solicitor with 30 years’ experience in international construction. He is a Principal at E3 Advisory, specialising in commercial support and advice services. Jay boasts broad experience, including diverse engineering projects throughout Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and the Middle East, and four years as a practising solicitor. He takes pride in the success of his clients and the part he plays in delivering extraordinary, city-shaping projects. Jay likes to ride his bicycle to work whenever he can.

– Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) (Hons)
-Bachelor of Laws

Jay is a civil engineer and solicitor with 30 years’ experience in the international construction industry. He is a Principal at E3 Advisory, specialising in commercial support and advisory services for clients involved in major infrastructure projects. His current focus is on assisting clients to adopt contractual arrangements that minimise the potential for future claims and disputes. Jay offers a unique combination of practical engineering skills, business acumen, and commercial litigation capabilities. He boasts broad experience, including diverse engineering projects throughout Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and the Middle East, and four years as a practising solicitor.

For Jay, infrastructure advisory work is both highly challenging and extremely rewarding. He takes pride in the success of his clients and the part he plays in delivering extraordinary, city-shaping projects. He loves having the opportunity to work with a range of experienced, talented people in solving complex problems.
Jay likes to ride his bicycle to work whenever he can.

Ben MuirPrincipal

Ben Muir Principal

Ben is a Principal at E3 Advisory with 20 years’ experience in infrastructure planning and delivery. He provides commercial, cost, time, and constructability support and advice for major infrastructure projects, with a specific focus on tunnelling, rail, road, and civil works. Drawing on years of experience in major project delivery, Ben helps his clients to solve their infrastructure challenges and assess the cost, time, and risk implications of significant commercial decisions. As the sole male in a household comprised of his wife and three daughters, he takes advantage of any opportunity to enjoy some quiet time out in the ocean.

  • Bachelor of Engineering (Mining)
  • Master of Business Administration

Ben is a Principal at E3 Advisory with 20 years’ experience in infrastructure planning and delivery across Australia and the UK. He provides commercial, cost, time, and constructability support and advice for major infrastructure projects, with a specific focus on tunnelling, rail, road, and civil works.

Ben has previously taken leadership roles in the delivery of some of Australia’s largest transport infrastructure projects, including the multi-billion-dollar NorthConnex tunnel. As an infrastructure advisor, he draws on this experience to help his clients understand and solve their infrastructure challenges. Ben finds the diverse, interesting, and consistently challenging nature of infrastructure advisory work to be immensely rewarding. He loves having the opportunity to work with multiple clients across a number of major projects to assess the cost, time, and risk implications of significant commercial decisions.

As the sole male in a household comprised of his wife and three daughters, Ben takes advantage of any opportunity to enjoy some quiet time out in the ocean.