Law & Arbitration
Construction and Projects Disputes
Claims discipline. Technical clarity. Recovery focus.
Construction and Projects Disputes is a practice-led premium advisory service under Legal & Regulatory. Construction disputes are decided on documentation, chronology and technical clarity — Handle structures claims, evidence and expert inputs to control the narrative, the timeline and the recovery.
When this is needed
Construction Dispute Resolution in the UAE: where the mandate begins.
- Delay, disruption or variation claims are escalating, and entitlement depends on notices and records not yet in order.
- Payment, retention or bond disputes are putting cash flow and project continuity at risk.
- Defects, termination or consultant liability claims now threaten the value of the project asset.
- A project dispute must move to adjudication, arbitration or court with enforcement planned from the start.
Matters Handle leads
Construction and project matter types.
Four matter types. One claims discipline built for recovery.
Infrastructure Disputes
Disputes on strategic, public-private and utility infrastructure — where contracts, stakeholders and timelines are complex.
Real Estate Development Disputes
Developer, contractor and investor disputes across residential, commercial and mixed-use projects.
Delay, Disruption, and Payment Claims
EOT, prolongation, disruption, liquidated damages and payment claims structured on the record.
EPC and Consultant Liability Disputes
Design, EPC and consultant liability claims — causation, standard of care and quantum made explicit.
The scope
Construction and Projects Disputes — scope, made explicit.
A focused, premium mandate — with the project asset, its cash flow and its recovery position at the center.
Entitlement Position
Contract terms, notices and time bars mapped into a clear entitlement — for claimants and defending parties alike.
Record & Chronology
Programme data, correspondence and site records reconstructed into one chronology that holds under scrutiny.
Technical & Quantum
Delay, causation and quantum experts appointed early and aligned to the case theory.
Cash Flow Protection
Bonds, guarantees, retention and interim payments secured while the dispute runs.
Forum & Recovery
Adjudication, DIAC or ICC arbitration, or UAE, DIFC and ADGM courts — with recovery mapped before the hearing.
The mandate
Claims discipline. Recovery focus.
Construction disputes are won on documentation, chronology and technical clarity. Handle structures claims and defences with disciplined records, expert alignment and procedural control.
Dispute strategy stays aligned to recovery, settlement leverage and enforceable remedies — protecting capital position and project outcomes across courts and arbitration.
What the mandate delivers
- Claims and defence strategy across delay, variation, defects and termination
- Documentation control including notices, records and chronology structuring
- Quantum and expert management aligned to case theory
- Interim relief and protection measures where exposure is escalating
- Arbitration and litigation management across applicable forums
- Recovery and enforcement planning aligned to practical outcomes
How the work runs
Four disciplines. One recovery pathway.
Every construction dispute is run as a governed programme — from entitlement to executed recovery.
01
Claims Discipline
Notices, records and quantum structured to strengthen entitlement and reduce dispute uncertainty.
02
Technical Clarity
Expert inputs coordinated early and aligned to case theory, chronology and decisive hearing points.
03
Contract Leverage
Contractual rights used to control timeline, compel compliance and protect the recovery position.
04
Recovery Planning
Dispute execution aligned to enforceable recovery — including settlement leverage and execution steps.
The Handle model
Practice-led. Never fragmented.
The matter may begin here — it stays connected to strategy, capital and law.
Strategy & Operations
The work stays connected to market position, operating model, performance and execution governance.
M&A & Capital
The work stays aware of capital readiness, investor review, transaction logic and deployment discipline where relevant.
Legal & Regulatory
The work stays protected through structure, rights, governance, enforceability and regulatory or dispute readiness.
Why Handle
Projects protected. Recovery executed.
Handle does not separate the dispute from the project. Partner-led teams manage milestones, hearings and settlement posture — so works keep moving where they can, and recovery is enforced where they cannot.
- Claims structuring built on documentation control and technical clarity
- Expert and quantum coordination aligned to case strategy
- Partner-led management of milestones, hearings and settlement posture
- Recovery focus across variations, delay, defects and termination disputes
- Forum capability across UAE courts and arbitration frameworks
- Outcomes measured in recoveries, risk containment and project protection
Good litigation is disciplined project management. Clear filings, clean evidence, and a hearing plan that your board understands. That is how outcomes travel from courtroom to cash.
Hamda Al FalasiPartner, Law & Arbitration
Engagement paths
Where this work typically begins.
Growth & Expansion
When the asset must scale capacity, geography, capital, partnerships or market share.
Turnaround
When the asset must reset structure, capital, law, governance and operations under pressure.
Coverage
Built for the forums where project disputes are decided.
Handle leads construction and project disputes through adjudication where available, DIAC and ICC arbitration, and UAE Federal, DIFC and ADGM courts — for employers, developers, contractors and consultants.
Forums · Courts & arbitration
Related service lines · Law & Arbitration
Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCommercial and Corporate DisputesShareholder and Joint Venture ControlBanking and Finance DisputesEmployment Litigation for EmployersInternational ArbitrationInjunctions and Emergency ReliefAward Recognition and EnforcementFraud and Asset TracingRegulatory and Investigations
Questions, answered
Construction Dispute Resolution — questions, answered.
How Handle leads construction and project disputes from entitlement to enforced recovery.
Which construction claims does Handle handle?
Delay, disruption, extension of time, liquidated damages, defects, variations and payment disputes.
Does Handle work with technical and quantum experts?
Yes. Technical and quantum experts are appointed for causation, schedule forensics and valuation — and aligned to the case theory.
Which forums are used?
Adjudication where available, DIAC and ICC arbitration, and UAE, DIFC and ADGM courts.
How is cash flow protected during the dispute?
Through enforcement of bonds and guarantees, retention release and structured interim payments.
What if contract administration is weak?
Records, notices and entitlement are reconstructed to reinforce the claim or the defence.
How fast can a matter move?
Early determinations and interim measures are pushed while final proceedings continue.
Does Handle act for employers or contractors?
Both. The mandate is the outcome and its enforceability.
Can a settlement keep the project moving?
Yes. Completion-linked settlements are designed so works continue while the dispute closes.
Which documents matter most?
Programme data, contemporaneous records, QA/QC files and commercial correspondence.
How is project disruption contained?
Through early risk mapping, stakeholder alignment and controlled communication protocols.
Insights
Perspectives from live mandates.
Partner-led analysis on law, capital and strategy, shaped by boardroom realities across the UAE and the GCC.
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Work with Handle
Begin with Construction and Projects Disputes — kept connected to the whole Handle model.
When the project is tested by law.
Request an initial review
When the project position must be protected.
Set out the matter. A partner reviews it and responds with a defined route, claims strategy and accountable lead.
- Partner-level review of every request
- Strict confidentiality and privilege from first contact
- One accountable partner from review to execution
