Engineering and Construction
Robert B. Davidson, Esq., FCIArb, a retired partner of a major international law firm and the Executive Director of JAMS Arbitration Practice, is now one of the country’s foremost commercial arbitrators and mediators. In over 30 years of practice, Mr. Davidson has litigated or arbitrated almost every type of commercial dispute, before courts and juries in the United States, and abroad before international tribunals. Mr. Davidson has acted in numerous arbitrations as sole arbitrator, as a party-appointed neutral, and as Chair of tripartite panels. He regularly sits in JAMS, CPR, AAA, ICDR, ICC, and
ad hoc cases.
Since joining JAMS in 2003, Mr. Davidson has also become a sought-after mediator whose prior practice as a litigator and extensive experience as a neutral in both international and domestic arbitrations has given him a substantive and procedural perspective rarely found in the same individual. As such, he is regularly retained to assist in the mediation of the most complex commercial disputes, both international and domestic.
Representative Mediations
- Claim against surety for failure to pay performance bond triggered by defaulting carpentry subcontractor
- Claim by owner-developer against resort property manager for damages arising out of delays allegedly caused by manager’s design and other changes
- Claim involving indemnification by buyer of company engaged in construction of subway car door mechanism used in the London underground
Representative Arbitrations
- Chair of Arbitration Panel under CPR Non-Administered Rules involving dispute between former co-venturers under a Collaboration and License Agreement for the design, engineering and marketing of a device to assure the integrity of sea containers entering U.S. ports
- Chair of ICC Arbitration Panel in dispute by Resort Manager and lessee against Thai landlord for termination of lease of resort property caused by alleged force majeure event
- Chair of JAMS Arbitration Panel in dispute between Owner and Prime Contractor in dispute involving a direct roll, anneal and pickle (DRAP) line pre-pickling project for the design, fabrication and installation of pre-pickling system to treat stainless steel with various types of acid
- Chair of JAMS Arbitration Panel in dispute by Owner against Developer of Manhattan commercial property for alleged failure to abide by green standards and other provisions of development agreement
- Party Appointed Arbitrator for General Contractor, as assignee of Owner in infrastructure dispute against Architect for delay and negligence in design services rendered in connection with construction of cogeneration plant at Kennedy Airport
- Party Appointed Arbitrator for General Contractor, as assignee of Owner in infrastructure dispute against Design engineer (for delay and negligence in design of facility; party-appointed arbitrator for the general contractor)
- Sole Arbitrator in dispute by Painting Contractor v. Owner of multiple dwellings for compensation under painting contract
Supplementary Matters
- Representative construction arbitrations in which Mr. Davidson has acted as counsel to a party:
- H.A. Spalding & Co. v. Ministry of Transportation and Roads of the Islamic Republic of Iran, IUSCT; Award No. 212-437-3 (24 February 1986) (Claim for payment for road construction)
- Houston Contracting Company v. National Iranian Oil Co., Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal ("IUSCT"); Award No. 378-173-3 (22 July 1988) (Award of over $22 million for breach of pipeline construction contracts and expropriation of assets)
- Sedco Inc. et al. v. Iran Marine Industrial Company, et al.; Award No. 419-128/129-2 (30 March 1989) (Award for expropriation of shipyard; valuation of construction projects, among other assets)
