Experts & Advisors
Israel Almodovar
Senior Managing Director
201 E. Washington Street, Suite 1410
Phoenix, AZ 85004
+1.602.257.0075 Main
+1.602.528.8055 Direct
+1.609.781.0164 Mobile
Israel Almodovar is a Senior Managing Director at Ankura, based in Phoenix, with over 20 years of experience in the construction industry. He specializes in providing expert witness and advisory services on domestic and international construction projects in the areas of schedule delay, cost overruns, and other project management issues. Since 2017, Israel has been recognized in the annual rankings of Who’s Who Legal: Construction, Who’s Who Legal: Consulting Experts, and Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration. He has lectured at various international conferences regarding project administration and construction claims issues. He is fluent in Spanish.
Experience
The projects for which Israel has provided his expertise entail a variety of issues such as delay, disruption, acceleration, force majeure, differing conditions, contract risk allocation, termination for default, among others. His clients include owners, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and insurance companies. Israel’s project experience includes work in various countries throughout the United States and Latin America.
Some of Israel’s recent disputes and expert witness experience include:
- Gas Pipeline in Peru: Performed a delay analysis for the construction of a US$200 million, 300-kilometer gas pipeline in Peru. Israel provided expert reports summarizing his opinions and expert witness testimony on behalf of the contractor during the ICC arbitration hearings related to the dispute between the contractor and the project owner.
- Hydroelectric Power Plant in Guatemala: Provided expert testimony on behalf of a tunneling subcontractor during ICC arbitration proceedings between the subcontractor and the project EPC contractor. The dispute arose due the termination of the US$55 million tunneling subcontract by the contractor, who was responsible for the construction of a 114MW hydroelectric power plant in Guatemala. Israel’s opinions were based on his analysis of delays to the tunneling work and the overall project.
- Upscale Shopping Center in Puerto Rico: Performed a delay analysis related to the fabrication and erection of structural steel work for the construction of a $475 million upscale shopping center in Puerto Rico. Israel provided expert opinions on behalf of the structural steel subcontractor, in its dispute against the project’s general contractor, during the American Arbitration Association proceedings between the parties, which was settled prior the scheduled hearings.
- Hydroelectric Power Plant in Panama: Provided expert opinions on behalf of the owner regarding the termination of a US$15 million contract for the construction of a 9MW hydroelectric power plant in Panama. Israel provided expert reports and hearing testimony during the ICC arbitration proceedings between the owner and the contractor. His testimony addressed issues such as delay, disruption, and damages.
- Highway Construction in Arizona: Provided expert opinions on behalf of a material stabilized earth wall supplier and its insurance carrier related to the subcontractor’s performance during the construction of such a system on a US$42 million highway project in Arizona. Israel provided expert reports, as well as deposition and hearing testimony, during the arbitration between the supplier and the project’s general contractor. His opinions included delay and damages issues.
- Port Modernization in Peru: Performed a delay analysis related to the construction of a US$27 million modernization project of port facilities in Peru. Israel provided expert reports and testimony in hearings during the Lima Chamber of Commerce arbitration proceedings between the contractor and the project owner.
Project Management Advisory Services:
- Gas Pipelines in Mexico: Israel provided advisory services to the owner of a portfolio of gas transportation assets in Mexico. His services included the review of project records, including communications, schedules and cost reports, and providing recommendation to management for claims management and mitigation purposes.
- Coal Fired Power Plant in Guatemala: Provided advisory services, including contract and project control management, to the owner during the construction of a US$500 million, 300MW coal fired power plant in Guatemala. Due to significant delays encountered during the construction of the project, the owner terminated the EPC contractor for default. Israel continued to provide his services through the termination of the contractor and the re-procurement of the project and provided litigation support services for the termination related arbitration proceedings.
- Combined Cycle Power Plant in Peru: Provided advisory services, including contract and project control management, to the owner during the construction during the construction of a US$497 million 520MW combined cycle plant in Peru, built under an EPCM agreement with a large international firm, and several local and international trade contractors. Israel also provided training to owner and EPCM personnel on claims avoidance and mitigation.
- Education
- MBA, Rutgers University
- MS, Civil Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- BS, Civil Engineering, University of Puerto Rico
- Honors & Awards
- Who’s Who Legal says: “Israel Almodovar is ‘a very well-known practitioner in the region’ according to sources who credit him with ‘excellent ability’ on delay analysis.”
- Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration
- Who’s Who Legal: Consulting Experts
- Who’s Who Legal: Construction
- Certifications
- Professional Engineer (Arizona and Puerto Rico)
- Affiliations
- Puerto Rico Professional College of Engineers and Land Surveyors