David Savage

David has been appointed as a delay expert witness on multiple occasions and has given oral evidence under cross-examination. He provides clear, independent advice on complex construction disputes, helping clients understand risk and make informed decisions.

His experience covers delay matters from the early stages of developing disputes through to mediation, adjudication, arbitration, and litigation.

David has worked across a wide range of sectors, including real estate, high-rise buildings, oil and gas, power and manufacturing plants, data centres, rail, roads, tunnels, bridges, healthcare, airports, retail, and information technology. He has advised public and private sector clients on project delays.

He has experience working with NEC, JCT, FIDIC, ICE, and bespoke forms of contract, and has worked for extended periods on projects across Europe, Russia, Qatar and Hong Kong, as well as on projects in several other countries.

Alongside dispute work, David advises clients on contracting and procurement, project set-up, planning, and delivery. He has also reviewed delayed and over-budget projects and helped clients develop strategies to recover performance and avoid disputes.

Prior to becoming a consultant, David worked for an international contractor in Iraq during the Iraq War, managing teams delivering civil engineering, power generation and distribution, water, and sewerage infrastructure projects.

David’s recent professional experience includes:

• M&E Contractor on Residential Blocks in the UK: Appointed as the delay expert in this adjudication regarding the delays on two large blocks of over 300 flats.
• Residential Blocks of 51 Flats in the UK: Appointed as the delay expert in an adjudication regarding the delayed construction of residential blocks of flats. The client won 100% of the dispute.
• Oil and Gas Production Facility Project in the UK: Appointed as the delay expert in an adjudication against the contractor.
• Piling Subcontract for Apartment Block in the UK: Appointed as the delay expert in an adjudication regarding the critical delay caused by the introduction of asbestos onto site.
• Luxury Residential Development: Appointed as the delay expert in a dispute against the fit-out subcontractor, which settled in advance of formal proceedings.
• Retail Complex in the UK: In preparation for litigation, David analysed the delays to the construction of a retail complex caused by an incident where the underground tunnel of a live metro line was breached by an excavator. The dispute settled before trial.
• Opulent Villa Complex in the Middle East: Lead delay analyst supporting the delay expert in this ICC arbitration, on which the contractor was terminated on this approximately £100 million villa complex.
• High Rise Residential Building in the UK: Assessed the critical delays to the construction of a 53-story building. The dispute settled in advance of formal proceedings.
• Large Residential Apartment Block in the UK: Engaged by a developer to assess the delays to the project and to the cladding contractor’s works.
• Data Centre in Ireland: The lead delay analyst supporting the expert on this dispute (in adjudication and LCIA arbitration) over cost overruns and delays, on which the contractor was terminated, and there was no accepted programme.
• Stadium Redevelopment in the UK: David developed the delay analysis and expert report to assess the delays to the stadium redevelopment project.
• Metro Project in the UK: Engaged by the developer to assess the critical delay to the metro line extension project. The dispute was settled prior to formal proceedings.
• Windfarm in Europe: Assessment of the prolongation of transportation and installation vessels for this delayed project.