Nicholas is an international specialist arbitration, construction and engineering lawyer. A solicitor advocate and chartered surveyor, his dual qualifications provide a layer of expertise that adds a practical level to his work. The IBA’s International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers Today, listed Nicholas as one of the “ten most highly regarded individuals internationally for construction law”. Nicholas is included as one of the Global Elite for Construction in Who’s Who Legal: Thought Leaders 2022 as a “titan of the international market” with peers praising him as “an exceptional lawyer and leader, with a large market presence”, and described him as “brilliant in his presentation of cases and very persuasive in his arguments”. He is ranked highly for International Arbitration in Chambers & Partners 2022 with clients quoted as saying “he goes out of his way to support us, often at very short notice, and provides clear advice and recommendations.”

Nicholas conducts a mix of international dispute resolution and projects work. Nicholas acts for contractors, employers and governments in a wide range of technically complex construction sectors internationally including: energy, infrastructure, rail and metro, communications, industrial, waste, water, desalination, process plant, oil and gas, and petrochemical, as well as defects, collapse and fire safety. Advising on numerous power projects around the world, he has advised in relation to Europe’s largest gas combined-cycle power plant, as well as on nuclear (new and old), oil, coal, hydro, offshore wind farm, biomass, solar and innovative ocean current projects and data centres.

Nicholas’ dispute resolution experience spans litigation, arbitration, adjudication, DAB/DRB/DAAB, mediation, early neutral evaluation and expert determination. His FIDIC experience is wide ranging including acting as a special adviser to FIDIC in respect of its 2017 edition contracts and in 2021 he was the FIDIC Adjudicator of the Year. Nicholas’ contract experience includes NEC, IChemE, JCT, MF/1, LOGIC, bespoke EPC/EPCM and PFI/PPP contracts. Nicholas is frequently selected to work on high value complex projects, including advising BAA in respect of T5 (£4.2 billion), the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, Expo 2020 in Dubai, CERN’s nuclear research facility, and the world’s most leaning building at Capital Gate, Abu Dhabi.

In the Legal 500 he is listed in the Hall of Fame for International Arbitration and has been described by clients as “eloquent” and having “excellent advocacy skills”. The directory has also recognised him for being “extremely good – he is very convincing during hearings at drilling down the issues to the core”.

Nicholas is Visiting Professor at King’s College London and a vice president of the ICC’s Arbitration Commission (past chairman, Standing Sub-Committee ICC’s International Centre for Expertise 2007–14). He is past president of the DRBF and past chairman of the Society of Construction Law. He has been published widely in the field of construction law and dispute resolution.

Fenwick Elliott

Fenwick Elliott is the largest construction and energy law firm in the UK, with offices in both London and Dubai. They work closely alongside clients to offer a full range of legal services for construction, engineering and energy projects worldwide.

Fenwick Elliott | The construction and energy law specialists