Haitham Khaireldin
BEng LLM FCIArb MRICS MCInstCES MAE

Haitham Khaireldin BEng LLM FCIArb MRICS MCInstCES MAE is a principal with HKA Dubai office with nearly two decades of experience in construction, project planning, consultancy, and dispute resolution for oil & gas, power & utilities, airports, infrastructure, and buildings projects in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the UK.

Haitham is a testifying accredited delay and quantum expert witness with civil engineering, quantity surveying, and legal backgrounds. He has worked on many major projects around the world, including renewable power & utilities projects in the UK; oil and gas projects (including LNG) in Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait, KSA, Qatar, and UAE; airports and roads and highways projects in UAE; buildings projects (including defence, government, public sector, health, and education) in UAE; and industrial projects in UAE and Egypt.

He has experience as a party-appointed expert in arbitration and as an expert in litigation and has given written and oral evidence to the arbitral tribunal and cross-examined by counsel. He has been appointed more than 200 times by the Court as an Expert providing independent review and determination as part of legal proceedings for various types of disputes, including civil engineering, building and real estate.

Iryna Akulenka
BEng MSc FCIArb RICS Registered Expert Witness

Iryna Akulenka BEng MSc FCIArb RICS Registered Expert Witness is a director at HKA and a strategic advisor with nearly two decades of experience, including in real estate, engineering and construction, and more recently in professional services including dispute resolution, preparation & defence of contractual claims, and expert work. Iryna acts as an arbitrator in construction and property disputes and also teaches International Arbitration with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).

Iryna is dual qualified, holding a Bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master degree in Construction Law, Dispute Resolution and Arbitration. 

Iryna specialises in contracts & quantum and is known for her commercial acumen and her ability to quickly get to the root of the issues. Prior to joining HKA, Iryna has held project management positions with consultancies in the United Arab Emirates, managing the commercial, financial and technical delivery aspects of numerous design and construction projects, whilst also developing client relationships in the MENA and CIS countries. This experience, coupled with a broad skillset, has enabled Iryna to smoothly transition into contractual claims and dispute resolution, assisting clients in any facet of contractual disputes in the infrastructure, construction, oil & gas, and energy sectors.

Iryna is registered as an arbitrator with a number of institutions including AIAC, DIAC, HKIAC, VIAC, IAC, TIAC, LCIA, EDAC, ISTAC, Chamber of Arbitrators Belarus, and served as an arbitrator under DIAC Rules. 

Jason Weller
Legally qualified Chartered Quantity Surveyor

Jason Weller is a legally qualified Chartered Quantity Surveyor with 22 years of involvement in the engineering and construction industries. He specialises in quantum expert assessments, arbitration support, and the preparation and assessment of extension of time, prolongation and disruption claims. 

Jason’s background as a Commercial Manager for one of the UK’s largest main contractors has provided Jason with a deep commercial awareness which he relies upon to provide practical advice and independent expert opinion to both clients and contractors. 

Whilst a Commercial Manager, Jason was responsible for both pre- and post-contract commercial functions including tender strategy; preparation of contract documentation; risk management; contract administration; subcontracting; submission and settlement of claims; dispute resolution; and financial reporting. In addition, Jason was involved in cost planning and value engineering of projects which has afforded him the ability to quickly understand and assess technical engineering solutions.

Michael Tonkin
BSc DipArb DipICIArb FRICS FCIArb FCIOB FDBF MAE CArb

Michael Tonkin BSc DipArb DipICIArb FRICS FCIArb FCIOB FDBF MAE CArb is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor, Chartered Arbitrator, Chartered Builder, CEDR Accredited Mediator, RICS Accredited Expert Witness and testifying Expert Witness in quantum with 35 years of experience in the construction industry. He leads HKA’s Expert Services practice for the Middle East, Asia & Africa.

Michael has been appointed as Arbitrator on more than 65 occasions (as sole Arbitrator, Chairman of a tribunal of three, and Co-Arbitrator) under the auspices of ICC, LCIA, DIAC, ADCCAC and the TAI.  He is a listed panel member for the following arbitral institutions: DIAC, LCIA, ADGM, QICCA, CIArb, RICS President’s Panel, HKIAC, SIAC, KCAB, KLRCA and TAI.

Nicola Caley
BA(Hons), PGDip Legal Practice;
PGDip Alternative Dispute Resolution;
LLM, MBA (in progress);
FCIArb, FCGP, MCInstCES, RICS Accredited Mediator

Nicola Caley has more than 24 years’ experience in construction with more than 13 years focused on strategic claims management, claims determination, contractual claims preparation and defence and dispute resolution. She is a legal professional with an LLM in Construction Law and Arbitration, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an RICS accredited mediator.
 
Nicola has led teams on many complex and technically demanding claims assignments where she regularly advises on claims and commercial matters on major projects within challenging environments. She has a wealth of commercial, contractual and management experience gained from working on complex infrastructure, buildings and oil and gas projects throughout UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa and India. Other experience includes retail, housing developments, commercial and mixed-use buildings.

She is well versed with most current standard forms of contract and has an excellent working knowledge of the NEC, JCT and FIDIC suites of contracts.  She has a particularly strong background in claims, bespoke contracts and the use of interim dispute resolution techniques on distressed projects.