Leo Grutters is a Civil Engineer and a Dispute Resolution Expert with nearly 30 years of professional experience. He holds an MBA and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. As a Member of FIDIC's President's List of Approved Dispute Adjudicators he has been involved as an independent neutral expert in many large prestigious international engineering projects involving such wide-ranging sectors as roads, power generation & distribution, off-shore, marine, renewable energies, etc. He is a forensic analyst focused on the logical and fair resolution to contractual disputes. Due to his extensive participation in international contractual dispute resolution procedures such as Adjudication, Dispute Boards and Arbitration, he is a project-focused expert that understands the interaction between complex engineering methodologies and the unavoidable legal and commercial implications when seen in a contractual environment. He strongly believes in a common sense approach and will always strive to achieve the optimum result acceptable by all involved. He also regularly lectures on Dispute Resolution Methodologies, Proactive Contract Administration Systems & Procedures and he is a regular speaker at related international events. He also routinely conducts training and coaching events on the entire FIDIC Rainbow Suite of Contracts, as well as other construction management related topics.
Languages
English: fluent
German: fluent
Afrikaans: fluent
Dutch: mother tongue
Education
Civil Engineering Degree (Ing. (NL))
Master of Business Administration (Herriot Watt University, Edinburg) (MBA)
CEM Diploma in Arbitration (Reading University) (DipArb)
FIDIC Total Immersion Programme (DBF)
Professional Status
FIDIC President's List of Approved Dispute Adjudicators
VBI (Germany) listed FIDIC Adjudicator
Construction Dispute Adjudicator
Dispute Board Member
Professional Memberships
Fellow of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb)
Fellow Dispute Board Federation (FDBF)
DBTrainer Team
Dispute Resolution Board Foundation (DRBF)
Swiss Arbitrator Association (ASA)
European Arbitration Chamber (EAC)
Publications
Co-author of "ARCUS Guide to FIDIC red Book 1999" App (Apple and Android)
Co-author of the "FIDIC User's Guide to the Red, Yellow, MDB and Subcontract Books, 3rd Edition" (Publication by Thomas Telford / ICE)
Professional Experience
1999 – present
During this period he was mainly involved in high profile international engineering projects. His duties ranged from Engineer, Client Representative (CR), Counsel at Arbitration (CoA), Contract Administrator (CA) to Leading dispute resolution procedures such as DAB, Arbitration (Arb) and Adjudication (Adj), involving a high degree of co-operation with and between experts from the engineering as well as the legal fraternity. Representative projects include:
Three Gorges HPP - China - CA
Nürnberg Library Renovation - Germany - CR
Seastar Off-Shore Platform - USA - CR
Los Altos del Golf Villas - Spain - CR
Allianz Arena Munich - Germany - CA
Baltic 1 Off-Shore wind park - Germany - Adj
Baltic 2 Off-Shore wind park - Germany - Adj
Poznan E30 Motorway Bypass - Poland - CA
BTC Pipeline - Turkey - DAB
Rødsand 2 Off-Shore wind park - Sweden - DAB
Medupi & Kusili PP - South Africa - DAB Counsel
Tirana-Podgorica OHPL - Albania - DAB
Doha New Intern. Airport - Qatar - CA
Dubai T3 Baggage handling - UAE - CA
Casecnan HEPP - Philippines - CoA
Zilina/Presov E50 Motorway - Slovakia - CR
1996 – 1999
Preparation of complex delay and disruption claims as well the professional negotiations thereto.
King Abdullah Canal - Jordan
Morpeth Off-shore Oil platform - Texas USA
Narok Road - Kenya
1990 – 1996
Head Contract Administration MENA region for international Construction Group
Gubbrah III CCPP - Oman
Benghazi CCPP - Libya
Tripoli Süd CCPP - Libya
Zuwetina CCPP - Libya
Al Khoms CCPP - Libya
Sabha Road Project - Libya
1986 – 1990
Responsible for the preparation and implementation of a professional contract administrative system, allowing for optimised project results whilst maintaining a reduction for conflict potential through systematic project documentation.
Khayalitsha (Roads Project) - South Africa
KTC (Roads Project) - South Africa
Lesotho Highlands (Hydro Project) - Lesotho
1983 – 1986
Various construction projects throughout Southern Africa. Mainly involved in the preparation of contractual documents and tender procedures