Confront the Achilles’ heel of building defect litigation with strategies designed to turn uncertainty into assured success. Whether you’re facing the threat of complex evidence or the traps of evolving adjudication processes, benefit from practical insights to safeguard your construction law clients. Learn how to avoid common flaws in payment claims, gain clarity on the recent Tesseract ruling, and sidestep the potential pitfalls along the way in your construction matters.

Presenters

Lachlan Palmos, Principal, Palmos Legal
Lachlan graduated with honours from the University of Notre Dame Fremantle, and was admitted to practice in Western Australia in 2013. Prior to establishing Palmos Legal in 2018, Lachlan spent three years at a highly regarded boutique commercial practice in West Perth and later at the Perth office of top-tier national law firm. Lachlan appears regularly as counsel in most Western Australian courts and tribunals, and has particular expertise in property law, insolvency and commercial disputes. Lachlan’s clients include many of Western Australia’s largest private schools (both independent and SECWA schools), major insurance companies, residential and commercial construction companies, law firms and accounting practices. Lachlan has an ongoing pro-bono practice, and has been the Chairman of the Western Australian Suburban Turf Cricket Association Tribunal since 2019. Lachlan is also a member of several Legal Aid Commission panels, and has held lecturing and tutoring positions in law units at UWA and Central Queensland University.


Juliana Jorissen, Partner, King & Wood Mallesons
Juliana is an experienced litigator specialising in the area of construction litigation and commercial dispute resolution. She is known for her international multi-party insight, collaborative approach and commercial thinking, assisting clients in the development of issues identification and claims management strategies and advising on complex contractual and non-contractual disputes. Juliana has acted on various disputes relating to oil and gas projects, major commercial and residential developments, rail and port operations, and electricity and gas disputes. While experienced in every aspect of dispute resolution, she specialises in achieving commercially sensible outcomes via alternative dispute resolution methods including adjudication, mediation and arbitration. She regularly advises on some of the most commercially strategic, high-value and complex disputes in the construction sector.


Gemma Nugent, Director, SoundLegal
Gemma Nugent is a construction contract lawyer with over 14 years of experience in the construction, engineering and mining services industries. For the past six years, she has run her own practice in Western Australia, specialising in practical, plain English contract advice. Gemma works with her clients to craft, review, and simplify construction and consulting contracts, so that her clients avoid legal pitfalls while strengthening their commercial relationships. Gemma is known for her approachable style and her ability to demystify legal jargon, making complex contract terms accessible and actionable. She regularly leads workshops on contract risk and management, helping project and contract management teams gain confidence in navigating legal frameworks.


Nunzio Lucarelli KC, Francis Burt Chambers
Nunzio has practised as a barrister in large, complex commercial litigation for 37 years. He has been a King’s Counsel for 23 years. He focuses on commercial law, corporations law, international commercial arbitration, property law, equity, trusts, international law, torts, insolvency and administrative law. Nunzio is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is a nationally-accredited mediator. In addition to being a member of the Victorian Bar, Nunzio is also a member of the Western Australian Bar. He holds chambers in Francis Burt Chambers in Perth, WA. Nunzio is experienced in all facets of trial and appellate advocacy in the Supreme Court of Victoria, the Supreme Court of Western Australia, the Supreme Courts of other States, the Federal Court of Australia, the High Court of Australia and in international commercial arbitrations. Nunzio has also acted for clients in Italy, Singapore, Japan and the United States. Before coming to the Bar, Nunzio was Associate to the Hon. Justice Woodward of the Federal Court. Prior to this, he was a solicitor at Arthur Robinson & Co. (now Allens), practising in corporate reconstructions and takeovers.


Scott Ellis, Barrister, Chartered Arbitrator, Mediator, Francis Burt Chambers
Scott Ellis practices as an arbitrator, adjudicator, mediator and barrister from Francis Burt Chambers. Prior to joining the Bar, he was a partner of Freehills for a number of years. He has dealt with more than 400 disputes as an arbitrator, mediator, expert determiner and as a third party neutral. He is a Fellow of ACICA and Resolution Institute. He is a Chartered Arbitrator and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is accredited to NMAS standards as a mediator. He is registered as an adjudicator under the Construction Contracts (Former Provisions) Act 2004 (still) and as a Grade 2 Adjudicator and a Review Adjudicator under the Building and Construction Industry (Security of Payment) Act, 2021. He is also a NSW adjudicator. He is a Senior Sessional Member of the State Administrative Tribunal and a member of the National Sports Tribunal. He is the Acting Corruption and Crime Commissioner. He has also appeared as counsel in Supreme Court proceedings for judicial review of adjudicator’s decisions. In 2022 he was listed by Doyle’s Guide as a Leading WA Mediator, and a Leading Barrister in Construction and Infrastructure and in Arbitration.