Presenters

Melissa Koo, Partner, Squire Patton Boggs
Melissa is a specialist construction lawyer with extensive experience in representing project participants on major Australian and international construction, energy and infrastructure projects. She has advised on high value disputes involving complex legal, engineering and construction issues. She has experience acting for Australian and international clients in all dispute resolution forums, including international arbitration, litigation, mediation and adjudication. She is also experienced in drafting suites of contracts and advising on and negotiating contracting issues arising out of bespoke and Australian and international standard form contracts. In Western Australia where she practices, Squire Patton Boggs has been ranked as a Tier 1 Construction and Infrastructure litigation law firm and a Tier 1 front end construction and infrastructure law firm by Doyle’s Guide in 2024 and 2025. Melissa herself was recognised as a recommended lawyer in Doyle’s Guide of leading lawyers in Western Australia in 2023, 2024 and 2025. She is also an active committee member of the National Association of Women in Construction.

Virginia Petrussenko-Alves, Associate, Squire Patton Boggs
Virginia Petrussenko-Alves is an associate in our construction team, where she assists clients with drafting, reviewing and negotiating major and minor construction works contracts and goods and services procurement contracts, for construction, infrastructure and resources projects. Virgina has also assisted on dispute resolution processes, including mediation and adjudication, in relation to claims arising from construction projects. Prior to joining the construction team, Virginia completed graduate rotations in our Real Estate team, where she gained experience advising on commercial property and hotel transactions, and in our Labour & Employment Practice, where Virginia assisted with employment disputes, workplace investigations, employment contracts and the application of federal and state workplace legislation, Modern Awards and other industrial instruments.


Andrew Vinciullo, Partner, Hopgood Ganim Lawyers
Andrew is a senior construction and disputes lawyer who advises on complex construction, infrastructure, resources and energy projects across Western Australia. He works closely with clients and industry stakeholders to manage construction risk across the full lifecycle of major projects, and regularly advises government authorities, developers, principals and contractors on high-value commercial and residential construction projects, including apartment tower developments, major road and haulage infrastructure, and large-scale mining, resources production and refinery projects. Andrew has extensive experience advising on project risk allocation, project management issues and dispute avoidance strategies, and regularly assists clients with the negotiation and drafting of construction contracts across both traditional and bespoke procurement models. In addition to his front-end practice, Andrew acts in complex construction disputes before the Supreme and District Courts of Western Australia, the Federal Court of Australia, and in international and domestic arbitration, expert determination and statutory adjudication proceedings.