Karyn Reardon is a partner in HWL Ebsworth’s Construction and Major Projects Team. For 20 years, she has developed commercial and strategic legal solutions for contractors, engineers, private sector principals and government.
Karyn regularly drafts and reviews construction and engineering project documentation. Resolution of large construction and engineering disputes is Karyn’s particular area of interest, and she has a detailed understanding of alternative dispute resolution practices, having resolved numerous matters through negotiation, mediation, adjudication, arbitration, expert appraisal and litigation.
Karyn has conducted on-site training for corporate clients, and has teaching experience with QUT in Business Law, Construction Law and Arbitration Law.
Karyn is a former National Councillor of the Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators Australia (IAMA), and former Queensland Chairperson.
She was awarded the National Prize for the Professional Certificate in Arbitration and Mediation Course (1999), has been a registered adjudicator, is a graded arbitrator, and an accredited mediator, and is co-author of The Adjudicator’s Guide.
Karyn has been recognised as Best Lawyer – Construction and Infrastructure, Brisbane in the Best Lawyers of Australia 2013.
Experience
- Gladstone Liquid Natural Gas Upstream Project: provided pre tender contract advice to a prospective subcontractor;
- Western Recycled Water Project: advised in relation to sub alliance agreement, and separately adjudicated a dispute between consultants;
- Kogan Creek Power Station: provided pre-contract and ongoing project advice for design and construction of both the Boiler (including drafting suitable suite of subcontracts) and the Coal Handling Plant, and facilitated resolution of wide ranging disputes with suppliers and subcontractors using a variety of alternative dispute resolution strategies (including adjudication, mediation, litigation, senior executive negotiations and direct negotiation);
- Tahmoor Colliery Coal Handling Plant: Used several dispute resolution processes (including adjudication and arbitration) to resolve various contractual claims (including time related claims) under a design and construct contract. Karyn guided the parties to a favourable negotiated outcome;
- Homebush Bay Remediation Project: Pursued misleading and deceptive conduct claims exceeding $10M on behalf of purchasers of innovative remediation technologies through arbitration. The detailed evidence prepared by Karyn including facilitation of technical expert evidence assisted negotiation of a favourable resolution of the claims;
- Mackay Bulk Sugar Terminal: Resisted allegations of defective design on behalf of the design engineers of a bulk sugar terminal facilitating resolution of claims through mediation;
- Telstra Stadium (formerly Stadium Australia): conducted contractor’s defence of time related claims exceeding $8M in an expedited arbitration, playing a key role in mediation and facilitating resolution of subcontractor’s claims before lengthy hearing commenced;
- Queensland Cultural Centre Playhouse: resolution of head contract and subcontract claims.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Laws
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Solicitor of the Supreme Courts of Queensland and New South Wales and the High Court of Australia
- Professional Certificate in Arbitration and Mediation
- Graded Arbitrator
- Registered Adjudicator No J1066935
- Accredited Mediator
- Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance
Professional Memberships
- Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators Australia
- Queensland Law Society
Publications
- 15 April 2011: The expanding obligation of Good Faith in Construction Contracts, Queensland Law Society Construction Law Seminar, Brisbane
- 13 April 2011: Good Faith in Contract Negotiation, Tonkin’s Contract Law Conference, Brisbane
- April 2008 - Providing Reasons: what is required from Adjudicators?, Queensland Law Society Adjudicator Update Seminar
- April 2008 – Using ADR in Construction Disputes, Brisbane Construction Law Conference 2008
- July 2007 - Co-author of The Adjudicators' Guide Ed 2, Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators Australia
- 5 July 2007 – Contracting out of Payments Legislation (BCIPA s99), joint paper with Bruce Gough of Evans & Peck, Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators Australia Queensland Chapter Meeting
- 4 May 2007 – BCIPA – What’s new this year? Queensland Law Society Adjudicators’ Training Day
- 20 February 2007 – The Evolution of Construction Industry Payment Legislation in Queensland, Queensland Law Society Construction Law Update
- 15-17 February 2007 - co presenter of Certificate in Adjudication course delivered on behalf of Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators Australia
- 1 February 2007 – Cant v Casella Case Update, Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators Australia Queensland Chapter Meeting
- 27 May 2006 – What Work is required of a ‘division 2’ Schedule under BCIPA?, Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators Australia National Conference
- 24 August 2005 – author of NSW Courts Confirm Need for Strict Compliance with Payments Act (Lucas Stuart Ltd v Council of the City of Sydney), Client Alert
- 11-13 August 2005 - co presenter of Certificate in Adjudication course delivered on behalf of Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators Australia
- 28 May 2005 -Providing Natural Justice under BCIPA, delivered to Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators National Conference 2005
- May 2005 - Co-author of The Adjudicators' Guide, Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators Australia
- 9 November 2004 – author of Enlightenment for Adjudicators from NSW Court of Appeal
- 28 to 30 October 2004 – developer and co presenter of Certificate in Adjudication course delivered on behalf of Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators Australia
- 1 April 2004 –briefing Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators (Queensland Chapter): Building and Construction Industry Payment Act, and grounds upon which adjudicator’s determinations might be the subject of judicial review in Qld
- 4 March 2004 – briefing Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators (Queensland Chapter): Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd v Campbelltown Catholic Club Ltd [2003] NSWSC 1103 Einstein J
- 9 October 2003 – briefing Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators (Queensland Chapter): Age Old Builders Pty Ltd v Swintons Pty Ltd [2003] VSC 307.
- 6 March 2003 - briefing Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators (Queensland Chapter): I&L Securities Pty Ltd v HTW Valuers (Brisbane) Pty Ltd.
- March 2002 - briefing National Association of Women in Construction (Qld chapter) on the consequences of the Subcontractors' Charges Amendment Act.
- December 1999 – briefing Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators (Queensland Chapter) on issues arising from the Queensland Building Services Authority Amendment Act of relevance to arbitrators.
- September 1999 – briefing Australian Industry Group on how its members will be affected by the Queensland Building Services Authority Amendment Act.