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Stephen Sandles

Managing Director

Photograph of Stephen Sandles

1 Angel Court, Level 3
London, England EC2R 7HJ

+44(0)20.7469.1111 Main
+44(0)20.7015.8731 Direct
+44(0)7850.137.799 Mobile

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Stephen Sandles is a Managing Director at Ankura with more than 13 years’ experience in the construction industry, working for contractors and consultants, both onsite and office based. Currently based in London, he has worked on projects in the UK, the Middle East, and Australia.

Experience

Stephen has been directly involved in work for government organizations, developers, contractors, and utility network operators over a range of projects from new build to refurbishment, and from residential, office blocks, and hotels to transportation, power, oil and gas (onshore/offshore), and civil engineering, covering feasibility studies, pre-tender documentation, cost management, and claims using all major forms of contract.

Specialising in dispute resolution, Stephen has been involved in multiple large-scale disputes involving ADR, adjudication, litigation, and arbitration and has prepared expert witness reports on high profile disputes.

Stephen’s professional experience includes:

  • Overhead line replacement, England: Appointed by system operator as pre-action expert advisor on a £20 million termination dispute on an NEC3 Option C contract. Including preparation of final account, consideration of disallowed cost provisions, and assessment of general damages.
  • LNG Pipeline, Australia: Served as lead assistant valuing substantial variations and assessing delay and disruption in connection with the delivery station within an LNG Plant. The valuation is based on contract rates as well as star rates developed from first principles, assessing the labour norms and pricing the required resources accordingly (ICC arbitration).
  • Process Pipework, Middle East: Served as lead assistant undertaking measurement and valuation of a $2.5 billion pipework dispute. Dispute relates to the measurement and classification of pipework supports (LCIA arbitration).
  • Housing Development, England: Served as lead assistant in preparing the analysis and report on the flood damage due to multiple water escapes in a development comprising seven blocks and 121 flats, including assessment on loss of revenue associated with the more severely damaged flats (mediation).
  • LNG Pipeline, Australia: Responsible for preparing the expert witness report for a $57 million dispute on the facilities sites (receipt station, pumping stations, and the like). Comprised a complex delay and disruption claim ($25 million) and direct costs variations requiring rates to be developed from first principles and assessment of appropriate labour norms ($32 million) (ICC arbitration).
  • Shopping Centre, England: Preparation of expert advisor report for a complex defects remedial scheme (£8 million) to the façade of a landmark building. This required preparation of multiple remedial schemes during the period for which proceedings were stayed and presenting the preferred scheme within a five party mediation (TCC litigation/mediation).
  • Cable Cooling Scheme, England: Successfully negotiated the settlement of a complex and sensitive £27 million M&E scheme to safety critical infrastructure, including preparation for adjudication. This involved an assessment of delay, disruption, defective works, and direct cost of additional works.
  • 400kV Power Station, England: Successfully negotiated the settlement of a complex dispute between a specialist contractor and an alliance on a £12 million cable installation scheme between overhead power lines and a new 400kV substation. This comprised additional direct works, disruption over access, and delay due to an altered network outage timetable.
  • London Underground Station, England: Successfully negotiated the settlement of historical disputed claims on the construction of a multi-million service control centre.

Quantum Experience Generally 

  • London Power Tunnel (Value £200 Million): Working in a traditional contract environment to deliver a 400Kv cable installation in 32km of tunnels across London (NEC3 Options A & C).
  • London Cable Cooling (Value £27 Million): Working within an alliance to deliver an M&E 275kV cable cooling scheme in pumping stations and canal side troughs (NEC3 Options A & C).
  • Tilbury Power Station 400kV Cable Installation (Value £12 Million): Working within an alliance to deliver a 400kV cable installation across an existing 275kV substation (NEC3 Options A & C).
  • Mile End Station Refurbishment (Value £7 Million): London Underground Station refurbishment (NEC2 & 3 Option A).
  • Corporate Accommodation (Value £0.8 Million): Internal project to identify cost of purchasing and refurbishing additional floors at the group’s HQ (NEC3 Option C).
  • Chelsea Barracks (Value £1 Billion): Working with the interim construction management team on the bespoke procurement of the luxury mixed use development.
  • Victoria Line Upgrade (Value £3 Million): Final account support to close out disputed claims (NEC2 Option A).
  • Great West Quarter (Value £300 Million): Mixed use development comprising two listed refurbishments, a hotel, and 10 new apartment blocks.
Education
  • MSc, Construction Law and Dispute Resolution
  • BSc, Quantity Surveying (Hons)
  • HNC, Construction
  • City & Guilds: Construction
  • City & Guilds: Electronic Engineering
Certifications
  • Legal Experience Training
  • Advanced Professional Award in Expert Witness Evidence
Affiliations
  • Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Thought Leadership

News & Events

October 3, 2023

66 Ankura Advisors Acknowledged by Who’s Who Legal as Leading Consulting Experts

Ankura is pleased to announce that 66 of our professionals have earned a well-deserved spot among advisors worldwide in the Who’s Who Legal: Consulting Experts 2023 list. This recognition highlights the exceptional depth of our advisory services spanning diverse sectors and geographical regions. This recognition underscores the parallel proficiency in several critical areas including: Forensic ...

September 16, 2022

45 Ankura Advisors Acknowledged by Who’s Who Legal as Leading Consulting Experts

Ankura is pleased to announce that 45 of its professionals have been named among the top professional advisors worldwide in the Who’s Who Legal: Consulting Experts 2022 list. This ranking exemplifies Ankura’s depth of multidisciplinary advisory experience across various sectors and geographies with experts from Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas receiving recognition ...

May 2, 2022

Outstanding Ankura Construction Experts Acknowledged by Who’s Who Legal

Ankura is pleased to announce that 20 of its professionals have been named among the top construction advisors worldwide in the Who’s Who Legal: Construction 2022 list. This ranking demonstrates Ankura experts’ decades of unparalleled industry experience, wide-ranging knowledge, and global perspective to help clients resolve the most challenging issues they face around the world. ...

September 1, 2021

40 Ankura Professional Advisors Recognized by Who’s Who Legal as Leading Consulting Experts

Ankura is home to industry-leading talent as underscored by the recognition of 40 professional advisors as leading consulting experts in the world by an annual award program.

June 10, 2021

Ankura Experts Recognized as Top Construction Advisors by Who’s Who Legal

Ankura offers clients premier industry talent as 18 of Ankura's professionals are recognized as the top construction advisors in the world by annual ward program.

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