“Dispute Review Boards” and “Adjudication” .doc

“Dispute Review Boards” and “Adjudication”: Two Cutting-Edge ADR Processes in International Construction This paper was delivered at the 2008 American Bar Association Annual Meeting program of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution entitled “The Emerging Global Order in International Construction Disputology: The Top 10 Cutting-Edge ADR Processes Employed in Construction World-Wide” (August 9, 2008, New York)by Harvey J. Kirsh B.A. (Tor.), LL.B. (Osg.), LL.M. (Harv.), C. Arb., C.S. Senior Partner and Co-Chair of Construction and Infrastructure Group, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, and member of Global Engineering and Construction Group of “JAMS” (Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services)“You have a pretty good case, Mr. Pitkin. How much justice can you afford ?”(Lawyer to his prospective client (caption to New Yorker magazine cartoon, J.B. Handelsman, (December 24, 1973)DISPUTE REVIEW BOARDS: AN OVERVIEW(i)IntroductionMost construction contracts contain mechanisms for the preliminary determination of disputes. For example, the 2007 revisions to the AIA (American Institute of Architects) series of contracts call for the appointment of an independent “Initial Decision Maker”, who assumes the role, traditionally performed by the project architect/consultant, in rendering initial decisions for disagreements or disputes between the owner and the contractor This revision arose out of complaints by owners that they preferred to have the project architect advocate on their behalf in a dispute with the contractor, rather than serve as a neutral decision maker; and from skepticism by contractors as to whether project architects, who are paid by the owner, could serve impartially, particularly where the contractors claims included allegations that the architect was negligent. Similarly, the most recent revisions to the Canadian standard form construction contracts (e.g., CCDC 2-2008, issued by the Canadian Construction Documents Committee), although continuing the traditional role of the project consultant as the arbiter of first instance with respect to the interpretation, application, implementation, administration or enforcement of the contract, nevertheless call for the early appointment of a neutral, independent “Project Mediator” to supplement the dispute resolution function. A related process has been used on government projects in Hong Kong, in which a “Dispute Resolution Advisor” is jointly appointed by the government and the contractor to assist the parties, essentially though facilitated negotiation, in directly resolving disputes on the job See Luk & Wong, “Dispute Resolution Advisor as an ADR Method in Hong Kong Construction Disputes”, AAA Handbook on Construction Arbitration and ADR, pp. 293-297 (2007), as referenced in See John W. Hinchey and Troy L. Harris, “International Construction Arbitration Handbook” (Thomson/West, 2008) (hereinafter called “Hinchey and Harris”) , at fn. 7 of para. 1:10.However, large, complex construction and engineering projects are increasingly calling for the establishment of panels of “standing neutrals” to provide preliminary rulings upon disagreements and claims as they arise. Such panels are created either in the construction contract or at the outset of a project. Where the panel is mandated to provide a non-binding opinion on the merits of a dispute, it is generally referred to as a “Dispute Review Board” (or “DRB”) Unsuccessful attempts have been made to use “hybrid DRBs” to serve as arbitration panels issuing final and binding decisions as to disputes under a certain dollar amount, and issuing only recommendations as to disputes exceeding that dollar amount: see Robert A. Rubin, “How NOT to Implement the DRB Process”, in Forum (the newsletter of The Dispute Resolution Board Foundation, Vol. 10, Issue 1 (February 2006), at page 13.According to The Dispute Resolution Board Foundation “The Dispute Review Board Foundation” changed its name to “The Dispute Resolution Board Foundation” in November of 2001, in order “to conform with the dispute board trends on a global basis”, and particularly since DRBs are described in the DRBF bylaws as a “means for prevention and resolution of construction disputes” (see “Changing Our Name to Dispute Resolution Board Foundation” in Forum (the newsletter of the DRBF, Vol. 6, Issue 1 (January 2002), at page 1, which was established in 1996, a DRB consists of “a board of impartial professionals formed at the beginning of the project to follow construction progress, encourage dispute avoidance, and assist in the resolution of disputes for the duration of the project” See “DRBF Practices and Procedures Manual (January 2007)”, Chapter 1, Section 1, page 1 (at http:/www.drb.org/manual/1.1_final_12-06.pdf). Fairness, in terms of procedures and protocols, and the promotion and maintenance of good project relationships are cornerstone values of the DRB process See Jim Phillips, “When is Fair Not Fair? Ethics in the DRB Process”, in Forum (the newsletter of The Dispute Resolution Board Foundation, Vol. 11, Issue 1 (February 2007), at page 1.Although the earliest reported use of a form of DRB (then called a “Joint Consulting Board”) was on the Boundary Dam Hydroelectric Project in northeastern Washington in the 1960s Richard A. Shadbolt, “Resolution of Construction Disputes by Disputes Review Boards” 1999 The International Construction Law Review 101 at 104, the genesis of the more common use of DRBs occurred in the mid-1970s on civil engineering works, particularly tunneling projects See Hinchey and Harris, at para. 1:10. Also see Richard A. Shadbolt, “Resolution of Construction Disputes by Disputes Review Boards” 1999 The International Construction Law Review 101 at 103ff, such as the construction of the second bore of the Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70 in Colorado See “DRBF Practices and Procedures Manual (January 2007)”, Chapter 1, Section 1, page 2 (at http:/www.drb.org/manual/1.1_final_12-06.pdf), and the Boston Central Artery Tunnel Project See Shipley, Expanding the DRBs Role The Boston Central Artery Tunnel Projects Experience with Advisory Dispute Review Boards, as referenced in Hinchey and Harris, at fn. 2 of para. 1:10. Other more recent tunneling projects employing the DRB process include the San Antonio River and San Pedro Creek Tunnels; the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Power Tunnel; and Bostons Marine Industrial Park Tunnel See “DRBF Practices and Procedures Manual (January 2007)”, Chapter 1, Section 1, Appendix A (Case Studies), page 2 (at http:/www.drb.org/manual/1A_Case_Studies.pdf).Interestingly, a recent Google search of “Dispute Review Boards” generated almost 2.3 million hits (!). Drilling down into this informal search has served to confirm that, aside from underground tunneling projects, the DRB process has also been used on a multitude of complex private and government construction projects throughout the world, including heavy civil engineering, industrial, institutional, and commercial projects.Sample U.S. projects using DRBs include See “DRBF Practices and Procedures Manual”, Chapter 1, Section 3 (revised April 2007), pages 2-3 (at http:/www.drb.org/manual/1.3_final_4-07.doc) Washington, D.C.s Metropolitan Transit Authority; Phoenixs America West Arena (concert hall and Phoenix Suns basketball arena); the Inter-Island Terminal of Hawaiis International Airport; Washington States SR-90 Bellevue Transit Access project; and Colorados Hanging Lake Viaduct supra, fn. 8. Furthermore, domestic owner agencies that have used DRBs include State highway departments (e.g., The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), which use DRBs on almost all projects); public transit authorities; municipal public works projects (including bridge rehabilitation, building renovation, combined sewer overflow tunnels, convention centers, court houses, highways, libraries, parking structures, prisons, sewer pipelines and tunnels, sewerage treatment facilities, schools and water supply projects); universities (e.g., classroom and medical buildings, libraries, research facilities, and sports complexes); airport expansions; dams; hydroelectric projects; mines; manufacturing plants; office buildings; port facilities; private research laboratories; and public stadiums.Internationally See “DRBF Practices and Procedures Manual”, Chapter 1, Section 3 (revised April 2007), pages 2-3 (at http:/www.drb.org/manual/1.3_final_4-07.doc), dispute boards have also been used in the Peoples Republic of China (e.g., the US $3.4 billion Ertan Hydroelectric Project For a Case Study of this project, see Forum (the newsletter of The Dispute Resolution Board Foundation, Vol. 8, Issue 2 (May 2004), at page 1); on Ugandas Owen Falls Extension Hydroelectric Project For a Case Study of this project, see Forum (the newsletter of The Dispute Resolution Board Foundation, Vol. 8, Issue 1 (February 2004), at page 1; on the US $15 billion Folkestone (England) to Calais (France) Channel Tunnel; on the London Docklands Light Railway project; and on numerous projects in Australia, Bangladesh, Botswana, Canada, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Sudan, Uganda, the U.K. and Vietnam.Through the end of 2006, it is estimated that DRBs had been planned or used in over 2,000 global projects, having a combined construction value of over US $100 billion See “DRBF Practices and Procedures Manual”, Chapter 1, Section 3 (revised April 2007), pages 2-3 (at http:/www.drb.org/manual/1.3_final_4-07.doc). And throughout North America, the DRB process has been used in over 1,000 projects (averaging $42 million each), and 98.7% of those projects were completed without resorting to arbitration or litigation See “DRBF Practices and Procedures Manual”, Chapter 1, Section 3 (revised April 2007), pages 2-3 (at http:/www.drb.org/manual/1.3_final_4-07.doc).There was an early concern that the ready availability of a DRB would attract disputes, but “in practice, just the opposite has occurred” Hinchey and Harris, at para. 1:10:“ . . . (T)he existence of the DRB seems to have had a dampening effect on controversies by, in effect, giving the parties an incentive to resolve disputes among themselves, rather than suffer the inconvenience, disruption, and possible embarrassment of having to call in the DRB. According to virtually all surveys and commentary, party satisfaction with DRBs is high. Those who have used the process on one project tend to use it repeatedly. The high level of satisfaction is usually attributed to the real time resolution of the dispute, while all involved parties are available and the job can continue to move forward” Hinchey and Harris, at para. 1:10. Also see D. D. McMillan and R. A. Rubin, “Dispute Review Boards: Key Issues, Recent Case Law, and Standard Agreements”, The Construction Lawyer (Spring, 2005) at fn. 9-10.Furthermore:“ . . . contractors are less likely to present exaggerated claims for the sake of increasing pressure on the owner/employer, and owners/employers are less likely to reject meritorious claims. Stated differently, both sides nave a vested interest in preserving their credibility, which may suffer if they misbehave while the teacher is in the room” Hinchey and Harris, at para. 3:26.(ii)DRB Case Study: The Toronto Sheppard Subway Twin Tunnels ProjectThe City of Toronto's Yonge Street subway line, the first of its kind in Canada, opened in 1954. And on January 1 of that year, the Toronto Transit Commission (the “TTC”), a agency of the City of Toronto, became the sole provider of public transportation services in the city. Over the years 1963, 1966, 1968, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1980, 1996 and 2002, new subway extensions, branches and lines extended the reach of the city to the growing suburban populations.The Sheppard Subway line, which took 8 years to build, and which cost almost $1 billion, opened on November 22, 2002. It was the first subway line in Canada whose two separate subway tunnels (the “Twin Tunnels”) were built entirely by two tunnel boring machines (“TBMs”). The TBMs (nicknamed “Rock” and “Roll”) not only dug through the earth, but also installed reinforced concrete liner rings as they passed. The Twin Tunnels were approximately 2.7 miles in total length, were to run side by side, approximately 40 feet apart, and were generally located from approximately 15 to 85 feet below the surface of Sheppard Avenue East.TTC had entered into a CDN $93 million tunneling contract with MPF, a joint venture consisting McNally International Inc., PCL Constructors Eastern Inc., and The Foundation Company Inc. (subsequently known as Aecon Construction Group Inc.). The Twin Tunnels contract established, and set out the procedure, function and key features of, a Dispute Review Board. The DRBs stated purpose was to assist in the resolution of claims and other disputes arising out of the performance of the work on the Twin Tunnels project, in an independent, fair and impartial manner, in order to avoid construction delay and litigation. The mandate of the DRB included the provision of written recommendations to the parties in order to assist in the resolution of such disputes. However, although not binding on either party, “the recommendations of the Disputes Review Board should carry great weight for both the Commission TTC and the Contractor MPF”.According to the Twin Tunnels contract, the DRB was to consist of one member selected by TTC and approved by MPF, a second member selected by MPF and approved by TTC, and a third member selected by the first two members and approved by both TTC and MPF. The third member was to act as Chair for all DRB activities. The contract also provided that “(i)t is desirable that all Disputes Review Board members be experienced with the type of construction involved in this Twin Tunnels Project, and interpretation of contract documents. The goal in selecting the third member is to complement the construction experience of the first two and to provide leadership for the Boards activities”.The DRB member selected by TTC and approved by MPF was a well-respected engineer who was President of a consulting company, and who had substantial underground and mass transit project experience and expertise. The DRB member selected by MPF and approved by TTC was a registered civil, geotechnical and safety engineer, and a Professor of Civil Engineering at Stanford University, who had experience as an expert witness in cases involving geotechnical, contractual or construction practice issues, and who had served both as Chair and as a member of numerou