Dubai—Leading global law firm Dentons, in collaboration with HKA (ex Hill International), assembled practitioners from across a number of industries in Dubai this week to discuss how to structure a successful PPP project and how to avoid disputes avoidance and resolution on PPP projects.

Hongbin Cong, Vice Chairman, International Relations, Falcon and Associates, gave a keynote introduction on the market and the dynamics of working with Chinese companies. Mr Cong also shared his personal experience of working on PPP projects both in the Middle East and China.

Dentons' Middle East Senior Partner Neil Cuthbert discussed the essential prerequisites of a successful PPP project and the need to identify, allocate and mitigate key project risks, with a particular focus on construction risks. He also examined key issues of concern for lenders financing PPP projects and specified the importance of having 'direct or implicit government backing' for projects in emerging markets.

Neil remarked "the Middle East outside,of the utility projects, has a chequered history of successfully implementing PPP projects. The new laws passed by a number of countries over the last few years are no guarantee that the pipeline will suddenly be bursting with projects. But the budgetary problems currently facing many countries may produce fundamental changes in procurement practices that otherwise just would not happen".

Ben Highfield, Executive Vice President at HKA, explored the areas of loss and expense that parties to a PPP project experience, and how to avoid incurring those losses, along with a focus on approaches to recovering loss and expense using real life project examples. Providing the closing remarks, Mr Highfield concluded that "PPPs in the Middle East bring much needed private finance into local projects at a time of low liquidity".

Dentons has one of the largest regional networks of any international law firm in the Middle East with nine offices in seven jurisdictions and many of the Firm's lawyers have dual English/Arabic language skills and can advise on local as well as international law.

HKA is the new global brand that unites the former construction claims group of Hill International and associated subsidiaries. With 960 professionals and 45 offices in 21 countries around the world, HKA brings a proud heritage of excellence to its global clients.

About Dentons

Dentons is the world's largest law firm, delivering quality and value to clients around the globe. Dentons is a leader on the Acritas Global Elite Brand Index, a BTI Client Service 30 Award winner and recognized by prominent business and legal publications for its innovations in client service, including founding Nextlaw Labs and the Nextlaw Global Referral Network. Dentons' polycentric approach and world-class talent challenge the status quo to advance client interests in the communities in which we live and work. www.dentons.com

About HKA

HKA is the new global brand that unites the former construction claims and consulting group of Hill International and associated subsidiaries. Following its sale and de-merger, HKA is now a privately-owned organisation with management equity. HKA is supported by Bridgepoint Development Capital, part of Bridgepoint, a major international private equity group headquartered in London, UK. At HKA we anticipate, investigate and resolve project challenges. We understand the pressures associated with delivering successful projects, whatever their size and complexity, wherever in the world.

For over four decades we’ve stood alongside our clients as trusted independent advisers, finding solutions amid uncertainty, dispute and overrun. From construction and manufacturing to processes and technology, our people provide the ADVISORY, CONSULTING and EXPERT insight that make the best possible outcomes a reality for public and private sector clients worldwide. www.hka-global.com