Pre-eminent construction, development
& infrastructure lawyers.
In Short.
CDI Lawyers is a specialist and pre-eminent construction, development and infrastructure law firm. We act for a diverse range of international and domestic clients, including government, family owned, private and publicly listed companies, and numerous companies ranked in Australia’s top 500 private companies by revenue.
We are defined by our specialist focus and market leading expertise. This expertise means that we provide cutting edge, decisive and effective strategies for our clients on some of Australia’s most complex and prestigious projects. We enjoy long standing relationships with our clients, who trust in our ability to deliver technically excellent and pragmatic legal solutions.
The Difference.
CDI Lawyers exists to deliver specialist expertise with market-leading service, whilst departing from the traditional high-cost, high-overhead legal model.
1.
Specialisation
As a specialist firm, CDI Lawyers only operates in the spheres in which we can provide market leading service and results. Our focus on the construction, development and infrastructure industries is absolute, and sets us apart. We remain on the cutting edge of the legal developments that impact our clients, and possess a commercial nous derived from a deep understanding of our clients’ businesses. That is why, since our inception, we have consistently been recognised as one of Australia’s leading construction law firms.
2.
Service
CDI Lawyers’ dedication to providing outstanding service is absolute, and ingrained in the culture of the firm. We are fast, responsive and accessible. Our advice is clear, concise and pragmatic. Our focus on commerciality means that we take ownership of our clients’ problems, and deliver effective solutions. For these reasons, our lawyers form strong and lasting bonds with our clients. We take pride in our clients’ projects, and our contribution to their delivery.
3.
A Departure
The legal industry is rapidly moving away from the traditional BigLaw model – and for good reason. CDI Lawyers offers a higher level of specialist expertise, at a greater value than our international and domestic top-tier competitors. We challenge the traditional high-cost, high-overhead model through our lean firm structure and focus on flexible fee arrangements and transparency. We pride ourselves on representing a sound investment for our clients.
Expertise.
We are specialists in advising on major construction, development, infrastructure, engineering and energy projects, from inception to completion.
Front-End.
Contracts
The success of major projects is inherently tied to the negotiation of contracts that artfully balance commerciality and pragmatism with clarity, precision and accurate risk definition and allocation. CDI Lawyers provides a full range of contract procurement and document services, including both bespoke and industry standard documentation. Our lawyers approach procurement, contract negotiation, risk assessment and project correspondence with a technical expertise and commerciality derived from our specialist focus. Our experience allows us to identify key risks at the outset of projects, and advise our clients on strategies and drafting to deal the practical issues that arise on large scale projects.
Back-End.
Dispute Resolution
Our clients aren’t in the business of disputes, and neither are we. Our results-driven approach to dispute resolution means that we seek out time and cost effective solutions, which seek to maintain business relationships by avoiding formal, adversarial litigation processes. However, when litigation becomes unavoidable, we develop winning strategies and take agile and decisive action to secure outstanding results for our clients. We are experienced in all forms of dispute resolution, including mediation, structured negotiation, arbitration, court litigation and proceedings for urgent relief. Our team has a track record of outstanding results in some of Australia’s largest construction and engineering disputes.
Back-End.
Adjudication
CDI Lawyers’ security for payment expertise is unsurpassed. We have been involved in many of Australia’s largest and most complex adjudications, across all states and territories, for international, domestic, private and government clients. Our experience allows us to neutralise the claimant-friendly nature of adjudication for our respondent clients. Likewise, our in-depth knowledge of domestic and international security of payment regimes allows us to develop winning strategies and maximise recovery for our claimant clients. Between 2014 and 2016, CDI Lawyers recovered in excess of $200 million through adjudication for a joint venture comprised of an Australian and international client, in one of Australia’s most complex and fiercely contested series of adjudications.
Back-End.
Arbitration
Arbitration provides a confidential, flexible and broadly enforceable means of resolving disputes. Thus, it is unsurprising that arbitration is the favoured method of dispute resolution in the majority of major construction, engineering and infrastructure contracts. Our team is experienced in the project management of large scale international and domestic arbitration, including coordinating international and domestic client resources, evidence gathering, and managing the engagement of quantum, delay and engineering expert witnesses based in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Back-End.
Regulatory
We provide our clients with advice and representation in relation to a broad range of regulatory and administrative law matters impacting upon the construction, development, infrastructure, engineering and energy spheres. Many of our lawyers have previously acted for various government regulatory bodies relating to construction, engineering and architecture, and so we are uniquely placed to understand the people, risks and objectives involved in administrative review and regulatory action.
Front-End & Back-End.
Renewable Energy
CDI Lawyers is committed to doing its part to help Australia transition to renewable energy and meet its net 0 emissions target by 2050. This has included advising international and domestic clients in respect of major wind, solar, hydrogen and renewable energy storage projects. We recognise that with these rapidly expanding industries comes tighter regulatory scrutiny, peculiar risks and challenges and regular changes to the regulatory landscape. We are committed to assisting our clients navigate through this complex landscape and providing trusted legal support and advice, from project inception until completion. Our team of specialist advisers can assist in front-end contract drafting, project delivery, back-end dispute resolution and regulatory action on a range of renewable energy projects, including solar, wind, hydrogen, battery storage and carbon capture utilisation and storage.
Back-End.
Workplace Health & Safety
Workplace health and safety is an area of law that impacts all levels of the public and private sectors in construction, development, infrastructure and mining, with the success of a project being contingent upon the ability to implement and adhere to workplace health and safety processes and procedures. We regularly advise domestic and international clients on compliance with health and safety obligations and minimising exposure to risks and liabilities. In times of crisis, we provide urgent support and act as trusted advisors, assisting our clients in responding to regulatory action and prosecutions arising out of serious workplace health and safety incidents causing injury or death.