Sena Gbedmah

Education

• Legal Practice Course LPC, BPP Law School, London
• Post-Graduate Diploma in Law PgDL, BPP Law School, London
• MSc. Management in Construction, Kingston University, London
• BEng (Honours), Civil Engineering, University of Manchester

Sena Gbedemah is a Senior Managing Director at Ankura with expertise in construction where he reviews underperforming capital projects and analyzes delay to projects in dispute as a programming/delay expert. He has given evidence as an expert witness in mediation and dispute boards and testified in several arbitrations. He is based in London.

Experience 

Sena’s professional experience includes:

Process and Power Plants

• Sewage Treatment Plant ($200 million dispute): Appointed as the delay expert on an international arbitration relating to a large sewage plant for a large city in the Middle East. Sena testified before an international arbitration panel which also involved a hot-tubbing session.
• Solar Power Plant Dispute (£90 million): Sena gave evidence as a delay expert before an international arbitration (Sir Robert Akenhead) in relation to an extensively delayed solar power plant project in the Middle East.
• LNG FSRU: Advised on project controls and PMO setup for an FSRU EPC in Ghana, West Africa.
• Oil and Gas Facility: Appointed as the delay and quantum expert on an oil and gas facility in Azerbaijan. Testified (including hot-tubbing session) before an LCIA arbitration panel (Sir John Uff).
• Oil Separation Plant Dispute ($110 million): Prepared independent expert submissions on delay and disruption on an oil and gas separation facility in the Middle East. Acted for the contractor defending a claim made by the insurers of a subcontractor that had since gone into receivership.
• High Technology Paint Batching Plant (£205 million): Provided independent advice as to the causes of delay and disruption to a paint factory which incorporated innovative process technology. The plant was two years late and £102.5 million over budget.
• Cement Plant and Power Plant Dispute (project value $600 million): Delay expert on a cement plant and associated power station. Prepared submissions for an international arbitration.
• Propylene Process Plant Arbitration: Appointed by an EPC contractor for a 400,000-metric ton capacity polymer grade propylene plant which was delayed by eight months. Liquidated damages averaged out at $620,000 per week and quantum claims amounted to $220 million.
• Power Station £25 Million Arbitration: Instructed as expert for EPC contractor on £148 million upgrade of a coal fired power station. Prepared delay and quantum submissions against the employer and defences against the subcontractor.

Transport & Infrastructure

• Road Tunnel €300 Million Dispute: Acted for the contractor in submissions (DAB and arbitration) for delay and disruption for a large tunnelling project.
• Pre-dispute Advice Rail Metro System $10.5 Billion Project: Delay expert provided pre-dispute advice to consortium constructing and commissioning a new rapid transit system in a large city. Advised on reporting and approach to delay analysis to support extension of time claims.
• International Airport Dispute (project value £7 billion, dispute value £1 billion): Delay expert prepared independent submissions for arbitration proceedings for the terminal building of a new international airport.
• Rail Programme and Commercial Review of Major Rail Electrification Project: Reviewed and advised on programme and schedule strategy and associated reporting procedures to enable timely and accurate reporting to senior management.
• Rail – Station Control Rooms and Line Control Centres Claim (value £60 million per year): Provided delay and disruption input for a claim on PPP obligations and liabilities relating to station control rooms and line control centres across the Tube Lines network.
• Rail – CCTV Dispute: Delay and quantum legal support for an (NEC Option A) adjudication and litigation relating to CCTV coverage across the Underground network. Dispute value £36 million.
• Rail – Underground Signage Adjudication (£15 million): Dispute on contractual liabilities (PPP & NEC Option E) in relation to signage on the Underground network. Prepared quantum and delay submissions for the adjudication.
• Harbour/Port Dispute: A government port client contracted with a consortium for the construction of a new harbour (two breakwaters and associated structures) which suffered cost and schedule overruns of £62 million and 171 days. Prepared expert submissions to DAP and subsequent arbitration panels.

Building

• High Rise Building £25 Million Dispute: Appointed as delay expert for a mediation on a 25-storey high rise building project. The design and build contractor sought damages relating to professional negligence claims against its novated sub-consultant designer.
• Development £21 Million Dispute: Appointed as delay expert on an exclusive 10-storey building project in London. Expert report allowed a settlement to be negotiated between the developer and its contractors.
• Industrial Building Dispute: Supported quantum expert in providing expert opinion on a dispute over the final account for a landmark industrial building project.

Technology

• IT Infrastructure and Software (project £300 million, dispute £300 million): Provided independent advice for negotiation and subsequent arbitration in relation to delay and disruption claims.
• IT Infrastructure Project: Independently reviewed the causes of time and budget overrun on a large IT project in a major UK bank. Also advised on acceleration measures and project process improvements to recover the overrun.