Energy & Resources sector: Keeping the gears moving | Deloitte UK has been saved
Uncertainty and change can often lead to disputes arising between parties. In the energy and resources sector, the complex regulatory landscape and the requirement for long term capital investment in third-party relationships may result in a significant number of large and complex disputes.
Unpredictable demand, disrupted supply and macroeconomic fluctuations can lead to:
The quantification of losses
Coming to an amicable settlement is often preferable in terms of cost as well as the ongoing and future business relationship. However, despite best efforts, disputes are sometimes unavoidable.
Whether differences are resolved by negotiation or more formal procedures, claims (and defence of claims) need to be supported by the establishment of legal liability, causation and the quantification of losses.
Establishing causation and calculating any losses can be complex:
The challenges and complexities often lie in the assessment of the most appropriate assumptions to be applied in a loss quantification model.
The key to a good third-party contractual relationship is clarity in the contract. Like a gear in a machine, contracts determine the speed, direction and movement of the relationship. When the gears break and stop functioning as intended, many complex and inter-related questions need to be answered in order to repair the damage or, in this case, to quantify the loss.
When it becomes apparent that there is potential for a contract to buckle and falter, contracting parties are most often best served by pre-emptively addressing the potential areas of contention in order to minimise the impact and disruption. Taking pre-emptive action and seeking advice at the earliest stage possible from in-house teams, legal and/or commercial experts with a deep working knowledge of the industry will help parties plan for and navigate the challenges and set them on a path to obtaining the best possible results for their stakeholders. So maybe now is a good time to shift gear, look at your contracts in more detail, and put a plan in place to negotiate any required changes to them, helping to ensure your relationships continue to remain strong now and in the future.
Matt is a senior director in Deloitte Forensic’s Disputes and Investigations team and a highly experienced dispute resolution practitioner. He has a particular focus on the Energy & Resources and Industrials sectors and leads Deloitte Forensic’s Energy & Resources disputes practice in the UK, bringing together a breadth of disputes, valuation, industry, economic and modelling expertise. During a forensic career spanning more than 20 years, Matt has advised clients, and their legal advisers, in a multitude of matters including commercial, investment, contractual and transactional disputes across a wide range of industries and sectors. He has amassed wide-ranging experience of litigation, arbitration, determination and mediation processes. In particular, Matt has been instructed as an expert in commercial arbitrations as well as English litigation and has testifying experience.
Timothy specialises in providing expert witness and dispute advisory services in relation to the assessment of damages, loss of profit and valuation. Timothy has experience across a range of industries but has particular focus on energy, technology and aviation disputes. His experience includes litigation, arbitration and expert determination. He has worked on matters relating to some of the world’s largest energy contracts and has extensive experience of analysing the financial provisions of complex cost recovery and profit-sharing mechanisms. His energy experience includes oil and gas, power generation and renewables. Timothy has a technology background and has worked on disputes relating to intellectual property and the licensing of standard essential patents, distribution agreements and cybersecurity. His aviation experience includes the assessment of damages relating to aircraft procurement, pre-delivery financing, buyer furnished equipment, VVIP aircraft, and loss of profits relating to both passenger and cargo airlines.