Dispute Resolution Appointments Board

RICS’ Dispute Resolution Service (DRS) is the division of RICS responsible for providing conflict avoidance and resolution services throughout the world with focus on the built environment sector. DRS is overseen by the Dispute Resolution Appointments Board which reports to the Standards and Regulation Board.

Led by an independent Chair, the Dispute Resolution Appointments Board plays a part in RICS’ global strategy for alternative dispute resolution by contributing to the maintenance and improvement of overall standards of dispute resolution services delivered by RICS and representing the best interests of RICS as a whole.

The Board has a global remit and is tasked with:

Defining and maintaining the criteria for inclusion on, and exclusion from, DRS panels of dispute resolvers globally.
Ensuring appointments of dispute resolvers made by and/or on behalf of RICS are made efficiently and to agreed performance standards.
Ensuring that such dispute resolvers perform to measurable expectations.
Monitoring complaints against the service or those appointed; and that the DRS complaints procedures are applied efficiently and appropriately.
Ensuring that all activities DRS and the members of its panels undertake are in line with SRB terms of reference, the RICS brand and comply with RICS’ global approach to the development, creation and use of professional standards and guidance, together with ethical standards and panel membership entry competencies.

Chair

Theresa Mohammed

Theresa specialises in contentious construction and has significant experience of acting for Developers, Employers and Main Contractors, making High Court applications and the Enforcement of Adjudicators’ decisions in the Technology and Construction Court. She is familiar with both standard and bespoke forms of construction contracts. Theresa also has experience of running High Court trials, instructing experts on technical engineering matters, resolving construction disputes through mediation and drafting settlement agreements, claims, defences and adjudication submissions. She has been advising clients on a variety of high value and complex matters concerning fire safety and the implications of the new legislation. Theresa has also acted for clients in domestic and international arbitrations and frequently works with international clients in contentious proceedings. Theresa has worked on international oil and gas disputes, renewable energy disputes and large domestic infrastructure matters. She has recently acted in Court of Appeal proceedings for an international client and has made applications to the Supreme Court. Theresa is a regular speaker at London Build and for the RICS CPD training programme and is a frequent contributor to Building Magazine, Construction Law and Construction Manager. She is the Chair of the RICS Dispute Resolution Appointments Board, the former Chair of the National Association of Women in Construction, is on the Board of Women in Social Housing, is a member of the Adjudication Society Committee and was awarded Best Woman in Construction Law at the European Women in Construction & Engineering Awards 2017. Theresa was a finalist for the Litigator of the Year and Woman of the Year in the Women in Law Awards 2020.

Dispute Resolution Appointments Board Members

Marie Busfield FRICS

Marie has served on the Dispute Resolution Appointments Board of the RICS since 2017 following her retirement from the President’s Panel of Arbitrators and Independent Experts. Her entire surveying career, since initially qualifying as a Chartered Surveyor in 1984 (following service in the WRAF and obtaining a degree in Land Economy from the University of Cambridge) has been centred around Dispute Resolution. As a Fellow of the RICS Marie has acted extensively as an Expert Witness and, as a member of the President’s Panel for many years, she was appointed on a regular basis as an Arbitrator and Independent Expert in the specialist field of rent reviews and lease renewals in the Retail Warehouse sector of the market. As a Fellow and Chartered Arbitrator in the CIArb, she was appointed as a Trustee on Council for 4 years and was a member of its Professional Committee. In addition to these appointments she was involved for many years on various committees and panels involved with the ongoing training, development, assessment and re-assessment of arbitrators and independent Experts for both RICS and CIArb. In particular Marie was a member of the RICS Diploma in Arbitration working party, and acted as a Moderator and Marker for the RICS Diploma in Arbitration. She was a member of the RICS Working Group set up to review the way in which new and existing arbitrators and independent experts are assessed and frequently acted as Chairman of Panels for the assessment and re-assessment of arbitrators and independent Experts.

Richard Hawkins FRICS

Richard Hawkins FRICS FCIArb is a semi-retired Chartered Quantity Surveyor who was formerly a director of an international construction consultancy specialising in the avoidance, management and resolution of disputes and who acted variously as arbitrator, adjudicator and mediator. He practices now on his own account, advising clients on ADR generally and on dispute avoidance in particular.

Hann McNab

Hanna is a Partner of Archor LLP, a boutique construction law firm. Hanna specialises in all construction and engineering matters, with her main focus on dispute resolution. Hanna is experienced in both bringing and defending claims for a wide range of clients including employers, main contractors, sub-contractors and consultants. She is regularly instructed to advise on disputes affecting businesses operating in the construction industry, including extensions of time, loss and expense, variations, defects, interim payments, final payments and the recovery of retention monies. Hanna’s experience extends further than court proceedings and includes other means of resolving disputes such as mediation, arbitration and, most commonly, adjudication. She is also well versed in enforcing adjudication decisions in the Technology and Construction Court. In addition to her involvement with contentious issues, Hanna also prepares, advises upon and negotiates various construction documents including building contracts, appointments, novations, warranties and escrow arrangements. She also provides training sessions to clients on topics such as payment mechanisms, typical amendments to standard form contracts and case law updates. Hanna is a member of The Society of Construction Law (SCL) as well as a co-ordinator for SCL events in the Eastern region. Hanna was appointed to the RICS Dispute Resolution Appointments Board in May 2017.

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