Sarah Hudson

Sarah specialises in both contentious and non-contentious construction law.  Sarah brings to her practice a strong awareness of the unique goals and challenges facing businesses procuring and carrying out construction and engineering projects in the Middle East, having completed full-time secondments with a Middle Eastern national oil company and the developer of a Saudi Arabian giga-project.

Sarah's practice focuses on high-value and complex energy and infrastructure projects in the Middle East, having worked on some of the key strategic infrastructure projects in the Middle East in recent years. She provides advice, drafting and negotiation in relation to engineering and design contracts, professional services contracts, supply contracts, traditional building contracts, design and build contracts, EPC contracts, EPCM contracts, operation and maintenance contracts and ancillary documents (such as bonds and parent company guarantees).  Sarah is familiar with a wide range of standard form contracts, with a particular focus on FIDIC.  She also drafts and negotiates bespoke construction and engineering contracts, BOT and BOOT contracts, and has assisted with the development of her clients' suites of procurement contracts. 

Sarah also provides strategic advice and analysis in relation to the resolution of disputes arising from energy and infrastructure projects, including both formal and informal dispute resolution. 

Work highlights

Some examples of Sarah's recent experience include advising:

• a joint venture party on the acquisition and project financing of a US$12bn integrated gasification combined cycle project in Saudi Arabia.*
• the procurer on EPC arrangements for a 2GW solar PV independent power project in the UAE.*
• the procurer on EPC and O&M arrangements for a 200 MIGD reverse osmosis water treatment plant in the UAE.*
• the procurer on EPC, O&M and LTSA arrangements for a 2,000-2,400 MW greenfield power generation plant in the UAE.*
• the owner in relation to an arbitration arising from the termination of a contract for the construction of a luxury hotel, and the recovery of the owner's additional costs in completing the works with a third party contractor.*
• the owner in relation to an arbitration relating to the construction of a major highway in the Middle East.*
• the owner on the development of a multi-billion dollar petrochemicals processing facility in Saudi Arabia.*
• the owner on the development of a multi-billion dollar petrochemicals processing facility in Egypt.*
• the procurer on the development of a wastewater laboratory in the UAE.*
• two Saudi giga-project procurers on the development of their standard form suite of construction and procurement contracts.* 

*denotes experience from previous firm

Sarah holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nottingham and has completed her LPC course with Distinction at the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice.