


Construction Contract Dispute Consultant
“You never truly know someone until you’ve worked with them. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with exceptional professionals and world-class companies. When projects grow difficult and disputes arise, it’s through rolling up sleeves and engaging deeply that true collaboration and lasting trust are forged. I’m proud to say I have no ‘former clients’—only enduring professional relationships built on success.”
Privacy
Because disputes are private by nature, I’ve preserved the confidentiality of those who’ve shared testimonials. I invite you to read their words and, if inspired, reach out for a confidential, no-obligation consultation to explore how I may help recover your rightful entitlement.
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What Our Clients Say…
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“I’ve worked with John Farage O’Brien on a number of complex contractual and dispute resolution matters over the years. His ability to distil multifaceted issues into clear, actionable strategies is exceptional. John brings a rare combination of technical expertise, commercial awareness, and unwavering commitment to achieving the best possible outcome for the company. His support was instrumental in navigating high risk challenges, and I would not hesitate to recommend him to any leadership team facing critical decisions and dispute resolution.”
COO UK Construction – Tier 1 UK Civil Engineering & Building Contractor (TO €0.5bn)
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“I have worked very closely with John on construction disputes for over a decade. Quite simply, I wouldn’t enter the white heat of pitched battle with anyone else. His commitment and work ethic are unrivalled, as is his independence, which ensures he has the tough conversations when they need to be had, and with whoever they need to be had with – time and again I have seen this as the biggest value add to C-suites who are facing problem projects. John’s greatest strength though is his ability to lead a team while commanding coherent strategy across technical and legal disciplines, always with the client’s commercial aim as the focus. In short, he is the best in the business – no argument.”
Managing Partner – Construction Law Firm Dublin – London – Dubai – Toronto
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“Over the years our company has relied on the services of John Farage O Brien in successfully navigating and resolving a range of challenging construction disputes.
John’s deep experience in construction law, his strategic insight and commercial judgement have been invaluable in guiding us through these high stakes challenges.
His ability to independently assess the strengths and weaknesses of both sides on complex cases has been crucial in leveraging ADR to our advantage, avoiding costly litigation and guiding us towards the most effective and commercially sound resolution strategies.
In providing this expert service John and his team have served to protect our interests time and again, enabling objective decision making and commercial resolution that ultimately saved us time, resources and reputation.”
CEO Tier 1 Irish & International Building & Civil Engineering Contractor (TO €0.75bn)
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“If I were entering any adversarial dispute process, there’s no one I’d rather have by my side than John. His attention to detail is second to none, and it’s often this precision that drives success. John zeroes in on the key points in dispute and invests deeply in understanding the relevant facts. He excels at retaining complex data, thinking on his feet, and presenting arguments in a clear, straightforward manner that resonates with tribunals. His ability to simplify without losing substance consistently earns their favour. Champions League calibre.”
Managing Director – Forensic & Litigation Consulting – Global Management Advisory
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John’s knowledge of the construction and Civil Engineering industry sets him ahead of others. His practical advice is responsible, but John also brings welcomed lateral thinking to potential cases. John makes himself available at all times and immerses himself into any case. He doesn’t just limit his role to a strict scope and will do what is needed to bring about a sensible resolution for his client. I would have no hesitation in recommending John and he is one of the most effective and experienced dispute resolution experts I have ever had the pleasure of working with.
CEO Building Contractor Ireland [TO €300m]
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“Being a global company it is very important that we only employ the services of external consultants who fully understand our core business and in particular how our company operates. We choose John as we found him to be very down-to-earth and capable of navigating us through some very complicated challenges facing our business over the many years we have been working together. He has worked with us now for almost a decade on various matters and has always been able to provide a tailor – made and customised service. He has been involved on several projects as an external consultant providing invaluable advice on contractual matters.”
Global Infrastructure provider – Chief Quantity Surveyor [Ireland]
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“I have worked with John for over 14 years now on a mix of educational and high value commercial projects in an around Dublin, Ireland. John brings a rare combination of deep industry knowledge and strategic foresight to every engagement. His ability to navigate complex contractual frameworks, regulatory environments, and stakeholder interests makes him an invaluable asset to any client operating in the construction sector. He is particularly adept at identifying risks early, proposing pragmatic solutions, and ensuring that client interests are protected throughout the lifecycle of a project.
What sets John apart is his unwavering commitment to client advocacy. He listens carefully, communicates clearly, and acts decisively—always with the client’s best interests at heart. Whether representing clients in negotiations, advising on procurement strategies, or resolving disputes, John consistently delivers outcomes that reflect both technical excellence and commercial acumen.
I have no hesitation in recommending John Farage O’Brien to any organisation seeking a trusted, knowledgeable, and results-driven advocate in the construction space.”
Senior Director – Global Projects Advisory Experts
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“I have known John FFF O’Brien in a professional capacity for a number of years having had the opportunity of working with him on numerous disputes. As a dispute resolution consultant he is an expert in his field and his experience and professional background in the construction industry are undoubtedly an asset demonstrated through his impressive and successful record in dispute resolution settlement. I fully endorse John as a committed and valuable advisor.”
Global Infrastructure provider – Area 2 Director (Europe, Middle East, Asia, Australia) [TO €8.2bn] ]
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“John’s range of technical expertise and skill is very impressive particularly as it is allied to a very deep knowledge and understanding of the various relevant forms of dispute resolution. These are major assets, and make John an extremely valuable commodity in the context of any construction dispute. However, what really sets John apart, and makes him someone with whom we are always delighted to work, is his relentless commitment to achieving the best possible result for his client and, of course, his track record of doing just that.”
Partner – Head of Construction – Law Firm Dublin – London – Cayman Islands – Hong Kong
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“John’s depth of knowledge and mastery of legal and contractual issues, his practical understanding of the construction process and his ability to apply strategic thinking to complex matters of dispute have been an invaluable asset to our company.
What further differentiates John is the enthusiasm and level of commitment he brings to the process and his ability to work collaboratively with our in-house staff and our external consultants to develop commercial resolution strategies and achieve successful outcomes on our behalf.
We will continue to retain John’s services in the years ahead and would wholeheartedly recommend him to any business in need of wise council and good guidance in this area.”
COO Tier 1 Irish & International Building & Civil Engineering Contractor (TO €0.75bn)
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“Having worked with John on a major dispute resolution from 2023 to 2025…. It is clear to me that John’s ability to understand and disseminate interrelated contracting activities in a coordinated and focused manner is key in identifying the genesis of issues, leading to a clear understanding of events and identifying how to present these in a way that shows them in their best possible light. John’s capacity to view the larger picture whilst never losing sight of the finer details or the clients desired outcome are his trademarks. Combine these with his personal approach, charisma, determination & drive towards a positive outcome, make for a great leader of successful dispute teams.’
Water Sector Contracting & Consulting – Chair/NED/Strategic Advisor
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“I have worked with John O’Brien more than ten years in a broad range of litigations, conciliations, negotiations, arbitrations, etc. In these cases I have dealt with public clients, private clients and subcontractors. Notwithstanding the positive outcomes of these processes, the most important values brought by John was that in all occasions, he fully understood in depth all issues in a contractual, technical, commercial and legal point of view, and most importantly, John was so fully committed to the cases, that I considered him part of my team and not an external advisor “
Global Infrastructure provider –Country Director [Spain]
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“I have worked with John O’Brien for a number of years, having originally been on the opposite side of the table from him on two small roads cases in about 2008. On the three major cases we have both been engaged together on, our mutual clients have enjoyed success on two and await the outcome of the third. John brings vigour, intellect and clear thinking to his case management.”
Expert & Co-Author SCL Protocol on Delay & Disruption Analysis
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“We first met John Farage O’Brien in 2014 on a particularly challenging project, and I remain grateful for that encounter to this day. Since then, John and his team have supported us on numerous contractual situations. His deep expertise in construction law, combined with his ability to clearly explain even the most complex issues, is a key reason we’ve continued to retain his services for over a decade”
Senior Programme Director [Global Data Centre Security Specialists] Ireland & Scandinavia [TO €13.5Bn]
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“John FFF O’Brien was the case manager in an arbitration I was involved in recently as an expert witness. I was immediately struck by John’s exceptional grasp of the key issues and his ability to analyse, process and link data and information from the various and diverse sources to form a comprehensive overview. John demonstrated a huge and in-depth range of technical knowledge of all aspects of construction, construction and engineering technology, contracts and construction law.”
Partner Global Quantity Surveying firm
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“John’s diligent research into the core issues of the dispute, combined with his strategic thinking, provided our organisation with expert advice that was invaluable – literally. His professional “modus operandi” and presentation skills are second to none.”
Operations Director Tier 1 Civil Engineering Aviation infrastructure Contractor [Ireland] [TO €249m]
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“As an expert technical witness, I have worked with John on a number of conciliations and arbitrations and have always been impressed with John’s immediate grasp of detailed technical matters and how he creates an effective link between these and the fundamental core issues. John is an extremely effective team leader and driver and his in depth knowledge and ability to coordinate and engender “joined up thinking” stands head and shoulders above my experiences relative to other cases where John has not been involved.”
Programme Analyst – Dealy Expert [co Author of SCL Protocol]
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“We have worked with John Farage O Brien on a few projects over the last number of years. From the outset we found John extremely knowledgeable and provided us with practical and sensible advise. John’s understanding of the public works contracts in Ireland (which was what we were using ) was outstanding. John looks at each case from every side and makes very clear and informed decisions and makes sure we as clients are fully aware of the potential outcomes. We have yet to work with someone in the industry as knowledgeable as John.”
Managing Director – Tier 2 Building & Civil Engineering contractor [Ireland]
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“Having provided expert technical witness services over many years. A number of complex conciliations and arbitrations stand out. Working as part of a multi discipline team lead by John Farage O’Brien.
It is without doubt that John’s ability to understand and disseminate interrelated construction activities in a coordinated and focused manner was key in identifying the genesis of the issues, leading to a clear understanding of the events.
John’s capacity to view the larger picture while never loosing sign of the finer details has proven to be one of his trademarks which combined with his charisma and determination makes for a winning team.”
Consulting Engineer – M&E Expert
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“John Farage O’Brien has the ability to interpret detailed construction contract law and explain it, in simple English. John is extremely dependable and can be trusted to handle critical and very sensitive tasks with the upmost professionalism. The positive attitude that John brings in working to a solution is remarkable, and it spreads within a team. Undoubtedly, John’s knowledge and reliability have enabled our business to grow as it is a great comfort to know that we have access to such expertise and someone whom will act in the best interest of our business.”
Commercial Director – Tier 1 Heritage refurbishment contractor. [Ireland]
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‘We have engaged John Farage O’Brien’s expertise on a number of separate occasions. John has always delivered above and beyond what was required in order to achieve the desired outcome for our company.
We have built up an excellent working relationship with John and, as such he is our first point of call for any issues relating to his area of expertise.”
Managing Director – Specialist roof & cladding Contractor
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“We retained John Farage O’Brien consultants to act on our behalf to resolve a dispute. John Farage O’Brien is a well established company and came highly recommended to us and our association proved to be a pleasant and efficient with a strong understanding of our legal needs. We found them to be very professional in their representation and followed through on their excellent reputation for a timely completion of the work.”
Managing Director – Mechanical & Electrical Contractors
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“We have worked with John Farage O’Brien on many projects over the last decade where precise surveying and monitoring is required. John’s knowledge of modern technology enables him to present clients with detailed drawings and models in presenting his expert opinion.
We will continue to work with John as expert witnesses when our expert opinion is required.”
Expert Land Surveyor / Geospatial Engineering
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“We retained John FFF O’Brien to act on our behalf to resolve a dispute arising between ACFL and the Employer (Private dwelling) namely a claim for delay, disruption and disputed domestic variations. From the outset, John presented as an expert in the fields of construction contracts and dispute resolution. He had an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the contract in question along with the technical and legal issues contained therein. John was fully committed to giving his best to our case at all times. His ability to investigate complex matters of the dispute and apply strategic thinking to their resolution was invaluable in bringing our case to a satisfactory close in a timely manner. We found John to be most reassuring even when presenting worst case scenarios to us and have no hesitation in recommending John in his area of expertise.”
Commercial Director – Building Contractor
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“I manage a small charity which embarked on its biggest construction project in its 100+ year history. When we encountered problems and when our questions were not answered satisfactorily, we realised that we needed help navigating our way through the project. We consulted John O’Brien as he was fluent in contractual language and able to translate complex matters into everyday language. He quickly identified gaps in the administration of our venture before working methodically and tirelessly to ensure that they were rectified. For one particular problem, he brought about a resolution following a long period of stasis. There’s no way that we would have made it through without him and are particularly thankful for his work pro bono.”
Project Director – Charity 25 bed Hostel Facility
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“When making the decision to build your family home ,nobody expects to have anything but a good experience in building your dream home”
Unfortunately this is not always the case and when you find that you have employed the wrong builder who actually can’t do what was promised, real conflict is inevitable .
As we had not experienced building a family home before ,we were really in the dark and feared the worst !
In steps John and his team with great knowledge ,experience and patience to understand the case in huge detail. The comfort of having someone with the years of industry experience gave us great confidence that we had real experts on our side. We were guided carefully step by step by John and we were so happy with the excellent conclusion in a very short time.
We will always recommend John and his team to any friends or family who may someday find themselves in this dilemma they are a first class operation“
Well known International business couple building their family home. Architecturally designed c.5,000sqft. Dwelling.
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“I had the good fortune of working with John during a dispute for final account on a project. His expertise, knowledge and negotiation skills were exceptional and the outcome was very satisfactory for our business. I am very happy that we now have John’s expertise available to us and would recommend his services with hesitation”
Operations Director – Specialist HVAC Contractor
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I have known John Farage O’Brien for a number of years and have had the pleasure of working with him and his team on a number of varied and interesting cases during that time. John’s very extensive experience in the world of construction projects allows him to approach clients’ issues in a pragmatic, commercial and highly effective manner. It is always a pleasure to deal with the firm.
Construction Lawyer – Dublin
You never truly know someone until you’ve worked with them. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the finest professionals in the industry and with some of the most respected companies in the world.