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Tim McDonald

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Image > Tim McDonald

Tim is an industry leading construction lawyer, general counsel and legal innovator who is striving to leverage his experience to create a market-leading and disrupting construction practice. With dual qualifications in law and engineering, and over 15 years of experience within private practice and in-house leadership roles in the construction and infrastructure sectors, Tim is passionate about delivering solutions for clients that are efficient, commercially astute and anchored in a deep understanding of his clients' businesses.

With a proven track record in delivering complex "legal tech" projects, Tim is also a passionate innovator who embraces technology and the opportunity that it brings for his clients.

Experience

Tim’s areas of expertise include:

  • conducting complex construction and infrastructure transactions and disputes, including PPPs and litigated matters across multiple jurisdictions;
  • "projects in delivery" support, including strategic management of distressed projects and related legal issues;
  • D&C subject matter expert, with extensive experience across a wide variety of procurement models, including GMP D&C, ECI, MCC, "construct only", O&M, CM, alliances, incentivised target cost and all corresponding downstream arrangements including subcontracts, supply agreements and consultancy agreements;
  • trusted advisor to senior executives, from small business to complex multi-national organisations, traversing a wide variety of construction & infrastructure matters;
  • experienced and effective negotiator;
  • expert communicator, including at Board level and with global and regional CEOs, COOs, CFOs and other function / business leaders;
  • market-leading legal innovator and internal entrepreneur, with proven track record for delivering legal innovation and ICT projects, including contract and workflow automation;
  • advisor on M&A transactions and corporate restructures;
  • data and cyber security management, including issue / incident response; and
  • investigations and audit.

Career highlights

Tim’s career highlights include:

  • leading a large team of industry-leading lawyers as General Counsel for Lendlease's construction and infrastructure businesses in Australia, as part of Lendlease's Global GC management team and Regional Leadership Team;
  • Western Sydney Airport Corporation – Bulk Earthworks Project ($600m): Advisor to the unincorporated joint venture (Lendlease Engineering and CPB) during the conversion and delivery of this major infrastructure project;
  • Transport for NSW (formerly RMS) and Transurban - WestConnex 3A ($3Bn): Advisor to the D&C consortium (Lendlease Engineering and Bouygues Construction Australia) in the conversion and delivery of this complex infrastructure project;
  • Cross River Rail Delivery Authority (CRRDA) - Cross River Rail Tunnels, Stations and Developments Project (>$4Bn): Acting for D&C as part of the Qonnect Consortium (Lendlease Engineering, John Holland, Capella Capital, Lendlease Development, Lendlease Building)
  • FACS - Social & Affordable Housing Project - BaptistCare consortium ($300m): D&C legal lead for Lendlease Building in the successful bidding and conversion of part of the social and affordable housing SAFH1 PPP;
  • Brisbane City Council - Kingsford Smith Drive – Lendlease Engineering: Management of a complex delivery and insurance issues;
  • Queensland Motorway Corporation – Gateway Upgrade North project ($600m): Management of complex delivery issues, including management of DRB process;
  • Exemplar Health - Bendigo Hospital PPP (>$600m): D&C legal lead from bid phase through to delivery and commercial acceptance;
  • leading the automation and roll-out of an automated subcontracting platform for Lendlease's procurement on all Australian projects; and
  • management of completion of the divestment of the Lendlease Engineering business to Acciona, including related corporate restructuring activities.