5-week course: contracts

Ruth Wilkinson

Construction lawyer, legal director at Hill Dickinson LLP

Richard Patterson

Richard Patterson, NEC and procurement specialist at Mott MacDonald, is a chartered civil engineer and ICE Fellow who has been with the firm for 35-plus years.

He was a member of the drafting team for NEC4; the ICE’s working group on procurement, contracts and carbon/net zero; and the team that developed the recently released NEC secondary option, X29. This enables clients to include contractual targets incentivising contractors to provide lower-carbon solutions.

Keen for NEC to be used more widely, Patterson has trained people in its application in countries ranging from Australia and Ethiopia to Peru and the US.

He has contributed to two NEC books and served on the editorial advisory panel of the ICE’s Management, Procurement and Law journal. He is also a frequent contributor to the NEC’s website and newsletter.

Patrick Waterhouse

Patrick Waterhouse is a chartered civil engineer and chartered quantity surveyor. 

He is a mediator, adjudicator, expert witness and expert determiner. His work as a dispute resolver tends to involve high value disputes and often NEC contracts. He is on the panels of 10 nominating bodies including ICE and RICS.  He is vice Chair of the ICE Dispute Resolution Committee. 

He also works as a contract advisor and training consultant.

Ania Gonzalez

Ania graduated at Gdansk University of Technology in 2008 and started her career in New Zealand as a Temporary Works Designer working for an international supplier RMD Kwikform. Following return to Europe, Ania joined Jacobs and the Tideway Engineering team in 2012. During the last 10 years Ania has been involved in the design for tender, tender evaluation, and design assurance after contract award. In 2019 Ania was appointed Project Manager for the King Edward Memorial Foreshore Park worksite and since then Ania has been working collaboratively with the Main Works Contractor to deliver works allowing to intercept the North Eastern Relief Sewer into the Tideway tunnel. In addition to that, Ania is a proud Mom of Alex (4) and Olivia (2).”

Jennifer Daly

Lara Agoro

Lara Agoro is a senior associate within the Commercial and Legal (CLT) division at Buro Happold Limited. 

Lara has over a decade of legal expertise in the construction industry, specialising particularly in engineering consultancy. Lara’s role involves close collaboration with project teams across various jurisdictions, offering timely and pragmatic legal and commercial guidance throughout the project life cycle. Lara’s responsibilities span from contract review and negotiation, to identifying risk mitigation measures and early dispute resolution.

Prior to joining Buro Happold, Lara worked at Capita’s property and infrastructure division (subsequently acquired by WSP) where she supported engineers in contract reviews, negotiations, and risk management strategies for project delivery. Prior to this, Lara practised as a solicitor in a foreign jurisdiction, advising clients across Corporate, Commercial and Banking sectors. Additionally, she has gained extensive experience in business risk management as a compliance professional in a FTSE 100 Professional Services firm.

Known for her collaborative approach, Lara enjoys working closely with project teams and clients to achieve optimal commercial outcomes on projects.

Lara holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, NG and is a qualified solicitor in England and Wales, as well as another foreign jurisdiction.

Dimitrios Nikou