People
Antony Smith
Partner and Chairman
London
Antony is a Partner and the Chair of Beale & Co, setting and monitoring the strategic direction of the business alongside the Senior Partner.
Antony is featured in Who’s Who Legal as a Thought Leader and has been named in Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession as a leading lawyer in the construction industry, and in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame.
He continues to work for clients in the construction sector in the UK and internationally, where he is well known and widely recognised and respected for his expertise in this field, with clients describing him “as a real heavyweight of the industry”. His clients include professionals, contractors and insurers.
Antony specialises in disputes arising out of construction contracts and leads large-scale and large-value disputes, covering all forms of dispute resolution including litigation, arbitrations, adjudications and mediations globally. He is well known in the international arbitration field, where he handles arbitrations arising from construction contracts, insurance policies and other commercial issues, under all the major arbitration rules, including ICC, LCIA and UNCITRAL.
His overseas experience includes:
- Advising in connection with claims brought by a UAE government entity concerning the design and construction of the Midfield Terminal Complex at Abu Dhabi International Airport – an award winning building conceived as the gateway to the country with a construction cost estimated to reach AED 10bn.
- Acting for one of the world’s largest oil and gas multinationals in an arbitration concerning the failure of one of the largest oil services companies to properly perform oil well liner hanger services at a Deepwater drilling rig.
- Acting for a major international marine contractor in an arbitration in relation to a US$ 20 million reclamation (sand mining and pumping) project in offshore Sri Lanka.
- Providing representation and advising on two sets of multi-party arbitration proceedings concerning the design and construction of Bangkok Airport.
- Acting for a leading engineering consultancy as a defendant in a dispute arising from the development of Lusail City, Qatar.
- Acting for a Chinese contractor in an arbitration in relation to a €30 million road project in Africa.
- Advising in relation to a proposed new tunnel on one of the largest toll road construction projects in Australia.
- The successful defence of a US$80m claim for delay and disruption arising out of the construction of a power station in the Philippines.
- An Australian case relating to Airport Link in Brisbane, Australia where claims of nearly $2BN were commenced following the collapse of the tunnel operator.
- Advising on claims in Germany, Hong Kong, the Republic of Guinea, the Middle East.
Antony is a CEDR qualified Mediator and a member of the FIDIC Risk & Liability Committee. He is also a registered Foreign Legal Consultant in Ontario, Canada.