Kim Franklin KC

A Chartered Arbitrator, Kim acts as party appointed, sole arbitrator and chair for domestic and international arbitrations under UNCITRAL, DIAC, LCIA, HKIAC and ICC rules, including Expedited Procedure and as Emergency Arbitrator.  She is appointed for arbitrations seated in London, Europe, Asia and the Gulf, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar.  Recent appointments include:

• Tribunal Chair, ICC arbitration, coal fired power project in India (2024).
• Party Appointment, HKIAC arbitration, coal fired power project in SE Asia (2024).
• Party Appointment, ICC rules, $45m LNG project subcontract, British Columbia (2024).
• Party Appointment, ICC rules, operations facilities at two airports in Oman (2024).
• Party Appointment, LCIA rules, broadcasting technology project under Qatar law (2023).
• Party Appointment, QICCA rules, support works for metro project under Qatar law (2023).
• Party Appointment, LCIA rules, Hydropower project in Tanzania (2023).
• Party Appointment, ICC arbitration seated in Singapore, refinery project in Abu Dhabi (2023).
• Tribunal Chair, LCIA arbitration, retail project in UAE (2022).
• Party Appointment, DIAC rules for a dispute arising out of a contract for multi-storey construction (2022).
• Sole Arbitrator, ICC rules for a dispute arising out of an agreement to provide electronic trading platform services (2021).
• Party Appointment, ICC Rules, Saudi law, under a contract for civil engineering works for a major metro infrastructure project (2021).
• Party Appointment, ICC arbitration, English law, serial proceedings arising out of a UK biomass power plant (2019 -2022).
• Emergency Arbitrator, ICC Rules for emergency relief claimed under long-term maintenance agreements for a power plant in India (2020).
• Tribunal Chair, UNCITRAL rules, arbitration seated in Geneva for contract for works to a power plant in Kosovo (2020).
• Tribunal Chair, ICC rules, seated in London – contract for a power plant in Pakistan (2020).
• Party Appointment, ICC arbitration, London – contract for Egypt’s largest oil refinery (2020).
• Tribunal Chair, ADCCAC arbitration under UAE law, for military facilities in Abu Dhabi (2020).
• Sole Arbitrator, one of the first ICC expedited procedures industrial water treatment plant in Europe (2017).
• Tribunal chair, ADCCAC arbitration, Kazakhstan law, for a multi-use project in Kazakhstan.
• Party Appointment UNCITRAL rules Bahrain for dredging and land reclamation works.
• Party appointed ICC arbitration, English law contract for a fertilizer terminal in Tanzania.
• Tribunal chair for ICC arbitration for specialist claims in airport construction, Qatar.
• Party appointment, ICC arbitration, Oman law, specialist claims for airport construction.
• Party appointment, DIAC arbitration for the construction of canal infrastructure in Dubai.

An accredited UK Construction Adjudicator with TeCSA, TECBAR, RIBA, IChemE and the CIArb, Kim specialises in complex disputes including PFI, often as a panel or DAB member with other expert disciplines. Recent appointments include:

• Complex fire safety issues in a development in Surrey (2024).
• Payment issues under civils contracts for Open Cycle Gas Power Station in Wales (2024).
• Schools maintenance issues under BSF programme (2023).
• Complex programme issues in a health care project on the South coast (2023).
• High specification domestic refurbishment project in North London (2023).
• Serial claims arising out of waste processing facilities in the UK North (2022).
• Contractors’ claims for specialist steelworks for iconic London development (2022).
• Contractor’s claims arising out of waste processing plant in the UK North East (2021).
• Contractor’s claims arising out of a residential development in the UK South East (2021).
• Developer’s claims for civils works to a brewery development in the UK Midlands (2021).
• Expert Determination, insurance provisions, storm damage, British Overseas Territory (2020).
• Specialist contractor’s delay and variation claims for process engineering works for an energy from waste plant in the UK’s South East (2020).
• Declaratory relief claimed as to the contractual effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on a contract for cross-channel electricity supply works (2020).
• Specialist contractor’s claims for losses at an energy recovery plant in the UK’s West (2020).
• Claims for defective turbine at a waste to energy plant in the UK’s South West (2020).
• Party appointed DAB Member for claims for a container port in Central America (2020).
• Panel Adjudicator for extended serial adjudications including contract breach and insurance under a PFI contract for a BMT waste processing plant in the UK’s South East (2016-2020).
• Party appointed Adjudicator for technically complex multi-party, parallel disputes under PFI contracts for a college in the UK’s North conducted over 18 months (2019-2020).
• Party appointed Adjudicator for disputed demolition works for HS2 (2019).
• Party appointed adjudicator for high value claims under PFI contracts for the external refurbishment and cladding of tower blocks in the UK’s North (2019).
• Complex £12m claims, two contracts for maintenance of large-scale UK social housing (2016).
• Complex £4m claims arising out of the refurbishment of an historic estate residence in the UK – conducted over 4 months (2014).
• Defective panoramic elevator system for iconic project on the UK’s south coast (2013).

• Chair, ICC rules, payment issues for a coal-fired power plant in India.
• Adjudicator for payment issues under civils contracts for Open Cycle Gas Power Station in Wales.
• Party Appointment, ICC rules, $45m sub-contract for LNG Project in British Columbia.
• Party nomination, HKIAC rules, coal-fire power plant project in the Philippines.
• Party Appointment, LCIA rules, hydropower project in Tanzania.
• Party Appointed Arbitrator, specialist delay claims, ADCCAC rules, oil refinery works in Abu Dhabi.
• Adjudicator for contractors claims under IChemE rules, civils works for a waste plant in the UK.
• Party Appointment, serial ICC arbitrations arising out of a UK biomass power station.
• Emergency Arbitrator, ICC Rules, emergency claims under long-term maintenance agreements for a power plant in India.
• Adjudicator for specialist contractor’s delay and variation claims under IChemE rules, for process engineering works for an energy from waste plant in the UK’s South East.
• Adjudicator for specialist contractor’s claims for losses during works at an UK energy recovery plant.
• Adjudicator for high value damages claims for defective turbine at a UK waste to energy plant.
• Tribunal Chair, ICC arbitration seated in London for a contract for a power plant in Pakistan.
• CIArb appointed Adjudicator for completion disputes for a biomass plant in the UK’s North.
• Party Appointment, ICC arbitration, pipework contract for the largest refinery project in Egypt.
• Party Appointment, ICC arbitration seated in Geneva.  EPC contract for a power plant project in Iraq.
• PFI Panel Adjudicator for serial disputes under a contract for a UK BMT waste processing plant.
• Adjudicator for claims for international engineering services for a UK waste recovery park.
• Successfully acting as leader for an Antiguan power provider’s Privy Council Appeal against the American International Bank.
• Advising a power company on claims against the Antiguan Government for breach of a Joint Venture Agreement in favour of rival foreign contractors. At first instance, the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal and appearing in the successful appeal to the Privy Council.
• Advising power providers in connection with claims for the construction of power plants in the UK in a series of arbitration hearings of claims, including the construction of the piled foundations.

• Sole arbitrator for ICC arbitration seated in Abu Dhabi for disputes arising out of a contract for the water-cooled chiller package for a high-profile mixed-use development in the UAE.
• Appointed ICC sole arbitrator for expedited procedure of claims concerning an industrial water treatment plant in the Czech Republic.
• Acting as party-appointed Arbitrator in an ICC Arbitration for a fertilizer terminal in Tanzania.
• Decided as Adjudicator claims by international consultants for services provided at UK steelworks.
• Adjudicator – dispute between steelwork supplier and contractor for a UK LNG gas processing plant.
• Advising a Japanese chemical company successfully resisting construction claims for a chemical processing plant in the UK at an extended series of arbitration hearings under ICC rules in London.

• Tribunal Chair, LCIA rules, retail mall project in Abu Dhabi.
• Party appointment, ICC rules, retail mall project in Qatar.
• Party appointment, DIAC rules, multi-storey construction with heliport in Dubai.
• Acting as Adjudicator for contractor’s claims arising from troubled conversion of historic hotel building into residential accommodation.
• Acting as Arbitrator for disputes concerning the management of leisure and holiday parks in the UK.
• Acting for an international joint venture for the construction of a hotel and residential complex on the Jumeriah Palm, Dubai at DIAC arbitration in Dubai.
• Advised international lawyers in the BVI representing developers of a hotel complex in St Lucia.

• Party appointment, LCIA rules, broadcasting infrastructure project in Qatar.
• Party appointment, ICC rules, operations facilities works at two airports in Oman.
• Party appointment, QICCA rules, support works for metro project in Qatar.
• Acting as Adjudicator for disputes under a contract for health care facilities and carpark in the UK.
• Party appointment, ICC Arbitration under Saudi law arising from contract for civil engineering works for a major metro infrastructure project.
• Dispute Board Member for final account claims for a container terminal in Central America.
• Party appointed Adjudicator for disputes under a contract for demolition works for HS2.
• Tribunal chair, ADCCAC Arbitration under a contract for military facilities in the UAE.
• Acting as Adjudicator, high value £66m claims by service provider under PFI contracts for UK roads.
• Party appointment, ad hoc arbitration for dredging and land reclamation works in Bahrain.
• Tribunal chair, ICC Arbitration for specialist contractor claims for airport construction in Qatar.
• Party appointed arbitrator, ICC Arbitration for specialist claims for airport construction in Oman.
• Party appointed arbitrator, DIAC Arbitration for construction of a canal system at Dubai Creek.

• Party appointed adjudicator for LTHW systems for a college building in the UK’s North.
• CIArb appointed Adjudicator for MEP claims under contract for food manufacturing facility.
• Acting as Adjudicator for dispute arising out of the construction of one of the UK’s largest GSHP.
• Sole Arbitrator in ICC arbitration for MEP systems to a mixed-use development in Abu Dhabi.
• Acting as Tribunal chair for specialist computer system claims in airport construction, Qatar.
• Decided as Adjudicator a dispute between a UK Contractor and Italian lift suppliers concerning the provision of an external panoramic lift for a landmark tower on the UK’s south coast.

• Adjudicator under TeCSA Rules for high value claim for payment and delay damages under contract for bespoke UK office building.
• Party Appointed Arbitrator DIAC rules multi-storey construction, Dubai.
• Sole arbitrator, ICC Rules, dispute arising out of agreement for electronic trading platform services.
• Appointed as Adjudicator for complex and high value disputes arising out of the external refurbishment and cladding of a number of tower blocks in the north of England.
• Advising high net worth individuals on claims arising out the refurbishment of London residence.
• Acting as Counsel for an international contractor in its arbitration claim against Dubai’s largest residential developer arising out of one of Dubai’s first foreign built residential tower blocks.
• Deciding as Adjudicator for complex disruption claims under a contract for the refurbishment of an historic estate residence in Hampshire, UK.
• Tribunal chair, DIAC Arbitration concerning concrete defects in a residential complex in Dubai.
• Adjudicator for claims by interior designers for the refurbishment of luxury London residences.
• Adjudicator for extension of time claims for double level basement excavations at a prestigious residential property in Notting Hill, London.

Kim acted for and against insurers throughout her career, acting successfully in the House of Lords in CRS v Taylor Young .  Since taking silk she decides complex insurance provisions, including:

• Sole Expert Determination, insurance provisions, hospital storm damage, British Overseas Territory.
• Panel Adjudicator for extended serial adjudications (18 No.) including contract breach and insurance provisions under a PFI contract for a BMT waste processing plant in the UK  (2016-2020).
• Party appointed adjudicator for high value insurance claims under PFI contracts for the external refurbishment and cladding of tower blocks in the UK’s North (2019).

• Advising superyacht project rescue consultants on issues arising out of the construction of two 100m private yacht projects.
• Speaker at the Superyacht Design Symposium at Palm Beach, Florida US 2011.

• Successfully represented ICC arbitration claims against Dubai’s largest residential developer.
• Acted as leader with success, for a multi-national JV dispute, UAE law, hotel complex on Dubai Palm.
• Advised an Urban Development Corporation in a Government Enquiry in Trinidad & Tobago.
• Successfully acted for Japanese developers in extended ICC arbitrations for a UK chemical plant.

Selected Cases

• American International Bank Ltd (in receivership) v Landmark Ltd [2014] UK PC 17 (Privy Council) successfully upheld agreement for electricity supply in Antigua.
• Antigua Power Company Ltd v Attorney General [2013] UKPC 23 (Privy Council) successful appeal upholding JVA for electricity provision in Antigua.
• CRS v Taylor Young [2002] HL – Professionals’ contribution claim struck out – co-insured Contractor/Employer not ‘liable’ under Civil Liability (Contribution) Act 1978.
• West Faulkner Associates v. London Borough of Newham (1994) CA 71 BLR 1 – Successfully resisted Architects’ negligence claims.  Meaning of ‘regularly and diligently’ in JCT Contract.