Qatar
George Vlavianos FCIArb
PartnerDispute Resolution
Qatar Country Head
Qatar Country Head
About
George Vlavianos is a partner in the firm’s Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations practice, based in Doha.
George specialises in dispute resolution with a focus on energy and constructions disputes. He has considerable experience advising owners, contractors and engineers on a wide range of complex, multi-party construction disputes and arbitrations across the Middle East, Europe and the North America, including insurance claims arising out of large-scale construction projects. In addition, George has significant experience handling energy-related disputes for national and international energy companies.
He regularly conducts arbitrations under various ad hoc and institutional rules. He has considerable arbitration experience with respect to projects in the GCC and Qatar in particular, and is very familiar with the laws of the region and their application.
George is ranked in both Chambers Global and Legal 500, with one client stating: "I rate him highly for arbitration, he has a good reputation." Another client has observed: “George is thoroughly prepared, constructs arguments from their elemental level and makes them resonate. As with all great litigators, he has a very good sense of irony. He is awesome in the hearing room.”
EXPERIENCE
- Advising an international EPC contractor in ICC arbitration proceedings in relation to multimillion-euro disputes arising out of the design and construction of a multi-lane highway and tunnel in Slovakia.
- Advising an international EPC contractor in ICC arbitration proceedings in relation to multimillion-dollar disputes arising out of the design and construction of a stadium for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
- Advising an international EPC contractor in relation to a series of claims arising out of the development and construction of a mall complex in Saudi Arabia.
- Advising a steel works sub-contractor in ad hoc arbitration proceedings in relation to a dispute arising out of the on the construction of the New Doha Port.
- Advising a foreign government in relation to a multibillion-dollar dispute arising from a contract for the manufacture and supply of military equipment to a country in the GCC.*
- Advising an international EPC contractor in relation to multimillion-dollar claims arising out of the design and construction of a highway network in Qatar.*
- Advising an international EPC contractor tendering on the Red Sea Development Project in Saudi Arabia.*
- Advising an international consultant in HKIAC arbitration proceedings in relation to the recovery of consulting fees arising from the award of a contract for the construction of a pipeline system in Bangladesh.*
- Advising an international EPC contractor in ICC arbitration proceedings in relation to a subcontract dispute arising from the design and construction of the Doha Metro.*
- Advising an earthworks sub-contractor in ICC arbitration proceedings in relation to a subcontract dispute arising from the construction of the Doha Metro.*
- Advising an international energy company in UNCITRAL arbitration proceedings in relation to a multimillion-dollar costs overrun and delay claim arising out of the design and construction of a billion-dollar oil sands project.*
- Advising an international EPC contractor in ICC arbitration proceedings advancing a multimillion-dollar claim arising out of the construction of a gas processing plant in Oman.*
- Advising the joint venture owners in a multimillion-dollar gas pricing dispute with a Saudi Arabian petrochemical company.*
- Advising the international joint venture owners in advancing a multimillion-dollar delay claim arising out of the construction of a 1350 MW combined cycle power plant in the GCC.*
- Advising the international joint venture owners in advancing a multimillion-dollar insurance (property and BI) claim arising out of the construction and operation of an aluminum smelter in the GCC.*
- Advising the international joint venture owners in advancing a multimillion-dollar insurance (property and BI) claim arising out of the construction and operation of a cooling tower in the GCC.*
- Advising an insulation sub-contractor in ICC arbitration proceedings advancing a multimillion-dollar claim arising out of the construction of an LNG plant in Qatar.*
- Advising an international energy company in a series of UNCITRAL arbitration proceedings relating to multiple multimillion-dollar disputes arising out of the ownership and operation of a gas field in the Caspian Sea.*
- Advising an international construction contractor in court proceedings advancing a multimillion-dollar claim arising out of the design and construction of a magnesium oxide plant in Jordan.*
- Advising an international construction contractor in ICC arbitration proceedings relating to a multimillion-dollar dispute arising from the development of an offshore gas platform in the Black Sea.*
- Advising a Canadian oil services company in ICC arbitration proceedings relating to disputed ownership of energy interests in the Aegean Sea.*
- Advising a joint venture partner in ICC arbitration proceedings relating to the ownership and operation of an oilfield in Indonesia.*
- Advising a Canadian-based international energy company in a series of multimillion-dollar claims against an errors and omissions insurer arising in connection with the construction of a multibillion-dollar oil sands project, resolved through mediation.*
- Advising a national energy company in defending a multimillion-dollar delay and lost productivity claim by a works contractor arising in connection with the construction of a multimillion-dollar oil sands projects.*
- Advising a national energy company in defending a claim by a works contractors arising in connection with the construction of a multibillion-dollar oil sands project.*
- Advising a pipeline company in defending a delay and lost productivity claim arising in connection with the construction of an oil and gas pipeline.*
- Advising a general contractor in negotiating and drafting a construction management agreement with respect to the construction of a health facility.*
- Advising a general contractor in negotiating and drafting a fixed-price contract for the construction of a casino.*
- Advising a food products company in negotiating and drafting a design-build contract for the construction of a storage facility.*
- Advising a consulting engineer in multi-party litigation and mediation proceeding arising in connection with the construction of a large house development.*
*Denotes experience prior to DLA Piper.
Languages
- English
- Greek
- French
- German
- Arabic
Education
- Université Panthéon-Assas, Paris, France, 1994
- McGill University, Montréal, Canada, Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL), 1993
- McGill University, Montréal, Canada Bachelor of Laws (LLB), 1992
Queen's University, Kingston, Canada Bachelor of Arts (BA), 1989
Awards
- Ranked in Chambers and Partners, 2014-2023, Global Canada, Dispute Resolution: Arbitration
- Ranked in Chambers and Partners, 2022-2023, Qatar, Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration
- Legal 500, 2023 Arbitration Powerlist for the Middle East
- Legal 500, 2022, Dispute Resolution – Qatar
- Construction Week Middle East 2023 – ranked amongst top 10 construction lawyers in the Middle East
- 2023 Qatar Business Law Forum Awards – ADR Team of the Year
- 2022 Qatar Business Law Forum Awards – Commercial Litigation Team of the Year
Seminars
- 2023 FIDIC Contracts Guidance, Qatar Business Law Forum, Doha, 14 November 2023
- Unforeseeability, Hardship and Force Majeure – A Perspective from the Gulf, Society of Construction Law, 10th International Construction Law Conference, Istanbul, 18 October 2023
- Unforeseeability, Hardship and Force Majeure in the Context of Concessions Agreements – Comparative Law Observations – Greece and the Gulf, Conference at International Hellenic University, Thessaloniki, Greece, 4 November 2022
- Multi-Tier Process and Pre-Arbitral Steps, 10th ICC MENA Conference, Dubai, 17 May 2022
- Preparing a Case for Arbitration in the Age of COVID-19 – A Practitioner’s Perspective, 4th World Conference on International Arbitration, Doha, 23 March 2022
- How to Best use an Expert Witness in Arbitration, 6th Annual International Arbitration & Regulatory Summit – Istanbul, 2019
- Consolidation of International Arbitration Proceedings, 5th Annual International Arbitration & Regulatory Summit – Doha, 2019
- Arbitration Clauses: An Introduction for Transactional Lawyers, 6th Annual International Arbitration & Regulatory Summit – Dubai, 2019
- Multi-Tier Dispute Resolution Clauses – Benefits, Drawbacks and Effects of Non-Compliance, Third International Arbitration Conference – Doha, 2018
Prior Experience
Prior to joining DLA Piper in May 2020, George worked at an international law firm, based in Doha.
Memberships And Affiliations
- New York Bar, 1993
- Law Society of Alberta, 1996
- ICC Canada Arbitration Committee, Member
- ICC Greece, Member
- Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb)
- Fellow of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers
- Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America
- Charter Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America
- International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Canadian National Committee, Member
- Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) Arbitration Committee, Member
- Congress of Fellows of the Center for International Legal Studies, Member
- London Court of International Arbitration, Member
