SoCLA National Conference

Bernard Salt AM

Bernard Salt is widely regarded as one of Australia's leading social commentators. He has written six popular best-selling books, hosted a TV show on SkyNEWS Business called "The Next Five Years" and hosted a top-rated podcast called "What Happens Next". Bernard Salt is also one of Australia's most in-demand corporate speakers. After a 20-year career as a Partner in a global advisory firm, Bernard founded The Demographics Group to provide advice to business on demographic, social and property trends. He is best known to the wider community for his penchant for identifying new social behaviours including "the goat's cheese curtain." Bernard has been a columnist with The Australian newspaper for more than 20 years. His column in The Weekend Australian Magazine is highly regarded and widely read. Bernard was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2017 Australia Day honours for his services to the Australian people via demography. And finally, Bernard is the person responsible for popularising the phrase "smashed avocado" … globally!

Dr Sean Brady

Dr Sean Brady has acted as an expert witness in numerous proceedings involving a wide range of constructed facilities. He is a Chartered Professional Engineer, a Fellow of Engineers Australia, a director of the Society of Construction Law Australia, and a member of the Singapore International Mediation Centre's Panel of Experts. In 2020 he completed the Brady Review, investigating fatalities in the Queensland mining industry. The review analysed 20 years of incident data and resulted in 11 recommendations for industry and regulators to reduce fatality and incident rates. He also speaks, podcasts, and writes on failure, human behaviour, data analytics, and engineering disasters.

Jane Hider

Partner at King & Wood Mallesons

Jane Hider is a partner in the Construction team at King & Wood Mallesons, practicing in all forms of construction and infrastructure procurement. Jane advises across the entire project lifecycle, from structuring a tender process, preparing and negotiating contract documentation, contract administration advice and dispute minimisation. Her recent practice focus has been in the build-to-rent, public and social housing sectors, in addition to data centres, transmission lines and educational precincts. She lectures in Negotiating Construction Contracts in the Melbourne University Law School JD program and co-chairs her firm's Gen-KWM steering committee which aims to position KWM as a leader in gender equality and inclusion.

Monique Carroll

Monique is an experienced arbitration counsel and arbitrator. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA), a faculty tutor at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and a Listed Arbitrator for ACICA, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), the Asian International Arbitration Centre, and Arbitration Victoria. She has over 19 years of experience resolving disputes concerning breach of contracts, financial services, joint ventures, investment treaties, foreign investment and trade, sale of businesses, oppression claims, technology, infrastructure projects, construction, property, sale of goods including the CISG, procurement and shipping, commodities, and agribusiness. Monique also has specialised experience in China-related disputes, having worked in the P.R.C as advisor and counsel in domestic disputes and international arbitrations involving P.R.C entities. In 2022, Monique was listed in Doyle's Guide Leading Arbitration Lawyers Australia. In 2023, she was endorsed by legal professionals as "an outstanding litigation lawyer" and "well regarded within the Australian legal community as an 'up and coming rising star.'"

Penny Bond

Penny is a barrister practicing from Quayside Chambers in Perth specialising in construction and infrastructure disputes. Penny's experience includes advising and appearing in large-scale disputes across various sectors, including oil and gas, mining, energy infrastructure, transport, and water. Penny has assisted clients in navigating complex litigation, arbitration, and adjudication, as well as building regulatory matters. Penny has been recognised in Doyle's Guide as a Rising Star in Construction Law. She is an active member of the Society of Construction Law Australia and holds Associate Membership with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Prof. Douglas Jones AO

Doug Jones AO is a leading independent international commercial and investor-state arbitrator with over 40 years' prior experience as an international transactional and disputes project lawyer. Doug has chambers in Sydney and Toronto and is a door tenant at Atkin Chambers in London. He is also an International Judge of the Singapore International Commercial Court. He has been involved in over 190 arbitrations covering construction, infrastructure, energy, commodities, intellectual property, joint venture, and investor-state disputes spanning more than 30 jurisdictions worldwide. He has extensive experience under ICC, LCIA, AAA, ICDR, KCAB, AIAC, CRCICA, SIAC, VIAC, SCC, DIAC, PDRCI, ACICA, Resolution Institute, AMINZ, QICCA, European Development Fund Arbitration and Conciliation Rules, ICSID, and UNCITRAL Rules in disputes valued in billions of USD. Doug has published extensively and holds professorial appointments at Queen Mary College, University of London, and Melbourne University. He has served as President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA). He was awarded the SCL International Medal during the 11th SCL International Conference in Seoul for contributions to construction law internationally and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2012 for his distinguished service to law and arbitration. He was elected an Honorary Bencher of The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn in 2020.