Solutions / Alternative Dispute Resolution
Resolve disputes before they harden.
Alternative Dispute Resolution gives parties a process to settle their dispute earlier, quicker and more cost-effectively than arbitration or litigation — which we treat strictly as last-resort mechanisms.
Why it works
The case for dispute boards.
of dispute board decisions are never referred on to arbitration or litigation, the Dispute Resolution Board Foundation reports across a database of 2,700+ projects.
of projects that appoint a dispute board reach completion with no formal dispute at all — the prevention effect, not just the cure.
Sources DRBF — Dispute Resolution Board Foundation ↗︎ Arcadis — Global Construction Disputes Report ↗︎ King’s College London — Dispute Boards International Survey 2024 ↗︎
Our methodology
Start as early as possible
to resolve conflict.
Select the resolution method upfront
The right mechanism is chosen before the first disagreement — in the contract, not in the courtroom.
Address disputes during design & delivery
Issues are raised and processed while the project runs — in real time, not in arrears.
Risk registers throughout all phases
A live link between risk management and contract management keeps potential disputes visible early.
Tiered resolution system
Senior executives first, then mediation — escalation paths that resolve disputes quickly and keep relationships intact.
Standing boards & expert determination
Standing Dispute Resolution Boards (DRB), FIDIC’s Dispute Avoidance/Adjudication Board (DAAB) or Expert Determination — in place from day one.
Arbitration only as last resort
If everything above is done well, you should rarely need it — and that is precisely the point.
Accredited
Determination, certified.
Our network includes accredited Expert Determiners and registered Adjudicators with FIDIC and NEC4 experience. Vuentica has specialist experience working across a wide range of contract types — from collaborative and ECI-based agreements to traditional design-bid-build — and across the tiered resolution mechanisms set out above. See the full capability matrix for expert witness and expert determination services.