Doug Jones AO RFD

• 1969 Articled Clerk – Morris Fletcher & Cross
• 1972 Employed solicitor – Morris Fletcher & Cross
• 1976 – 1992 Partner – Morris Fletcher & Cross. Law Department, Head, National Construction and Engineering Group
• 1989 – 1992 Opened Morris Fletcher & Cross Sydney office
• 1992 – 1993 Partner – Minter Ellison Morris Fletcher. Law Department. Head National Construction and Engineering Group
• 1993 – 2014 Partner – Clayton Utz
• 1993 – 2014 Head National Construction & Engineering Law Group
• 1995 – 2014 Head International Arbitration and Private International Law Practice Group
• 2000 – 2014 Head National Major Projects Group
• 2002 – 2006 Elected Member Clayton Utz Board
• 2015 – 2019 Consultant – Clayton Utz
• 2015 – date Independent International Arbitrator
• 2019 – date International Judge – Singapore International Commercial Court

Professor 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. In 2019, he was also appointed as an International Judge of the Singapore International Commercial Court.

He has been involved in over 190 arbitrations which include construction, infrastructure, energy, commodities, intellectual property, joint venture, and investor-state disputes spanning over 30 jurisdictions around the world, in disputes of values exceeding some billions $US.

Doug is acknowledged as a leading arbitrator and construction practitioner with high rankings in a number of publications. In 2022, Doug was named Construction Lawyer of the Year by Who’s Who Legal, and shortlisted for Arbitrator of the Year by The Legal 500 UK Bar. At the 2020 GAR Awards, Doug was named Best Prepared and Most Responsive Arbitrator. Chambers Asia-Pacific has recognised Doug as “without question the leading Asia-Pacific-based arbitrator for construction disputes” and testified that “he
is regarded by many as the leading construction arbitrator in the world”. As of 2024, he has maintained his Band One ranking in the Chambers Asia-Pacific international arbitration category for 14 consecutive years. In 2021, Who’s Who Legal: Construction commented that Doug is “a very impressive arbitrator” and
“perhaps the best in the world”. He was considered “the best at managing expert advice”, who “manages the process with exceptional efficiency”. His substantial contribution to, and leadership in, the Australian legal profession was recognised at the 2014 Lawyers Weekly Law Awards, where he was honoured with the Michael Kirby Lifetime Achievement Award.

Doug has published and presented extensively and holds a professorial appointment at the Melbourne University Law School. Doug has also held appointments at several international professional associations. From 2018-2020, Doug served as the president of the International Academy of Construction Lawyers (IACL) and he is a past president of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA) (2008-2014). He chaired the Sydney ICCA Congress in 2018. He has also served as the chair of the board of trustees and president of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), and was chair of CIArb’s centenary celebrations. In 2016, Doug was appointed one of only four
Companions of CIArb.

In 2012, Doug was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his distinguished service to the law and leadership in arbitration, alternative dispute resolution, policy reform, and national and international professional organisations. In 2018, Doug was awarded the John Shaw Medal in recognition of his lasting
contribution to the road transport industry in Australia and internationally. He was elected an Honorary Bencher of The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn in 2020.

• Adjunct Professor of Law, Murdoch University, Australia (2006 – 2013)
• Adjunct Professor University of Notre Dame Australia (2004 – 2006)
• Professorial Fellow Melbourne University (2001 – date)
• Visiting Professor at Queen Mary College, University of London (2014 – date)
• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (London) (1980 – date), Chartered Arbitrator (2007), Fellow (1980), Vice President (2009) President (2011), Deputy President (2010),  Vice President (2009) Chairman of the Board of Trustees (2006 – 2008), Companion (2016 – date)
• Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (2002 – date), President (2008 – 2014), Vice President (2002 – 2008)
• Institute of Arbitrators & Mediators Australia, Foundation Fellow (1976) and Graded Arbitrator (1985 – date)
• LCIA Court Member (2010 – date)
• Arbitrators and Mediators Institute of New Zealand (AMINZ), Fellow (2011 – date)
• International Federation of Commercial Arbitration Institutions (IFCAI), Council Member (2012 – date)
• International Bar Association (1983 – date), Member of the International Construction Projects Committee of the IBA (1983 – date) Co-Chair (2006 – 2008)
• Member of Conflicts of Interest Working Group of the IBA International Arbitration Committee (2002 – 2004)
• Vice-President Asia Pacific Council, London Court of International Arbitration (1989 – 2007)
• Vice Chair, Inter-Pacific Bar Association Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Committee (2002 – date)
• Committee Member, Construction and Infrastructure Group, Law Council of Australia (1987 – date)
• Member of a number of panels of International Arbitral bodies
• Member Dispute Review Board Foundation, Inc. (1996 – date)
• President of the Dispute Resolution Board Australasia Inc. (2009 – date)
• Australasian Government nominee on the ICSID panel of arbitrators
• NSW Government Arbitrator member of the Arbitration Panel under the Mining Act and Offshore (Petroleum) Act.
• Member, International Arbitration Club (London) (1997 – date)
• Arbitrator Member, Society of Construction Arbitrators (London) (2005 – date)
• Member of the Australian Council of the International Project Finance Association (2007 – date)
• Member CIDC International Advisory Group for the India Construction Industry (2006 – date)
• Member of the Juris Doctor Advisory Board of the University of Melbourne, Australia (2004 – date)
• Honorary Fellow of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers (2007 – date)
• Honorary Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers ( February 2009 – date)
• Member of the Council of Distinguished Advisors, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine School of Law California

Honors and Awards

• One of 4 living Companions of the Chartered Institute of Australia as of 2016.
• AO (Officer of the Order of Australia, for distinguished service to the law as a leader in the areas of arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, to policy reform, and to national and international professional organisations) awarded in June 2012 in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
• AM (For services to construction law and the development of arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, recognising thirty years contribution in those areas) awarded in January 1999.
• RFD (Member of Airforce Reserve for many years including membership of the Legal Reserve during the latter stages of involvement on the active Reserve)
• Recognised locally and internationally for dispute resolution and project expertise. Doug sits as an international commercial and investor / state arbitrator. His expertise in International Arbitration and Construction has regularly been recognised by his peers.
• Chambers Asia Pacific 2013 – 2020 – Doug has maintained a Band 1 ranking in the “Arbitration (International): Most In Demand Arbitrators” Category for 8 consecutive years. Doug was recognised as having a “worldwide reputation” as an arbitrator of construction-related disputes, a large proportion of which originate in the Asia-Pacific region. Doug has been the recipient of extremely positive comment from interviewees, one source calling him“one of the super arbitrators,”another emphasising that he is a“superb chairman – very decisive and authoritative,” who asks“fair but really incisive questions.”A third, who similarly characterises him as “a great ringmaster,”stresses his careful preparation, ability to“cut through to the meat of cases”and flair for defusing tension with his“dry sense of humour.”
• Who’s Who Legal 2017 described Doug as ““one of the best construction lawyers and arbitrators in the world”. Sources praise him for being “unbelievably efficient” and for his ability to “handle the most acrimonious of disputes””.
• Best Lawyers® – 2015 – 2017 Doug was named the Best Lawyers® Sydney International Arbitration “Lawyer of the Year”. Doug was also selected for inclusion in the fields of Alternative Dispute Resolution, Construction/Infrastructure Law, International Arbitration and Transportation Law.
• Lawyers Weekly Law Awards – Sydney – 2014 – Doug Jones was awarded the Michael Kirby Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his leadership and substantial contributions to the Australian legal profession.
• Global Arbitration Review Awards 2013 – Doug Jones was joint runner-up in the category of the Best Prepared and Responsive Arbitrator Award.
• Who’s Who Legal – Construction – International – Lawyer of the Year Award – 2013 – This year’s leading construction lawyer is Doug Jones AO, head of the major projects practice group at Clayton Utz based in Sydney, he is described as having a “formidable reputation” for construction work ……  He is a specialist in construction-related dispute resolution, particularly arbitration and is selected for this award based on his extensive international reputation among lawyers and corporate clients.
• Who’s Who Legal – Construction – Asia Pacific – 2013 – Doug Jones AO emerged as the most highly regarded lawyer internationally in this year’s research, with peer hailing him variously as a “formidable talent” and a “thorough leader.”
• Chambers Global 2013 – Band one ranking in the International Arbitration: Most In Demand Arbitrators: Asia-Pacific Region – Doug Jones of Clayton Utz in Sydney is noted by peers as “an excellent arbitrator who’s grown in stature over the years.” He has an outstanding construction practice and is undoubtedly a leading arbitrator in the field.  He received a Band two ranking in Dispute Resolution/Arbitration, Australia where he is described as an “excellent litigator”, who wins market approval for his extensive international dispute resolution expertise.  He was also ranked Band one in the Projects category where he was described as having years of experience which have equipped him with significant expertise in several specialist disciplines, making him “an incredibly valuable resource, not come across elsewhere,” say clients.
• Doug Jones has been described as “a phenomenon” and “the statesman of the industry'” by Chambers Asia Pacific (2012).  He is recognised as one of the most in demand arbitrators and received a band one ranking in the International Arbitration Category. He was also ranked in the Projects category and was ranked band one for dispute resolution (Arbitration) in Australia by Chambers Asia Pacific (2012).
• Doug Jones is named one of only five ‘star individuals’ in Australia, by Chambers Asia Pacific (2011).
• The International Who’s Who of Commercial Arbitration 2011- Doug Jones has been named as one of the Leaders Worldwide and is one of only three highly recommended individuals in Australia.  It notes “Doug Jones at Clayton Utz is held in the highest esteem”.
• Doyle’s Guide to the Australian Legal Profession 2011 – Leading Construction Lawyers in NSW as a Preeminent Lawyer, “Jones was omnipresent in our research and without the use of editorial discretion, a delineation of our leading lawyer listings would have placed Jones, described as “operating in a different stratosphere” and a “once in hundred year lawyer”, in a category all of his own”.
• Chambers Asia Pacific (2011) Doug Jones was identified as one of only 5 “Star” individuals in Australia.
• The International Who’s Who of Commercial Arbitration 2011 – Doug Jones has been named as one of the Leaders Worldwide and is one of only three highly recommended individuals in Australia. It notes “Doug Jones at Clayton Utz is held in the highest esteem”.
• IFLR1000 21st/2011 Edition, The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms – Doug Jones was nominated as a leading lawyerPLC Which Lawyer? 2009/2010:  Doug Jones was ranked (sole)Leading lawyer in Australia. “Widely regarded as the leading expert in construction law in Australia.  Head of the construction and major projects groups, he has advised extensively on project structuring and financing, contract drafting and advice during project implementation and dispute resolution in Australia and overseas.”
• PLC Which Lawyer? 2009/2010:  Doug Jones was ranked (sole) Leading lawyer in Australia. “Widely regarded as the leading expert in construction law in Australia.  Head of the construction and major projects groups, he has advised extensively on project structuring and financing, contract drafting and advice during project implementation and dispute resolution in Australia and overseas.”
• Chambers Global 2009 – Construction: Doug Jones is “the market-leading practitioner for construction work” and “a superb lawyer who has built one of Australia’s premier construction practices.”
• The International Who’s Who of Construction Lawyers 2008 names Doug Jones as one of the Most Highly Regarded Individuals – Global, the only Australian lawyer to be nominated in the prestigious list of the top nine construction lawyers in the world.

Professional Affiliations

American Arbitration Association Panel of Arbitrators, American Bar Association, Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration, Canadian College of Construction Lawyers, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Commission on International Arbitration of International Chamber of Commerce, ICDR Panel of Arbitrators, Insitute of Arbitrators and Mediators Australia, International Bar Association, International Arbitration Club, Inter-Pacific Bar Association International Construction Projects Committee, Law Council of Australia, London Court of International Arbitration, Society of Construction Law, The Dispute Resolution Board Foundation.

• Co-author (with Claus Lenz, Patricia Galloway and Anneliese Day) of Chapter, ‘Arbitration: From an Arbitrator’s Perspective’ in Dealing with Delay and Disruption on Construction Projects, Sweet & Maxwell, 2^nd ed, 2024
• Co-author (with Professor Janet Walker CM) of Subtitle, ‘13.7 Arbitration’ in The Laws of Australia, Thomson Reuters, 2024
• Co-author (with Robert Turnbull) of Chapter, ‘Witness Statements and Memorials: Reforms to Serve Parties, Arbitrators and Arbitrations’ in Rethinking the Paradigms of International Arbitration, ICC Institute of World Business Law, Dossier XX, 2023
• Author of Chapter, ‘Redefining the Role and Value of Expert Evidence’ in Rethinking the Paradigms of International Arbitration, ICC Institute of World Business Law, Dossier XX, 2023
• Co-author (with Jonathan Mance) of Chapter, ‘Shaping the Future of International Dispute Resolution’ in Transnational Commercial Disputes in an Age of Anti-Globalism and Pandemic, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2023
• Author of Chapter, ‘Redefining the Role and Value of Expert Evidence’ in Arbitrator’s Handbook, LexisNexis, 2022
• Co-author (with Professor Janet Walker CM) of Chapter, ‘Transparency and Efficiency in International Commercial Arbitration’ in Lawyer, Scholar, Teacher and Activist: A Liber Amicorum in Honour of Derek Roebuck, Holo Books, 2021
• Author of Chapter ‘The Legal Landscape of Cooperation: A Close Study of the Jardine Decision’ in International Arbitration: Issues, Perspectives and Practice: Liber Amicorum Neil Kaplan, Wolters Kluwer, 2019
• Author of Chapter, ‘Contratos de Aliança na Austrália: Um Estudo Comparativo de Contratos de Relacionamento’ (translated) in O Direito da Construção no Ambiente Internacional: Contribuições Para a Consolidação de uma Lex Constructionis, Almedina, 2019
• Author of Chapter, ‘Prevention, Time Bars and Multiplex Constructions (UK) Ltd v Honeywell Control Systems Ltd (No 2) [2007] BLR 195’ in Construction Law, Costs and Contemporary Developments: Drawing the Threads Together: A Festschrift for Lord Justice Jackson, Hart Publishing, 2018
• Author of Chapter, ‘Overcoming the Tyranny of Distance: Australia as an Arbitral Seat’ in A Commitment to Excellence: Essays in Honour of Emeritus Professor Gabriel Moens, Connor Court Publishing, 2018
• Author of Chapter, ‘The Substantive Rights of Parties in Arbitration: Voie Directe and Voie Indirecte’ in Jurisdiction, Admissibility and Choice of Law in International Arbitration: Liber Amicorum Michael Pryles, Wolters Kluwer, 2018
• Co-author of Chapter, ‘Procedural Order No 1: From Swiss Watch to Arbitrators’ Toolkit’ in The Powers and Duties of an Arbitrator Liber Amicorum Pierre A Karrer, Wolters Kluwer, 2017
• Author of Chapter, ‘Emergency Arbitrators and Court-ordered Interim Measures: Is the Choice Important?’ in Defining Issues in International Arbitration: Celebrating 100 Years of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Oxford, 2016
• Author of Chapter, ‘Improving Arbitral Procedure: Perspectives from the Coalface’ in Stories from the Hearing Room: Experience from Arbitral Practice: Essays in Honour of Michael E Schneider, Wolters Kluwer, 2015
• Author of Chapter, ‘Examining Expert Witnesses in International Oil & Gas Arbitration’ in The Leading Practitioners’ Guide to International Oil & Gas Arbitration, Juris, 2015
• Author of Chapter, ‘Relationship Contracting’ in The Projects and Construction Review, Law Business Research, 5^th ed, 2015
• Author of Chapter, ‘The Importance of Arbitration to the Resources Sector’ in Arbitration and Dispute Resolution in the Resources Sector: An Australian Perspective, Springer, 2015
• Author of Chapter, ‘Emergency Arbitrators and Interim Relief in International Commercial Arbitration’ in International Arbitration under Review: Essays in Honour of John Beechey, ICC, 2015
• Author of Chapter, ‘Sydney’ in Choice of Venue in International Arbitration, Oxford University Press, 2014
• Contributor to the Second and Fifth Editions of The Projects and Construction Review, Law Business Research, 2012 & 2015
• Co-Author of the Third Edition of Commercial Arbitration in Australia under the Model Law, Thomson Reuters, 2022.
• Author of “Commercial Arbitration in Australia” published by Lawbook Co (Thomson Reuters), 2011;
• “Building and Construction Claims and Disputes” Construction Publications, 1996;
• contributor to “The Asia-Pacific Arbitration Review 2011”, Global Arbitration Review, 2011;
• “World Arbitration Reporter (2nd Edition)”, Juris Publishing Inc, 2011;
• “International Comparative Legal Guide to: International Arbitration 2011”, Global Legal Group, 2011
• “Commercial Arbitration Expert Guide”, Expert Guides, 2009.

He is Co-Editor in Chief of the International Construction Law Review and Editorial Board Member International Trade and Business Law Review, Editorial Board Member of India Business Law Journal, Editorial Board Member of Global Arbitration Review and International correspondent for Australia of Romanian Review of Arbitration. He lectures, and authors articles for publication, within Australia and internationally.

Speeches, Panel Discussions, Seminars

He regulalry lectures, appears as a Panellist on Panel Discussions and authors articles for publication, within Australia and internationally.

For written publications of some of his recent speaking engagements, see his website: https://www.dougjones.info/publications/

• Admitted to practise as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland 13/2/1973
• Admitted to practise as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria 7/4/1983
• Admitted to practise as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales 3/5/1985
• Admitted to practise as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Western Australia 4/2/1986
• Admitted to practise as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Australian Capital Territory 14/12/1984
• Admitted to practise as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Northern Territory 13/4/1981
• Admitted to practise as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand 6/2/1992