Ben Holland

Ben Holland is a solicitor advocate working exclusively on energy-related disputes with particular emphasis on the oil and gas, power and mining sectors. He heads up CMS Cameron McKenna's energy disputes practice.

Ben handles large-scale commercial dispute resolution for UK and international clients. For example, he has advised oil and gas majors, super majors and power companies on contractual disputes under joint operating agreements, production sharing agreements, power purchase agreements, and gas and LNG sales agreements both in the UK and internationally. Much of his work involves multi-jurisdictional disputes under long-term, high value contracts disrupted by volatile oil prices and the consequential price impact on natural gas, coal and commodities. He also advises on disputes concerning the construction, operation and decommissioning of oil and gas production facilities and equipment, pipelines, onshore and offshore engineering, and power stations.

Ben also handles international trade and shipping disputes. He regularly appears as a solicitor advocate in international arbitrations and in court.

Relevant experience includes advising:

• Advising a leading state-owned oil company in a pricing dispute regarding a long-term crude oil supply contract with a sum in dispute in excess of US$16 billion
• On three major price review arbitration under the UNCITRAL rules relating to three long-term LNG contracts with a sum in dispute of approximately US$4.5 billion
• An investment company in an LCIA arbitration in relation to oil investments in Iraq
• An FPSO charterer in relation to cost and schedule overruns on a US$1.2 billion project offshore Brazil
• An independent oil company in a large ICC arbitration against a West African Government relating to petroleum interests, worth in excess of US$500 million
• A major UK mining company in relation to a dispute with power station owners over the contract price under long-term supply agreements worth £100 million
• On an arbitration under the rules of the Electricity Arbitration Association in relation to the introduction of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme on long-term power purchase agreements
• On an expert determination in relation to changes in costs due to the introduction of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
• A consortium of major oil companies in an arbitration under the AAA rules following the installation of defective wellhead equipment at a major oil field in Kazakhstan
• A LNG terminal owner on force majeure issues caused by a heat exchanger failure
• A European gas utility company in relation to a take-or-pay dispute with its supplier 
• A UK electricity transmission system operator in relation to a dispute that interconnector charges were in breach of competition law 
• A waste-to-energy company in relation to fuel supply issues
• An electricity utility company on the structured re-negotiation of its long-term power purchase agreements
• A gas exploration and production company in relation to a well completion failure due to defective casing
• A gas exploration and production company in relation to the defective tie-in of sub-sea facilities
• A pipelay contractor on a series of disputes relating to delays caused by poor weather conditions
• On a number of oil allocation, meter mis-read and gas management disputes under well services contracts, JOAs and PSAs.