Allison van Beers
Biography
Overview
Allison is a Senior Associate in the Firm's Global International Arbitration practice. She is a specialist construction lawyer who acts for Australian and international clients on projects across Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Allison has experience advising clients at all stages of projects from procurement to claims management during project delivery and the conduct of formal dispute resolution (including arbitration and expert determination).
Allison focuses on assisting principals and contractors proactively manage contracts to avoid or minimise the incidence of disputes. She has worked in-house on secondment with the Victorian government authority delivering the West Gate Tunnel Project.
Allison was named by Best Lawyers in its 2025 “Ones to Watch in Australia” list for Construction / Infrastructure Law.
Allison is a member of the Young Constructors' Committee of the Society of Construction Law Australia.
Experience
Icththys LNG Project
Acted for INPEX in relation to disputes with its South Korean contractor regarding offshore facilities for the Ichthys LNG project off the coast of Western Australia.
Offshore wind farm
Advising a major global renewables company on construction disputes arising from an offshore wind farm project in North Asia.
Offshore transmission line project
Advising Project Co in relation to project delivery matters.
State of Victoria
Advising the State of Victoria in relation to the Suburban Rail Loop and Metro Tunnel projects; previously advised the State of Victoria in relation to the West Gate Tunnel Project and the Melbourne CityLink*
AusNet
Acted for AusNet in third party proceedings brought against it in the Supreme Court of Victoria in relation to a flashover incident occurring in a compartment of the Victorian desalination plant.
Confidential arbitration
Represented the claimant in an arbitration under the ICC Rules of Arbitration concerning contract administration issues in respect of a large infrastructure project.*
Hydro Tasmania
Acted for Hydro Tasmania in arbitrations concerning the failure of the Basslink Interconnector electricity cable in late 2015.*
Sunshine Coast University Hospital
Advised Project Co on abatement issues and disputes in respect of the $1.5bn hospital PPP project.*
Australian Department of Defence
Acted for the Department of Defence in relation to contentious aspects of numerous projects, including defects, variation and extension of time claims and general contract administration issues.* Matters include:
- Base Security Improvement Program: acted in a series of contractual and security of payment disputes with the contract administrator, designer and head contractor;*
- Campbell Barracks: defending an expert determination of time and money claims brought by the contractor.*
Rizzani de Eccher
Acted for Rizzani de Eccher in proceedings in the Supreme Court of New South Wales in relation to a dispute between joint venture parties.*
*Matters worked on prior to joining White & Case.
Presentation of research paper titled "Charging ahead: can contractual incentives amp up Australia's energy transition?" with Chris Settle at the Society of Construction Law Australia National Conference, June 2024
Presentation of research paper titled "Doing business in a 'sunburnt country/: Issues encountered by international entities on Australian projects across the project lifecycle" with Sean Kelly at the Society of Construction Law Australia National Conference, August 2019
"Doing Business in a 'sunburnt country' – international contractors on Australian projects", with Sean Kelly, Construction Law International (CLInt) (volume 15, issue 2)
"Joint Ventures: fiduciary duties", with Jonathan McTigue and Sean Kelly, Practical Law (Thompson Reuters, maintained)
"Duties of Good Faith in Joint Venture Arrangements – Ignore at Your Peril", (2019) 184 ACLN