Judge Blackie was born in Rhodesia and studied an MA Jurisprudence at the University of Oxford. From 1986 to 2002, he was a Judge of the High Court in Zimbabwe. He was a member and past President of the Zimbabwe Institute of Arbitrators, a Fellow of the Association of Arbitrators and a certified mediator of the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution in London. He specializes in general commercial and medical disputes. 

Advocate Harding holds a BSc and MBA from the University of the Witwatersrand, an H Dip Arb from the Association of Arbitrators and an LLB from UNISA. He is presently a practising Advocate. He has worked for Foster Wheeler as Chief Civil Engineer, Integrated Property Services as Managing Director, Concor Construction as a Manager and a Construction Law Consultant at Binnington Copeland and Associates. He is a member of the SA Society for Professional Engineers, the SA Institute of  Civil Engineers, a Professional Engineer for the Engineering Council of SA and a Fellow of the Association of Arbitrators. He specializes in mediation, arbitration and construction related disputes.

Mr Binnington was born in the UK and holds an MBL from UNISA and a BscHons from the University of Wales in the UK. He worked at ISCOR, Murray and Roberts and CG Smith and Sugar and in 1984 he started Binnington Copeland and Associates.  He is a member of the Committee of Preliminary Investigation at ECSA, past Chairman of the Association of Arbitrators, a member of the SA Institution of Mechanical Engineers and is a Fellow of the Association of Arbitrators. He specializes in arbitration in all construction disciplines and is an expert on FIDIC, NEC, JBCC and GCC.

The KwaZulu‑Natal branch of the Association has a long and proud history. It was established in the 1970’s. Its affairs have been ably managed by a branch committee who are elected annually at the branch annual general meeting.

Alastair Hay is the current branch chairman and has been in office as such since 1998. Alastair is a Fellow of the Association, an admitted attorney, notary public and is a senior partner at Cox Yeats Attorneys in Durban. He has for many years served the Durban community as a Small Claims Court Commissioner.

Alastair is ably assisted in the management of the affairs of the branch by the current committee comprising:

• Alan Parsons (Fellow of the Association and qualified engineer);
• Tom Bryant (Fellow of the Association and qualified quantity surveyor);
• Roger Pickles (Fellow of the Association and highly experienced arbitrator);
• Graham Whyte (Fellow of the Association and qualified engineer);
• Clive Wilson (Fellow of the Association and qualified engineer); and
• Richard Hoal (admitted attorney and partner in Cox Yeats).

The branch is active in promoting the profile of the Association and organises and presents two functions annually aimed at the construction industry.

Mr Joubert holds a BAS BArch from the University of the Witwatersrand and a Certificate of Resolution of Sectional Title Disputes. He is currently completing an LLB through UNISA. He was a director at PWP Architects and Designers and is currently a consultant at Binnington Copeland and Associates. He is a registered Architect with the SA Council of Architects, a member of the SA Institute of Architects, a registered Sectional Title Practitioner, Chief Surveyor General of the Department of Land Affairs and a Fellow of the Association of Arbitrators. He specializes in building construction and sectional title disputes.

Advocate Lane was born in Nigeria and holds a BA LLB from the University of the Witwatersrand. He was admitted to the bar in South Africa in 1977 and was called to the bar in England, Scotland and Wales in 1977. He is a member of the LCIA and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in the UK as well as a Fellow of the Association of Arbitrators. He specializes in construction law and both domestic and international arbitration.

Mr Mitchell is assisted by Michelle Marais. Ms Marais holds s BSc QS from the University of Port Elizabeth. She worked at CP de Leeuw, Anglo American, Turner and Townsend, Rocon Building and Pentad. She is currently self-employed. She is a member of the Association of SA Quantity Surveyors. She specializes in commercial disputes, construction and quantity surveying matters.

Mr Mitchell is our regional branch chairman and he runs the Cape Town branch office of the Association of Arbitrators. Mr Mitchell is a qualified Arbitrator; Mediator and Adjudicator, with many years of experience and he is the Principal of Arbitration, Conciliation and Mediation Services CC.

He is a Past President of the Master Builders and Allied Trades Association, a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building in the UK, a Fellow of the SA institute of Building, a member of the Association of SA Quantity Surveyors, a Past Chairman of the Building Industry Bargaining Council for the Western Cape,  and a Fellow of the Association of Arbitrators. He specializes in ADR in the construction industry.

Professor Schloss holds a BSc QS and BSc Building from the University of the Witwatersrand. He worked at Strickland Cholmley and Morgan and DOD Construction. He is presently a Professor and Head of Department of Construction Economics and Management at the University of the Witwatersrand. He is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors in the UK, a member of the Association of SA Quantity Surveyors, President of the SA Institute of Building, Treasurer of the Association of Arbitrators and the National Soccer League, Executive member of the SA football Association and Fellow of the Association of Arbitrators. He specializes in construction mediation and arbitration.