Project Resolutions
3518 Lakeshore Road
Burlington, Ontario, L7N 1B7
Phone: 905 637 9361 (office), 905 484 3518 (cell) Fax: 905 637 3776
Email: owen@projectresolutions.ca
Owen McElhinney, P.Eng.
SERVICES
Mr. McElhinney has thirty years of wide-ranging management experience in the construction industry. Over
the past eighteen years, he has specialized in construction claims, dispute resolution and the management of
distressed projects.
The following services have been provided to Contractors, Owners and to the allied construction professions
e.g., Surety, Law, Banking and Insurance companies;
Claim preparation and negotiation
Well-researched and persuasive presentations for additional payment, extension of time to complete or viable
defense of claims. Claims for delay, acceleration, changes, scope of work, unforeseen circumstances, loss of
productivity and increased material and equipment costs.
Commercial Risk Assessment and Management (How to prevent claims, protect from losses and enhance
rewards.) From pre-tender review of contract documents and scope of work, to contractual analysis, project
planning and scheduling, and final wrap-up of deficiency lists; many problems can be avoided and
improvements can be made to the “bottom line.”
Evaluation for mediation, arbitration or litigation
Contract documents, records and entitlement review; document organization and control; litigation case
management; expert witness reports. (Achieved the certificate of Arbitration from ADR Ontario).
Ongoing Project Management, Monitoring and Recovery
Investigate contract administration, scope of work, productivity, attitude of the parties and other issues.
Recommend strategies for improvement and recovery and assist in the implementation of solutions.
Defective Construction Analysis
Determine extent of defect, how it was caused and suggest possible solutions.
Root Cause Analysis
Determine the corrective actions that will prevent recurrence of an adverse event through systematic root
cause analysis. Provide the essential inquiry into the Human Performance contributors to the event.
Mr. McElhinney’s knowledge, versatility and team-spirit have proved essential to the resolution of numerous
construction claims and disputes and to reducing the damage caused by distressed projects. He has managed
projects for general contractors, mechanical and electrical subcontractors, and project owners and
consultants.
The following pages contain a chronology of Mr. McElhinney’s project experience.
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Owen McElhinney, P.Eng.
EXPERIENCE CHRONOLOGY
2001 to present.
Project Resolutions
Clients include:
 Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
Expert witness delay analysis report on construction of a subway station.
 Toronto Community Housing Corporation
Assess contractor’s claim and assist with negotiations for settlement.
 B. Gottardo Construction Ltd
Extension of time and additional cost claims on a highway project in Mississauga, Ontario.
 AECON
Extension of time and additional cost claims for a customs facility in Queenston, Ontario.
 Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (PCS)
Litigation support and third-party neutral reports for the defense of construction claims.
Contract drafting, formation and administration advice to the EPCM company.
 Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL)
Construction and insurance claims management, contract administration advice, root cause analysis and
litigation support for nuclear reactor projects at Bruce Power Plant and Chalk River.
Investigated adverse events for lessons to be learned and corrective actions.
Reported on alignment and integration of company-wide and project-specific processes and procedures.
 Heenan Blaikie LLP
Expert witness, construction claims advice and litigation support for the defense of a large claim on a nuclear
reactor project.
 Petro-Canada
Prepared requests for proposal and drafted, negotiated and resolved contracts for oil-sands projects in
Alberta.
 SNC-Capital (a SNC-Lavalin company)
Independent Lenders Engineer for the proposal to build a new courthouse in Oshawa.
 AMEC
Contract administration advice, claims assessment and claims prevention strategies for a mining project.
 Walbridge Specialty Services (a Walbridge company)
Additional cost claims at a new wing of the University of Western Ontario and at the Toyota Plant in
Cambridge.
 Adam Clark (a Lockerbie & Hole company)
Contractual advice for a project at a car manufacturing plant in the USA.
 Comstock Canada (an Emcor company)
Additional cost claims at Brighton Beach Power Plant in Windsor and Brockville General Hospital.
 Aecon Civil Group
Additional cost claims for a pipeline project in southern Ontario.
 St. Paul Guarantee Insurance Company (formerly London Guarantee Insurance Company)
Project Manager, assisting the Surety and attorney for the completion of the Detroit Airport project.
 Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America
Assessment of a contractor’s additional cost claim in the USA.
 Dykema Gossett PLLC, Detroit, Michigan.
Expert witness on construction claims and accident investigation at a steel mill in Detroit.
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Owen McElhinney, P.Eng.
2000 – 2001
Project Director
The State Group International (a Bracknell company).
Management and control during the latter stages of a seriously distressed project at the Detroit Airport.
Manager – Contracts and Commercial Risk
Bracknell Corporation
Contract review, claims preparation and risk assessment for various mechanical and electrical projects
throughout the USA and Canada. (Recipient of the President’s Award – Honorable Mention of Excellence)
1995 – 2000
Senior Consultant
PinnacleOne Canada Ltd (formerly High-Point Rendel Canada Ltd; now k/a Knowles Canada Ltd)
Assignments for Sureties, Contractors and Law Firms included:
Project manager to ensure performance of defaulted general contractor on a water treatment plant projects..
Additional cost claims and defense of counterclaims for Aluma Systems at the Confederation Bridge to PEI.
Claims preparation for Foundation Company on the largest hydro-electric power project in India.
Claims preparation for Canadian Highways International Corporation (CHIC).
Assessment of a mechanical contractors claims from construction of the underground Path in Toronto.
Claims preparation for a fertilizer plant in Saskatchewan.
Contract administration advice and correspondence for The State Group at a steel mill in Detroit.
Assessment of costs to complete various defaulted commercial, industrial and municipal projects.
1993-1995
Project Manager
Matthews Construction Canada Inc (formerly Matthews Contracting), Mississauga, Ontario
Responsible for the construction of water treatment plants and pumping stations.
General Manager (Acting)
Burloak Mechanical Ltd. (A Matthews Group company)
Successfully managed completion of ongoing projects on time and within budget.
1989-1993
Project Coordinator
Landmark Contracting Ltd, Burlington, Ontario
Responsible for the construction of water treatment plants and pumping stations.
1984-1989
Site Engineer for contractors and consulting engineers in the UK
1982-1984
Rural Development Engineer for Voluntary Service Overseas (Nepal)
REGISTRATIONS
Professional Engineer, Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario.
EDUCATION
B.Sc. Civil Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland.
Continuing Education Courses in Construction Law, Arbitration, Expert Witness, and Report Writing.
LANGUAGES
English, Nepali
ASSOCIATIONS ADR Institute of Canada.
Rotary Club of Burlington Central.
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