About Garry North
Garry North is a construction dispute resolution practitioner based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, providing independent dispute resolution services across New Zealand.
He brings more than 25 years’ experience in the construction industry, with a background in construction management, project leadership, project planning, and contract administration. His work is grounded in practical construction experience, formal construction law training, and a clear understanding of how disputes arise on live projects.
Garry’s focus is on helping parties resolve construction disputes in a way that is clear, fair, commercially sensible, and grounded in the realities of project delivery.
Construction industry experience
Garry has worked across the construction industry for over two decades, developing experience in project management, construction management, programming, risk, contract administration, and dispute-related project issues.
This background gives him a practical understanding of the pressures faced by contractors, subcontractors, principals, consultants, project managers, and property owners. He understands that construction disputes rarely arise from one issue alone. They often involve a combination of time, cost, communication, documentation, contract interpretation, project pressure, and commercial risk.
Dispute resolution and construction law
Garry provides construction dispute resolution services including adjudication, arbitration, mediation, expert determination, and expert witness services.
His approach combines construction industry experience with formal training in construction law and dispute resolution. He focuses on understanding the issues, identifying the relevant contractual and factual matters, and assisting parties towards a clear and workable outcome.
A practical and balanced approach
Garry’s approach is independent, balanced, and commercially focused.
He aims to provide a process that is structured, fair, and accessible. His work is informed by the reality of construction projects, where timing, evidence, relationships, cash flow, and commercial outcomes all matter.
Whether acting as adjudicator, arbitrator, mediator, expert determiner, or expert witness, Garry brings a practical lens to complex construction issues.
Areas of focus
Garry assists with matters involving:
- payment disputes
- payment claims and payment schedules
- variation claims
- delay and disruption issues
- extensions of time
- contract interpretation
- project risk and dispute avoidance
- construction claims preparation and review
- adjudication, mediation, arbitration, and expert determination processes
Qualifications and memberships
Garry’s qualifications and professional memberships include:
- Master of Construction Law—Massey University
- Associate Member, Arbitrators & Mediators Association of New Zealand
- Project Management Professional credential from the Project Management Institute.
- Senior Construction Professional credential from the Project Management Institute
- Graduate Diploma in Project Management—Southern Institute of Technology
- New Zealand Diploma in Construction Management - Open University
- Adjudicators Association of New Zealand Member
- Society of Construction Law New Zealand Member