Khory McCormick

|Partner

Over many years of high-level practice, Khory has developed a keen understanding of government process and a close working relationship with key decision makers. He is one of the firm's relationship partners for the Queensland Government and has been appointed to a number of key board positions at critical times, notably as Chairman of Energex during the sale of its retail and gas assets. Khory brings a wealth of expertise in negotiation and litigation to public projects whose delicate nature often brings close scrutiny and controversy. Currently, Khory is providing ongoing advice, risk management strategies and solutions to key entities involved in the Queensland Government's $15 billion sale of public assets. Adept at managing political issues surrounding shareholding Ministers, public stakeholders, unions, and industry expectations, Khory’s experience includes roles as a stakeholder representative on the sale of the Queensland TAB; advisor to PCQ in relation to the Dalrymple Bay coal terminal long-term lease arrangements; advisor to RTA on long-term management arrangements with PCQ; and adviser to PCQ and Mackay Ports on recent ports restructuring.

Khory offers extensive experience in interruption incidents. His knowledge includes reviewing and advising on major disruptions of smelter facilities, power generation facilities, co-generation facilities and a range of other relevant activities. He also advises and acts in interstate Supreme Court proceedings involving indigenous rights claims and the ability of claimants to injunct pipeline and related constructions works. Khory is also regularly retained by boards and government owned corporations on strategic disputes or issues which may turn into major disputes. Though confidential in nature, Khory is well-known for his handling of major commercial disputes in the courts and by way of arbitration between parties.

Khory is a leading authority on modern dispute resolution mechanisms used in complex long-term commercial arrangements and large-scale sale transactions. He is particularly familiar with their commercial and fiduciary aspects, invaluable to the proper and effective drafting of relevant contract and asset disposal documentation. As well as his pre-eminent advisory services, Khory also plays a key role in shaping insolvency practice. He is currently engaged in formulating National Probity Accreditation Standards in conjunction with public and private sector stakeholders.

Khory is a leading expert in the management of procurement and supply chain related matters. He provides ongoing advice to public and private clients on procurement, probity, contractual risk and procedures for handling aggrieved tenderers. Khory's wide-ranging procurement experience includes acting as the certification sign-off expert for a State water utility’s risk management compliance systems; advising on probity and tender process issues for major infrastructure assets; advising state bodies on procurement processes, capacity and access allocation for transport supply chain infrastructure; as well as procurement probity and accountability responsibilities of senior public sector executives. Khory has also worked with clients to formulate work systems programs, programs to allocate limited resource capacity between competing users, and on adopting externally contracted in-house counsel.

Khory has a market-leading reputation in litigation and conflict resolution in complex and large-scale disputes at domestic and international level. His formidable expertise ranges across diverse sectors and issues spanning corporate, finance and insolvency disputes; major infrastructure, resource and construction projects; industry relations and human resource advisory; as well as public sector, regulatory and compliance practice areas. Highlights include complex anti-competitive supplier conduct in off-take rights for gas pipelines and related infrastructure; a record mining venture damages claim; a global food giant class action; and major international multi-party disputes in land development, resource and infrastructure projects and joint ventures. To appellate level, Khory has advised many major industry stakeholders on complex price reset mechanisms and alternate dispute resolution procedures. He has also advised on complex issues concerning escalator formulas for supply/commodity price interval rests and escalations.

Khory provides strategic and innovative advice to the highest level decision makers in both corporate and government sectors. Currently Khory is a key advisor to QR Limited in one of the biggest Australian IPO's in recent years, part of Queensland's $15 billion sell-off of key state infrastructure assets. He also played a leading advisory role in the restructuring and amalgamation of Queensland’s regional ports including port management reviews, long-term lease transactions and asset disposal.