Qualifications and Experience

Joe has worked in a range of technical and management fields in both New Zealand and overseas.  He has university qualifications in engineering, business administration and dispute resolution.  He has completed extra papers in adjudication under the Construction Contracts Act, decision making for resource consent applications, and resolving rural disputes.  Formal qualifications have been supplemented by further training in negotiation communication and mediation skills, and are kept alive by an ongoing commitment to professional development.

Joe is an associate member of the Arbitrators and Mediators Institute of New Zealand, and is included on the Institute’s lists of dispute resolution professionals for rural and construction disciplines.  He is also a member of Federated Farmers of New Zealand.  Joe is a former Registered Engineer.

His work in dispute resolution has included adjudication and arbitration of housing construction disputes, advocacy at the employment mediation service, workplace negotiation and mediation, mediation and conciliation of disputes in the dairy farming industry, arbitration of other rural disputes, mediation of many pre-hearing meetings associated with resource consent processes, and facilitation of numerous public meetings (up to 300 attendees) associated with roading projects, resource management planning, and community disputes surrounding sports club activities.

Joe’s technical background has been developed in

natural gas and hydro power industries - the port industry - building projects
local authority engineering (all disciplines) - local authority horticulture
farming, through direct and family ownership, plus local authority farming

Joe’s management background has included responsibility for up to several hundred staff together with associated projects and their employment and works contracts.  His experience also includes general management of companies and several positions of responsibility in community groups.  During several years of self employment he has, in addition to dispute resolution activities, undertaken project management assignments in environmental planning and building construction, as well as significant tender and contract management roles.

Through his training and wide variety of work Joe has developed a good working knowledge of  legislation applicable to construction, commerce, employment, local government, the port industry, resource management, farming and dispute resolution.  Similarly he is familiar with standard conditions of contract in architectural, engineering and supply contracts (including overseas conditions of contract).

Joe’s detailed terms of engagement are available on request.  You will find that these are typical for the industry, including such things as a time based fee and a requirement to make a deposit as security for fees (paid into your solicitor’s trust account).  Joe’s hourly rate can vary depending upon the nature of the engagement; a typical figure is $125 per hour, excluding GST.  He operates under the umbrella of a limited liability company Joe McCarthy Limited.

Contact Joe