Joem Baldesco

Joem is a practising quantity surveyor, adjudicator and arbitrator who has nearly 20 years of post-qualification experience in engineering, procurement and construction. He has worked on high-profile projects throughout the Middle East, Asia and New Zealand. Over the years, he worked collectively and inclusively with other professionals in dispute resolution, including dispute adjudication/avoidance board. He is an experienced dispute resolver having been appointed as either an adjudicator, mediator or expert determiner in construction and engineering disputes. He has worked as a consultant for both client/developer organisations and construction companies and has been involved in roles such as Contract Administrator, FIDIC Engineer and Engineer's Representative.

Joem’s style and approach to mediation is particularly focused on empowering the parties to resolve their conflicts by encouraging them to recognise each other’s needs and interests. He believes in promoting discussion for risk analysis so that the parties can make informed decisions when resolving their differences. He says that improving communication will recuperate the parties’ relationship. Adjudication/arbitration may be daunting, but with Joem’s background in engineering and specialised knowledge in construction law along with his practical experience in quantity surveying, his approach to resolving disputes through adjudication/arbitration is highly flexible. This can help streamline the process which will benefit the parties and even their representatives.

Joem is a multi-qualified professional: Chartered and Registered Quantity Surveyor, Chartered Building Engineer, Professional Civil Engineer, Project Management Professional and Construction Law Specialist. Throughout his career, he has worked on building and construction projects ranging from under $500,000 to over $1 Billion. These include commercial buildings, offices, retail, residential, hotel/leisure resorts, industrial, healthcare, civic/educational, church/faith-based, highways, railways, dams, defence, and other civil engineering and infrastructure projects. He is co-opted as a council member of the Society of Construction Law New Zealand. In 2022, Joem was commended by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in the Young Achiever of the Year Award Category.