How do you approach expert-witness search?

Expert search combines CV fit with prior-testimony review, conflict clearance, tribunal-acceptance history and personal credibility. We update our records continuously and can typically produce a preliminary longlist within two weeks.

Can you source for specific arbitration seats?

Yes - including Singapore (SIAC), Hong Kong (HKIAC), London (LCIA), Dubai (DIAC), Paris (ICC) and Stockholm (SCC).

Do you work on construction delay and quantum experts?

Yes. Delay analysts (Primavera, Asta, Synchro), quantum experts, and industry-specific experts in oil & gas, power, mining, telecoms, shipping and construction are regular mandates.

How does AI affect expert-witness hiring?

The ceiling has not fallen - the SEAK 2024 fee survey reports a median hourly rate of USD 475 for depositions across all responding experts, with senior financial-forensics specialists charging materially more [1]. But the floor has risen: experts must now document and defend any AI-assisted analytical step, and tribunals have begun rejecting evidence where AI outputs could not be independently reproduced. The proposed Federal Rule of Evidence 707 would extend the Daubert admissibility test to all machine-generated evidence [4]. We screen for practitioners who combine traditional expert credibility with explicit AI-governance literacy.

Are these mandates typically retained?

Yes. Every expert-witness or senior dispute-advisory search we accept is on a retained, exclusive basis. The alternative is incompatible with the confidentiality and conflict checks these mandates require.

Specialism

Disputes & Arbitration Experts Recruitment

Expert witnesses, damages and delay specialists, and arbitration advisory teams for law firms, advisory practices and in-house counsel.

Request a Search View opportunities

The Market

Where this practice sits today.

International arbitration continues to grow faster than litigation in most major hubs. Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai lead in APAC and the Middle East; London and New York handle significant investor-state and commercial work; Sydney anchors Australian arbitration and resources-sector disputes.

Damages, delay and quantum experts are in structural short supply. The SEAK 2024 Expert Witness Fee Survey reports a median hourly rate of USD 450 for file review and USD 475 for depositions across all responding experts; senior financial-forensics specialists charge materially more ^[1]. Separately, ComplexDiscovery's Winter 2026 eDiscovery pricing survey records that 26.4% of responding practitioners now bill above USD 550 per hour ^[2]. UK Big Four expert rates reach GBP 300-600+ per hour ^[3].

Expert-witness fees are structurally insulated from AI efficiency gains. The court-mandated requirement for personal opinion, cross-examination readiness and expert credibility means expert time is billed at premium rates regardless of how efficiently the underlying investigation was conducted. AI-assisted reports face growing scrutiny: in late 2024 a New York surrogate's court found expert testimony not credible after the witness used Microsoft Copilot to cross-check his calculations and could not reproduce the results. The proposed US Federal Rule of Evidence 707, approved by the Judicial Conference in 2025, would require AI-generated forensic evidence to independently satisfy Daubert admissibility standards ^[4].

Our mandates span individual expert-witness hires, dispute-advisory team builds, and partner-level dispute-resolution leadership. Each engagement begins with careful clarification of the client's litigation or arbitration strategy.

USD 450 / 475

SEAK 2024 median hourly rate (file review / depositions)

SEAK 2024 Expert Witness Fee Survey

26.4%

of experts bill above USD 550/hr (Winter 2026)

ComplexDiscovery 2026 eDiscovery Pricing Survey

GBP 300-600+/hr

UK Big Four expert rates

Eternity Accountants UK

FRE 707

AI evidence to satisfy Daubert independently (approved 2025)

Nelson Mullins commentary on US Judicial Conference approval

Role Taxonomy

Titles we search, daily.

Mandates vary, but most fall into one of the groupings below. We brief on seniority, scope and the specific mix of technical depth versus leadership.

Expert witnesses

Damages Expert
Delay Analyst
Quantum Expert
Construction Claims Expert
Valuation Expert
Industry-specific Expert (oil & gas, power, mining, telecoms)

Leadership

Partner - Dispute Resolution Advisory
Head of Quantum
Head of International Arbitration Advisory
Director of Disputes

Senior practitioners

Senior Manager - Commercial Disputes
Associate Director - International Arbitration
Construction Claims Partner
Hearing Bundles Lead

Seniority Bands

Analyst
Senior Analyst
Manager
Senior Manager
Director
Partner
Expert

Candidate Profile

Who we look for.

Candidates include qualified lawyers, chartered accountants, quantity surveyors, planners, engineers and industry-specific experts. Prior expert-witness experience, tribunal-acceptance history and Chambers / Legal 500 recognition are material differentiators at the most senior end.

Strong written reports, demonstrable credibility under cross-examination, and specific jurisdictional experience (HKIAC, SIAC, LCIA, ICC, DIAC, SCC) matter. We maintain detailed records of each expert's prior testimony, conflicts and tribunal acceptance history.

Delay-analysis tooling: Primavera, Asta Powerproject, TILOS, Synchro. Quantum modelling: advanced Excel plus domain-specific damages frameworks. Emerging: AI-assisted analysis and governance - experts are increasingly expected to explain, document and defend any AI-assisted steps in their methodology under Daubert-style scrutiny.

Are you a candidate?

We do not advertise live mandates. Submit your CV against this practice and a partner will be in touch when a matched search opens.

View opportunities

Sectors served

Where we execute most mandates in this practice.

Construction & Infrastructure
Energy & Natural Resources
Financial Services
Technology
Life Sciences
Commodities & Shipping

Accounting, audit or tax? Meet our sister firm.

Search & Counsel covers forensic, disputes and restructuring search. For the accounting-firm disciplines, Chartered Partners is our sister executive-search firm - to hire the team, or to find your next role.

Retained executive search

Recruit accounting partners & teams

Chartered Partners places senior accounting talent. Primarily partners and whole teams for the world's leading audit, tax, corporate-finance and risk practices - and, increasingly, in-house finance and controls leaders for corporates. Example roles:

Audit & Assurance Partner
Tax Partner or Director
Corporate Finance & Deals Partner
Head of Risk & Internal Audit

Recruit accounting talent

Careers

Find an accounting role

An auditor, tax specialist or corporate-finance professional? Browse current partner, director and senior-manager searches across Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, Dubai and London.

Browse accounting roles

Questions we hear

Frequently asked.

How do you approach expert-witness search?: Expert search combines CV fit with prior-testimony review, conflict clearance, tribunal-acceptance history and personal credibility. We update our records continuously and can typically produce a preliminary longlist within two weeks.
Can you source for specific arbitration seats?: Yes - including Singapore (SIAC), Hong Kong (HKIAC), London (LCIA), Dubai (DIAC), Paris (ICC) and Stockholm (SCC).
Do you work on construction delay and quantum experts?: Yes. Delay analysts (Primavera, Asta, Synchro), quantum experts, and industry-specific experts in oil & gas, power, mining, telecoms, shipping and construction are regular mandates.
How does AI affect expert-witness hiring?: The ceiling has not fallen - the SEAK 2024 fee survey reports a median hourly rate of USD 475 for depositions across all responding experts, with senior financial-forensics specialists charging materially more ^[1]. But the floor has risen: experts must now document and defend any AI-assisted analytical step, and tribunals have begun rejecting evidence where AI outputs could not be independently reproduced. The proposed Federal Rule of Evidence 707 would extend the Daubert admissibility test to all machine-generated evidence ^[4]. We screen for practitioners who combine traditional expert credibility with explicit AI-governance literacy.
Are these mandates typically retained?: Yes. Every expert-witness or senior dispute-advisory search we accept is on a retained, exclusive basis. The alternative is incompatible with the confidentiality and conflict checks these mandates require.

Sources

Every firm name, statistic and financial figure on this page is backed by a working public source. Verify any of them by following the links below.

Next step

Brief us confidentially on your search.

A partner with direct practice experience will be on the first call. No shortlist is shared beyond the client on the mandate.

Request a Search Speak to a Specialist