Merra Kurubalan

• Juris Doctor, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 2017
• Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Business Law, Curtin University, Perth, WA, 2013

Bar Admissions

• State Bar of California
• Australia
• New Zealand

Court Admissions

• United States District Court, Northern District of California
• United States District Court, Southern District of California
• United States District Court, Eastern District of California
• High Court of Australia
• Supreme Court of Western Australia
• High Court of New Zealand

• Friends of the Children, San Francisco, CA
  Board Member, Events Chair (November 2023 – Present)
• ICC Young Arbitration and ADR Forum (YAAF) Representative for North America 2024-2026 Mandate

• English
• Tamil

• SVAMC Guidelines on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Arbitration – Link
• Lexology GTDT Practice Guide, Controversial International Mining Arbitrations and the Impact of ‘Social Licence’ – Lessons Learned and Future Planning
• Society of Construction Law, Setting up for success – Early steps to avoid excessively expensive disputes
• American Bar Association, The Invisible Divide: Domestic and International Arbitration Compared
• Society of Construction Law, Produced Water Infrastructure Contracts: Turning Waste to a Long-Term Resource

Community in Action!

LON associate elected as North American representative for International Chamber of Commerce Young Arbitrators Forum

Lubin Olson To Present at the Society of Construction Law’s Conference in Montreal.

• Liquefied Natural Gas Project: Represented the EPC Contractor and advised on multiple international arbitration and local court proceedings arising from the $40 Billion Ichthys Project (a pioneering integrated energy development encompassing subsea extraction, offshore facilities, an 890-kilometer pipeline, and onshore processing plants—delivering one of Australia’s largest and most complex LNG initiatives to successful completion). Issues included disputes with key subcontractors, liquidated damages claims, cost overrun claims, quantum meruit claims, procurement disputes, punch list controversies, and defect allegations. Successfully negotiated favorable settlement terms.
• Mixed-Use Residential Development: Represented the owner of a mixed-use development comprising 15 residential units and 13 work-live units in a complex construction defect and mechanics lien dispute. The case involved intricate building design challenges that required the integration of existing construction with new building components. Assisted client through termination of defaulting general contractor, retention of follow-on contractor, development of remediation plan and completion of project. Prosecuted claims against default-terminated general contractor and design professionals securing settlements in excess of $4,400,000 and successfully defended and/or expunged mechanic’s liens totaling over $3,200,000.
• Utility Scale Solar Energy Projects (Ohio): Represented a national solar contractor in complex upstream and downstream disputes involving engineering defects, cost overruns, and contractual breaches across multiple photovoltaic projects in Ohio. Successfully negotiated favorable settlements resolving all claims, protecting the client’s financial interests
• Solar Array Power Project Dispute (Massachusetts): Represented EPC Contractor in JAMS arbitration venued in Boston arising out of construction of 7 MW distributed generation solar photovoltaic facility. Successfully prosecuted claim for $3,000,000+ contract balance and defended owner delay, defect and lost energy claims resulting in recovery of more than 97% of contract balance for client.
• Mechanic’s Lien Foreclosure Proceeding: Represented developer of affordable housing project defending mechanic’s lien foreclosure complaint filed by subcontractor. Successfully prosecuted claim against general contractor for indemnity against claim resulting in full release of lien and related claims against the developer and the project.
• Commercial and Residential Construction Project: Represented a construction management company retained to construct commercial and residential improvements in a dispute involving project delays and cost overruns caused by inspection holdups, owner interference, procurement issues, and conditions beyond the contractor’s control. Negotiated a favorable settlement resolving all claims.
• Residential Development: Representing a prominent residential developer in California , providing front-end legal support, including comprehensive guidance on project planning, regulatory compliance, procurement of licenses, permitting processes, contract negotiations, and general construction advisory services.
• Residential Landscaping Dispute: Represented a homeowner in litigation against a landscaping contractor for substandard workmanship, inflated costs, and failure to provide a written contract as required under California law. Negotiated a favorable settlement resolving all claims on behalf of the client.
• Combined Cycle Power Plant Dispute: Advised on lump sum project dispute after subcontractor abandonment threatened project viability. Successfully negotiated settlement despite complex contractual challenges.
• 2G Mobile Licensing Dispute: Advised a foreign investor in India’s 2G licensing round concerning contractual and investor-state claims made under the relevant license and bilateral investment protection treaty resulting from the state’s cancellation post-award of mobile telephone licenses and failure to refund license fees or pay compensation. Dealt with jurisdictional issues, along with complex factual analysis.
• International Infrastructure Project: Advised on complex, high-value construction disputes between a Central American governmental agency and a consortium of European and regional companies relating to a strategic maritime infrastructure development of global significance.