Expert witness and corporate dispute resolution

	High quality, independent, legal and negotiation support

CRU Consulting is the preferred partner of mining, metals and fertilizers corporates and law firms in a wide range of market-related disputes and mining negotiation settings, particularly around pricing and commodity valuation, commercial practices, royalties, and the overall competitive landscape.

CRU Consulting helps clients resolve their disputes and achieve better negotiation outcomes by providing independent, impartial expert advice on all market-related topics, at any point of our clients’ engagement with their counterparty, whether during a negotiation, a corporate dispute, or afterwards. Ultimately, we help ensure the outcomes are durable in the face of ever evolving market and commercial conditions, though the cycles.

Our network of experts spans a wide range of value chains and markets globally, including industry veterans, market practitioners, former traders, as well as analysts and consultants with many years’ of market and mining negotiation experience. CRU's recent acquisition of Exawatt also amplifies our ability to support global clients with vital insights into the technologies and their costs that will define their futures. 

In arbitrations and litigations, we have ensured commercial success for our clients by testifying before courts and tribunals in seats including London, Paris, Sidney, New York, Singapore, and Hong Kong, under key LCIA, ICC, AAA, UK High Court, Australian Federal Court and other dispute rules.

Recent examples involve participating as expert witness and advisors in market-related matters in iron ore, copper, uranium, phosphate rock, manganese rock, and graphite electrodes markets, to name a few.

Here are the key ways how CRU Consulting provides expert witness and negotiation support:

Fair valuation of ores, metals and fertilizers products

There is often limited or no direct, independently verified, price information available for many mineral, metal and fertilizer products. This is particularly true for products associated with new projects, as well as for concentrates, niche value-added products, recycled materials etc. CRU Consulting’s experts have vast experience establishing a ‘market value’ for these products, at any point in time or place, combining careful consideration of key value drivers, general pricing practices, relative bargaining powers, relevant price benchmarks, as well as expert judgement.

Product pricing, pricing formulas, and other commercial contract practices

In commercial contracts, pricing clauses tend to be the key determinant of value creation for buyer and seller. With ever-changing market conditions, difficult negotiations and even pricing-related disputes often arise. With deep understanding of current and historical pricing practices, CRU Consulting helps clients ensure pricing formulas are robust and market-reflective through the business cycle.

Benchmarking marketing fees and intermediation costs

The trading of commodities takes place through long and complex supply chains, typically via intermediaries such as trading firms, agents or marketing entities. CRU Consulting’s global and cross-commodity coverage, data-driven approach, and established methodologies enable us to perform robust independent analyses of marketing fees and intermediation costs agreed between contracting parties, supporting clients on their related benchmarking, external validation, auditing and disputing needs.

Start a conversation with the CRU Team

Reach out to a member of our consulting team below to find out how collaborating with CRU Consulting could make a  difference to your business.