Jaco de la Rey is a Principal of Claims and Consulting with HKA, based in Cape Town, South Africa. He holds an LLM in Construction Law and Arbitration and is a qualified Arbitrator and Adjudicator with over 17 years of experience in the construction and engineering sector.

Jaco gained extensive commercial experience through senior management positions at various Financial and Construction Sector businesses. This broad-based managerial, commercial, and contractual experience equips him as a specialist in construction law and dispute resolution.

Jaco serves as Co-Chair of the RICS Diploma in Adjudication (South Africa) and is a sought-after speaker at regional industry conferences and professional events. He also contributes to academic development as a Senior Visiting Lecturer at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Construction Economics, where he teaches postgraduate modules in Dispute Resolution, Contract Law, and Standard-Form Contracts.

In his leadership role at HKA, Jaco oversees multi-disciplinary teams of quantum, delay, and contract specialists on major infrastructure and energy projects governed by FIDIC, NEC, and other standard-form contracts. He provides strategic advice to clients on contracting strategy, complex claims, counterclaims, contract management, and commercial dispute matters. Having participated in over 230 dispute adjudications, Jaco brings deep insight into the interconnected legal, technical, and commercial dimensions of construction disputes.