Articles
Our lawyers contribute regularly to industry and legal journals in addition to writing legal briefings, newsletters and case reports for clients and contacts. All of our articles are free to read and download here.
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Building a safer future – latest reforms
January 2020This week saw the announcement of new building safety reforms by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick MP. The proposals show a clear obligation for building owners/leaseholders to press on with remediation work as soon as possible, and evidence a move away from the emphasis on building height as a threshold for building safety requirements. In this… Read More >
When ‘disputes’ arise – what triggers the court’s obligation to refer to arbitration?
January 2020The recent judgment of Barniville J. in the case of XPL Engineering v K&J Townmore Construction Ltd suggests that the Court will be reluctant to override provisions set out in a contractual arbitration agreement and serves as a useful reminder of the Court’s increasing support for the referral of disputes to arbitration. In this article, Cian O’Gorman… Read More >
Payment and Pay Less Notices in construction contracts – contract clarity and nil value payments
January 2020In the recent decision of VVB M&E Group Limited & VVB Engineering UK Limited (together “VVB”) v Optilan (UK) Ltd (“Optilan”), the Technology and Construction Court considered the parties’ contractual payment arrangements in light of VVB’s application for delivery up of materials. Whilst the case, which relates to the ongoing Crossrail project, is very fact specific, it raises… Read More >
The Year Ahead in Construction
January 2020In this month’s Building Magazine, Sheena Sood previews what 2020 will hold for the construction industry from a legal point of view.
Triumph reigns triumphant once again! Well, sort of…
January 2020The recent case of Triumph Controls UK Ltd & Anor v Primus International Hold Co & Ors, heard in the Technology and Construction Court, serves as a timely reminder on the rules surrounding costs awards. Specifically, it draws attention to the factors which ought to be taken into account by a Court in deciding the… Read More >
Reports from the Courts – December
December 2019Our latest round up of the court cases of most interest to construction from Andrew Croft and Ben Spannuth includes one that highlights the need for joint ventures to consider when and how pain/gain share related payments are made; and one concerning whether supply of materials is covered by the Construction Act’s adjudication regime. To… Read More >
Collateral Warranties – Reliance and Limiting Liability
December 2019It is common in construction projects for contractors, sub-contractors and consultants to be asked to provide collateral warranties and/or letters of reliance/assignments to parties other than the main client. In this article written for the AGS Magazine (Association of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Specialists), Zita Mansi considers the scope of such liability to third parties and,… Read More >
Operation of a structural defects insurance policy by the Court of Appeal
December 2019Earlier this year, we considered the judgment of the Technology and Construction Court (“TCC”) in Zagora Management Ltd and others v Zurich Insurance plc and others [2019]. In our article (here), we focused on the court’s consideration of claims against the Approved Inspector (“AI”) and noted, in particular, the high hurdle a claimant must overcome in order to succeed in such a claim. The Court… Read More >
FOS decision to reject complaint on causation grounds
December 2019In the recent case of R (Critchley) v Financial Ombudsman Service and two others [2019] EWHC 3036 the High Court upheld a decision by the Ombudsman to reject a PPI misselling complaint on causation grounds. The application of legal principles such as causation by the Financial Ombudsman Service (“FOS”) is a relatively unusual move, and… Read More >
Reports from the Courts – November
November 2019In our latest report on the cases of most relevance to construction from Andrew Croft and Ben Spannuth analyse one which shows that the courts will not permit an action to be brought in breach of an agreement containing a dispute resolution procedure; and another from Scotland that increases certainties surrounding collateral warranties. To read… Read More >