CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING DISPUTES

Disputes can hinder any construction or engineering project, with conflict often arising from multiple parties with differing agendas and expectations. Our dispute resolution specialists will, wherever possible, help you reduce the amount of time and expense spent on adjudication and litigation, so you can complete your projects with minimal disruption. We also assist our clients with contract termination and compensation claims, including disputes over interim payments and final accounts, warranty cover, delays, property damage and defects, as well as professional negligence claims against construction professionals.


Key Contacts

Alastair Govier

Partner 0117 930 9551

Dan Gibson

Solicitor 0117 930 9588

RESOLVING DISPUTES STRATEGICALLY

Resolving disputes strategically

Our aim is to help you avoid disputes in the first place and we will look carefully at your contract to ensure it is legally sound and includes appropriate dispute resolution processes.

We have extensive expertise in resolving construction and engineering disputes when they do occur. We can draw on various pre-action stages or, as a last resort, court proceedings, along with alternative dispute resolution processes such as negotiations, adjudication, arbitration and mediation – with each route tailored to your circumstances.

As disputes cost you time and money, we aim to keep expenses to a minimum whenever possible. We have acted for parties on all sides of construction and engineering projects, from funders to subcontractors, and have extensive insight into the alternative solutions that could benefit you. And our straightforward approach ensures you receive clear and consistent support from start to finish.

Delays, property damage and defects

We are experienced in handling disputes in respect of delays and defects at both residential and commercial properties, such as problems with the design, brickwork, drainage, roofing, electrics, plumbing, flooring and ventilation. Such issues can lead to termination of the contract in certain circumstances.

We can also get involved if a property is damaged or destroyed, for example by a water escape, flooding or fire. Such damage may either originate from your own property or from your neighbour’s. We have handled disputes involving defective work, faulty consumer goods, chimney fires, cigarette waste and many others.

We have both pursued and defended professional negligence claims against architects, surveyors, engineers, contractors, plumbers, electricians and other construction professionals.

Our dispute resolution specialists in the Construction and Engineering Team have been involved in a number of high-profile claims and cases. Highlights include:

  • Advising a client on inadequate ventilation in seven storey building in London, settling the claim at more than half a million pounds at mediation
  • Advising a client in connection with a dispute involving defects in a large house in central London where a number of parties were potentially liable for the defects
  • Advising on a case involving a defective pipeline, with the claims being directed against the supplier and the case being settled shortly after a pre-action mediation took place
  • Advising on a supplier’s work on a project at a UK military base, with the supplier defending the contractor’s claims and passing on all of those claims to the supplier’s consultant, the dispute being settled during the pre-action protocol stages
  • Defending a supplier against claims arising out of a defective warehouse floor which included instructing a QC and a leading technical expert
  • Advising on defects in refurbished office developments, with one project involving four adjudications on issues associated with payment and defective works
 

Our expertise in this area encompasses:

  • Claims for payment
  • Claims associated with defective and incomplete works
  • Claims arising out of variations to works
  • Extension of time claims
  • Prolongation claims
  • Loss and expense claims
  • Agricultural disputes
  • IT and communications disputes
  • Contract termination
  • Disputes arising under all of the standard forms of contract as well as bespoke forms
  • Professional negligence claims against construction professionals
  • Property damage
  • Disputes arising out of collateral warranties and other warranties, parent company guarantees and performance bonds
 


Contact

“AS TO STEVE MCCOMBE, COMMENTATORS ARE “VERY IMPRESSED BY HIM,” STATING THAT HE “KNOWS HIS WAY AROUND A DISPUTE.”” CHAMBERS AND PARTNERS

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