Construction Disputes

A key consideration for a party before commencing an adjudication is what the defending party might say or claim in reply, because the courts adopt a generous approach to whether a defence or counterclaim is within the scope of the dispute. Broadly, no matter how narrowly defined a dispute referred to adjudication might be, at […]

The fire at Grenfell Tower that took place in June 2017 resulted in 71 deaths and a large number of further injuries. Following the fire a number of inquiries and reviews were set up, including an independent review of fire safety and the current Building Regulations. This review was led by Dame Judith Hackitt and […]

The English Court has issued a number of recent judgments in respect of arbitration matters and its supervisory powers under the Arbitration Act 1996  We summarise some of the more important decisions emerging, including those relating to “apparent bias” challenges against an arbitrator. Progas Energy Limited v Pakistan [2018] EWHC 209 (Comm) (9 February 2018) […]

In commercial disputes, it is not unusual for the claimant’s losses to be caused (or contributed to) by a number of different parties.  For instance, the claimant may have elected to pursue the party with the deepest pockets, or the loss may have been caused by one of the defendant’s subcontractors.  In such circumstances, the […]

The long awaited quantum judgment in the Fluor Ltd v Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Ltd[1] (ZPMC) case was handed down in January 2018.  It provides important guidance on the extent to which a main contractor’s damages against a subcontractor were limited by a settlement agreement it entered into with the employer. This commentary is of […]

The Court of Appeal has handed down its decision in a long running dispute concerning the duties owed by a project monitor.  Lloyds Bank Plc v McBains Cooper Consulting Ltd[1], underlines the importance of a cohesive and open relationship between a funder and its project monitor in a development finance transaction. Facts McBains was the […]

First legal case raises more questions than answers The first case on liability for the costs of replacing flammable cladding provides little comfort to lessees.  The call by a first tier tribunal for the introduction of a warranty scheme to meet the repair costs was made after acknowledging that litigation on this issue is unlikely to […]

The Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (Act) grants the right to refer disputes relating to construction operations to adjudication.  However, a number of operations under section 105(2) of the Act are excluded from this right. The recent decision of the Technology and Construction Court (TCC) in Equitix v Bester[1] offers helpful guidance on […]

In the recent Court of Appeal judgment of Okpabi v Royal Dutch Shell Plc[1], the court examined the issue of whether there was an arguable case that Royal Dutch Shell (Shell), as the UK parent company of a Nigerian subsidiary, owed a duty of care to those affected by oil leaks from pipelines and associated […]

What do you do when your architect designs something that is way beyond your budget? That was the issue in the recent case of Riva Properties v Foster + Partners. Oliver Tobin reports. A recent decision of the Technology and Construction Court (TCC) has considered the scope of an architect’s duty of care, specifically in […]

Against the backdrop of Carillion, parties need to keep in mind issues of payment upon termination of a construction contract. A recent Court of Appeal decision has confirmed that section 111 of the Construction Act applies to payments due after termination of a contract. A party must give a pay less notice if it wants […]

What do contractors need to be aware of when considering limitation periods, and how can it affect the claims they make? Claims arising from construction projects often require consideration of the law of limitation. Limitation periods are statutorily prescribed windows within which claimants must commence claims. These periods do not, however, sit naturally against the nature […]