Construction

“having so many strings to their bow the barristers here often approach matters in refreshing new ways from pure construction experts”

“helpful, accommodating and commercial clerks”

“approachable, client-focused and easy to work with”

In two of the leading House of Lords' cases in the field of construction law, the successful parties were represented by members of Crown Office Chambers. The size and resources of Chambers enable us to offer a wide range of specialist advocates at all levels and for any type of client. This is particularly useful for adjudication cases where the timescales require large teams to be put together and to work at short notice. This experience in construction law is complemented by many members' knowledge and expertise in insurance work, making Crown Office Chambers a natural choice of counsel for construction related insurance disputes.

Established Expertise in Construction

The number of construction law practitioners in Crown Office Chambers gives us a strength and range comparable with that of smaller specialist sets, and enables us to provide high quality teams of counsel for large and complex disputes, whether by way of litigation, arbitration or adjudication. Many members of Chambers have extensive arbitration practices, mainly but not exclusively involving construction or construction related insurance disputes. Several members of Chambers, including juniors also sit as arbitrators, adjudicators , on dispute boards , are retained as legal assessors by lay arbitrators and are called upon to give bindng opinions as Legal Experts.

Members of Chambers have wide experience of adjudication, whether acting as adjudicator, assisting the team as counsel, acting on enforcement applications or subsequently taking the dispute to court. They are also involved in all forms of alternative dispute resolution including construction mediation and dispute boards. Emden's Construction Law is currently edited by Andrew Bartlett QC, who was recently appointed Chair of TECBAR. The main specialist chapters such as those on adjudication, mediation, dispute boards, and construction insurance, are written by members of Crown Office Chambers. Other members of Chambers write books on dispute boards, mediation, and edit construction law publications and contribute to industry journals.

Members of Chambers frequently act for major infra structure providers, well known construction and engineering companies, private individuals, construction professionals, National Health Service Trusts, Local Authorities and similar bodies. The strength of Chambers construction practice lies in its diversity.

Nearly all members of Chambers accept public access work and are very willing to advise clients direct in appropriate cases.

Recent Publications

Recent publications in which members have been involved include:

Construction Insurance & UK Construction Contracts (Informa 2008) by Marshall Levine & Roger ter Haar QC

International Commercial Mediation (Informa, 2008) by Dr Cyril Chern

Chern on Dispute Boards (Blackwell, 2007) by Dr Cyril Chern

Recent Cases

Recent cases in which members have been involved include:

  • Geoffrey Osborne v Atkins Rail [2009] EWHC 2425 (TCC) - Roger ter Haar QC and Andrew Philips
  • Amsprop v ITW [2009] EWHC 2689 (TCC) - Andrew Bartlett QC and Anna Laney
  • Allen Wilson Joinery v Privetgrange Construction (2008) 123 Con LR 1 - Crispin Winser
  • Orange Personal Communications Services v Hoare Lea (2008) 117 Con LR 76 - Michael Curtis QC
  • Orchard Construction v Gallant [2008] EWHC 2726 (TCC) - Charles Pimlott
  • View further Recent Cases