Construction Team Our construction team understands the pressures of the current economic climate. Whether drafting contracts, warranties or bonds to secure your position before a project, or dealing pragmatically and quickly to resolve disputes, we always aspire to exceed your expectations. We have 'hands on' experience of the construction industry, and additionally, we work with other teams within the firm (such as our urban regeneration, planning and environmental teams) to provide the most extensive and commercially pragmatic service to the construction industry. Clarke Willmott is a national law firm with offices in Bristol, Birmingham, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton. We are recognised by legal directories as 'ambitious', 'successful' and 'dynamic'. Clarke Willmott has over 70 partners and 350 staff. We provide construction advice to over 30 major companies in the U.K & abroad. Peter O Brien, Partner T: 0845 209 1297 E: peter.obrien@clarkewillmott.com Priscilla Hall, Partner T: 0845 209 1435 E: priscilla.hall@clarkewillmott.com Peter specialises in construction dispute resolution, representing clients in all types of dispute forums both in the UK and overseas. He represents employers, contractors and sub-contractors alike across a wide range of sectors, including power generation and renewables contracts through to road, rail, infrastructure and more traditional building projects. Peter is dual qualified and prior to becoming a solicitor, worked as a quantity surveyor, having spent some eight years on projects in Asia. His industry experience makes him uniquely placed to provide clients with "no-nonsense" commerciallyfocussed advice thereby helping clients achieve their goals in a timely and cost-effective manner. Peter has co-authored "Payment in Construction Contracts A Practical Guide" published by RICS Books. In addition, he is an accredited Adjudicator, as well as being a regular contributor to the legal press, and a respected speaker on construction law. Priscilla specialises in non contentious advice to a range of clients. She also heads up the Renewable Energy Sector at Clarke Willmott. As well as having extensive and wide ranging experience in general commercial construction projects she also has particular expertise in projects spanning various renewable energy mediums such as wind, biogas, waste and solar. Priscilla helps her clients with drafting, negotiating and advising on construction and engineering contracts (including international contracts), framework contracts, collateral warranties, professional appointments, bonds and guarantees. She has an MSc in Construction Law and Arbitration from Kings College, London. She is a member of Renewable UK, Regen South West Renewable Energy Association, Society of Construction Law and is a Fellow of the Built Environment. Some of our construction clients: Bouygues UK, Bristol City FC, Britannia Construction, Charles Church, East Devon New Community Partnership, Eco2 Ltd, EG Carter Ltd, EnviTec Biogas UK Ltd, Fred Olsen Renewables Ltd, Guinness Hermitage, Isle of Wight Council, J B Leadbitter & Co Ltd, Lorne Stewart, Mace, Midas Construction Ltd, MITIE Built Environment Ltd, Morgan Sindall, Motability, New Earth Solutions Group Ltd, Persimmon Homes Ltd, Radian Group Ltd, Raven Housing Trust Ltd, Rotary Group, Silverstone Circuits Ltd, Somerset Cricket Club, Trane, Velocita Developments Ltd
Jessica Taylor, Partner T: 0845 209 1299 E: jessica.taylor@clarkewillmott.com AnnaLiisa Blanks-Walden, Partner T: 0845 209 1354 E: annaliisa.blanks-walden@clarkewillmott.com Jessica has over 20 years experience in advising on construction and engineering law, acting for social housing providers and local authorities, as well as for institutional clients, banks, contractors and consultants. Her core practice involves the drafting and negotiation of major strategic and operational construction contracts including development agreements; building contracts including advising on the standard JCT, PPC, NEC3 contracts; bespoke construction contracts; professional team appointments; collateral warranties; agreements for lease; construction related elements of funding agreements; drafting and reviewing parent company guarantees; advance payment and performance bonds; framework agreements; consortium agreements; hub contracts; extensive and short form letters of intent; initial contracts and appointments; and specialist sub-contracts. Jessica joined Clarke Willmott in 2014 after working for several years at Trowers & Hamlins before joining us from Clarkslegal LLP. Anna-Liisa is a Partner, solicitor and civil & commercial mediator who specialises in resolving construction disputes. She has experience in court proceedings (High Court, Technology & Construction Court & Chancery Division, and Court of Appeal), Pre-Action Protocol for Construction and Engineering Disputes, mediation (being an ADRg accredited mediator), adjudication (including enforcing adjudicators' decisions), and arbitration. She advises employers and developers (incl. multi-national companies, supermarket retailers, household name sports clients, RPs), contractors and specialist subcontractors alike in resolving building disputes; including professional negligence claims. Anna- Liisa gives construction law seminars and in-house training, writes a regular construction column, is widely published and is a committee member of Constructing Excellence, member of Women in Social Housing, the Adjudication Society, and Society of Construction Law; having been Chair of South West Women in Construction. Jessica is well known in the industry and is a published author and external speaker on construction law topics. She has also been a deputy director of the Quantity Surveyors Division of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and sits on the Court of the Worshipful Company of Constructors and on the Council of the Society of Construction Law. He is one of the few lawyers who knows our business as well as we do. He genuinely understands construction and that makes him a very effective and efficient operator Commercial Director leading national contractor on Peter O Brien Natalie Read, Associate T: 0845 209 1431 E: natalie.read@clarkewillmott.com Natalie is an Associate in the Construction team and practices both contentious and non-contentious construction law. On the contentious side Natalie specialises in all forms of dispute resolution in relation to building disputes and has experience in litigation, the Pre- Action Protocol process, arbitration, mediation, adjudication and expert determination. She has acted for employers, developers, contractors and sub-contractors as both claimant and defendant on matters relating to defective workmanship, negligence, disputed applications for payment and applications for extensions of time. On the non-contentious side, Natalie has experience of drafting and advising on consultants appointments and building contracts including NEC3, JCT and PPC 2000.
Natalie also specialises in insolvency in the context of the construction industry and acts for a number of insolvency practitioners in recovering debts owed to insolvent construction companies. Matthew Phipps, Solicitor T: 0845 209 1432 E: matthew.phipps @clarkewillmott.com Matthew is a solicitor in the construction team specialising in contentious matters. The breadth of his experience includes litigation in the Technology and Construction Court (including reported cases concerning the enforcement of adjudicator s decisions) mediation, arbitration, adjudication and expert determination. Matthew s expertise includes complex and highvalue construction disputes working with employers, developers, funders, contractors and professionals. His recent experience includes payment disputes, delay and disruption claims, professional negligence actions and final account disputes. Matthew also has experience of negotiating, drafting and amending contract documents. Matthew is a member of the Adjudication Society, the Society of Construction Law and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Matthew is also a past chairman of the Forum for Tomorrow (West Midlands). Kate Lister, Solicitor T: 0845 209 1035 E: kate.lister@clarkewillmott.com Kate specialises in both non-contentious and contentious construction law and dispute resolution. Kate has experience with court proceedings in the Technology and Construction Court, the Pre-Action Protocol for Construction and Engineering Disputes, and adjudication. Her experience also includes acting on behalf of administrators and liquidators in the recovery of construction contract debts. Kate s expertise includes working with employers, contractors, consultants and developers across the industry, both regionally and nationally. She also has experience working on social housing, retail, leisure and energy projects. Kate's noncontentious experience includes drafting, negotiating and advising on a range of construction documents including building contracts, consultants' appointments and collateral warranties. Mark Scotney, Solicitor T: 0845 209 1066 E: mark.scotney@clarkewillmott.com Mark is a Commercial Litigator and an accredited Mediator who specialises in Construction Law. He is mainly involved in the contentious workload, including acting for main contractors, sub-contractors, engineers, architects, employers and domestic home owners. His experience in construction contract disputes is broad and includes regularly representing clients in adjudication proceedings, court proceedings and mediations. He is heavily involved in professional negligence and breach of contract claims against surveyors, engineers and architects. He also advises on the procurement of building contracts, forms of appointment, collateral warranties and deeds of novation. Directory feedback: One of the most ambitious of the next generation of national firms and an unashamedly client-facing law firm. Legal Business Clarke Willmott LLP s advice is "rapid, detailed and well informed". Legal 500 2012 "When you deal with Clarke Willmott you know you're dealing with highly experienced lawyers," say sources. "This highly respected construction practice handles a combination of contentious and non-contentious work". Chambers and Partners 2013
Jorge Klien, Solicitor T: 0845 209 1649 E: Jorge.klien@clarkewillmott.com Jorge specialises in non contentious construction law. Jorge has worked on various types of construction projects but has developed a particular expertise within the renewable energy sphere. He has been involved in various anaerobic digestion projects across the UK and has also acted on wind projects. He has acted for both employers, contractors, subcontractors and funders. He has particular expertise in acting for contractors as he was an in house lawyer with the Building and Engineering Association prior to joining Clarke Willmott. Jorge is familiar with the standard form construction contracts such as the JCT and NEC contracts but has also drafted bespoke contracts as and when required. He has also drafted and advised on various ancillary documents such as operation and maintenance agreements, framework agreements, collateral warranties, consultants appointments and escrow agreements. Jorge trained in Reed Smith prior to joining the Building and Engineering Association. Marie-Thérèse Groarke, Solicitor T: 0845 209 1030 E: Marie-Therese.Groarke@clarkewillmott.com Marie-Thérèse specialises in noncontentious construction matters. Her expertise includes working with a wide range of clients in general commercial construction projects. Having previously, worked as an in-house solicitor for RWE, npower renewables Marie-Thérèse has particular expertise in large scale renewable energy projects. RWE npower renewables is a subsidiary company of RWE Innogy which undertakes projects for the development of renewable energy sources. These include major projects across the UK for the construction of waste to energy plants. Whilst at RWE, Marie-Thérèse drafted and negotiated a range of contracts both bespoke and using standard forms such as NEC, FIDIC, JCT, LOGIC and BIMCO. These contracts included service maintenance agreements, supply of goods, engineering contracts, electrical works contracts, terminations, confidentiality agreements, professional services appointments and agreements relating to the connection to the national grid. Marie-Thérèse joined Clarke Willmott in 2014 after working at Trowers and Hamlins LLP and RWE, npower renewables. Bill Bullivant, Consultant T: 0845 209 1364 E: bill.bullivant@clarkewillmott.com Bill has extensive experience leading the legal teams advising on a substantial number of completed PFI projects, including acting for the senior lenders, contracting authorities bid consortia and subcontractors. He specialises in the law and procurement procedures governing the formation and management of large scale commercial relationships between the public and private sectors, with an emphasis on major projects. His related experience includes acting as Consultant Editor and contributor to Knight s Guide to Best Value and Public Procurement, and several years as a member of the JCT. Bill is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Stephen Clarke, Consultant T: 0845 209 1303 E: stephen.clarke@clarkewillmott.com Stephen has expertise in advising on all stages of construction projects: contractual drafting, procurement and development stage advice, fire fighting disputes (incl. adjudications) during construction, and resolving disputes through litigation, arbitration and mediation. Stephen is recognised as an expert by the Legal Experts Directory. Memberships include: Society of Construction Law; Society of Computers and Law; Forum for the Built Environment and National Federation of Roofing Contractors. Stephen also sits on the National Executive of the Adjudication Society. He has contributed to Butterworth s Property and Development Funding text and has published articles on a number of construction related subjects. Has a particular interest in sustainability and green issues where he represents the firm nationally. Peter McHugh, Consultant T: 0845 209 1069 E: peter.mchugh@clarkewillmott.com Peter is a construction law specialist, acting on behalf of contractors, sub contractors and employers in construction disputes of all sizes and types. He specialises in construction and property dispute resolution, acting for parties in litigation, arbitration, adjudication and mediation. He advises in professional negligence claims, acting on behalf of professionals within the construction industry either defending or pursuing claims. Peter has over 20 years experience acting in multi-party disputes of high value and is an experienced Accredited Mediator within Dispute Resolution. In 1993 Peter qualified as a Chartered Arbitrator, he is also an experienced mediator achieving Category A status as a member with the ADR Group. He is regularly invited to deliver presentations and speeches across the UK on his experiences and recommendations of dispute resolution, mediation, and arbitration within the construction industries. In March 2012, Peter was appointed Chair of the Forum for the Built Environment, Birmingham Branch. Our construction clients: they have a quick turnaround, offer value for money and, most importantly, they are extremely responsive tells it how it is in the industry, and can see the whole picture find a solution based on commercially acceptable terms "one of the few lawyers who knows our business as well as we do"
w Robin Gupta, Consultant T: 0845 209 1302 E: robin.gupta@clarkewillmott.com As well as being a solicitor, Robin is a Chartered Engineer and Adjudicator. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a Member of the Institute of Arbitrators. Memberships include: Society of Construction Law; Adjudication Society and Forum for the Built Environment. He has over 35 years experience in the construction industry, having spent 25 years working for a national contractor. Robin specialises in all aspects of construction law; including adjudication, arbitration, mediation, conciliation, litigation and dispute resolution. He also advises on all aspects of contract procurement from project inception, through drafting of contracts and appointments to on-going advice during the construction period. Robin is recognised as a leader in the construction field by the Chambers legal directory. Memberships & committees: clarkewillmott.com Great service... Great people... Clarke Willmott LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registration number OC344818. It is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA number 510689), whose rules can be found at http://www.sra.org.uk/handbook/. It is also authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for certain consumer credit activities only (see http://www.clarkewillmott.com/terms). Its registered office and principal place of business is 138 Edmund Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B3 2ES. Any reference to a 'partner' is to a member of Clarke Willmott LLP or an employee or consultant who is a lawyer with equivalent standing and qualifications and is not a reference to a partner in a partnership.