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Legal energy: nuclear power stations

2009-06-26T00:00:00Z

Paul Cowan A nuclear power station is about the hardest project it is possible to undertake. Here are the legal implications

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Legal energy: alliancing

2009-06-26T00:00:00Z

Alliancing has been little used as a procurement method in the UK to date, but experience overseas shows it can deliver projects economically and on time

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Can we fix it?: Repair and maintenance

2009-06-19T00:00:00Z

Repair and maintenance contracts are starting to look rather tempting, now money’s thinner on the ground. But there are some particular challenges involved...

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Devil take the hindmost: A six party case

2009-06-19T00:00:00Z

Here’s a story about a flood in an office that caused millions of pounds of damage and gave rise to a six-party legal case. The question, of course, was who was going to pay

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Buyer beware: Distressed sellers

2009-06-19T00:00:00Z

You can take some of the worry out of buying property from a distressed seller by knowing how to manage risk. But first you need to know what those risks are

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A beginners' guide to English: Compact contracts

2009-06-12T00:00:00Z

You may think it best to make a contract as verbose as possible to ensure it misses nothing, but in reality it’s best to be brief and to the point

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The use of weapons: Throwing in brand new arguments

2009-06-12T00:00:00Z

Sounds like a pretty basic question, but what can the assaulted party in an adjudication do in its defence? Can it, for example, throw the kitchen sink at its tormentor?

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I've started so I'll finish: Can you omit all future works?

2009-06-12T00:00:00Z

Cunning developers who want to terminate a contractor’s employment without facing claims are altering contracts to omit all future works. Can they get away with it?

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Asking for the moon: Construction Act changes

2009-06-05T00:00:00Z

The Specialist Engineering Contractors’ Group wants payment security on demand included in the new Construction Act. It should not – and will not – become law

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Transcendental mediation: A mediator's role

2009-06-05T00:00:00Z

The talking cure for construction disputes is a fine way to settle an argument – but only if the mediator is prepared to go beyond the role of polite, ineffectual facilitator

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Settle down: The popularity of mediation

2009-06-05T00:00:00Z

Mediation is proving ever more popular as a way of settling disputes before they get to court. And, as it saves money, parties are going willingly to the talking block

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Thinking caps: Employer's agents

2009-05-29T00:00:00Z

When a QS acts as contract administrator, certifier, project manager and employer’s agent, it all ends up like a game of pass the hat. But some principles always apply

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Tell them a bedtime story: Public sector tendering

2009-05-29T00:00:00Z

If you’re a public authority inviting tenders, you should treat bidders like small children, eager to learn how you will judge them – and for heaven’s sake make sure they do learn

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Burning questions: Waste disposal strategies

2009-05-29T00:00:00Z

Paul Mansouri and Mark Berry As Costain’s £398m waste project in Manchester confirmed, muck and brass are as linked as ever. The link between muck and renewable fuel is more recent

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Contractors vs consultants: Rising claims

2009-05-22T00:00:00Z

A contractor on a design-and-build job that gets duff advice and loses money may be tempted to sue whoever gave it that advice. Well, that’s easier said than done

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What price victory? Winning back legal costs

2009-05-15T00:00:00Z

You’ve won a legal battle so it’s only reasonable you get your costs reimbursed, isn’t it? Ah, if only it were that simple

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Time and punishment: Interest on unfair debt

2009-05-15T00:00:00Z

If you don’t pay a legitimate debt, you are liable for interest on top. That’s only fair. But what if the creditor was at fault in some way, or the invoice was wrong?

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Fancy a change? How to be an expert witness

2009-05-15T00:00:00Z

If you’ve just been made redundant, it might be time to consider a career as an expert witness. Here are a few tips to get you started …

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Let's be practical: Challenging a certificate of completion

2009-05-08T00:00:00Z

Even when a ‘final and binding’ certificate of completion is issued, there may be room for the parties to challenge the validity of the decision

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Cold comfort: Paying damages to a firm in the red

2009-05-08T00:00:00Z

It’s a chilling situation indeed to find yourself forced to pay hefty damages to a firm so far in the red that it’s positively crimson. Camden council can tell you all about it