Construction

7KBW has expertise in heavyweight litigation and arbitrations in all manner of disputes arising out of construction contracts. Members accept instructions to appear in the Technology and Construction Court, the Commercial Court, and in international arbitrations, in cases involving English or foreign law.

We have experience in managing cases throughout all stages of a construction dispute, across any mainstream onshore engineering, utilities and infrastructure claim, as well as offshore construction and marine engineering disputes, especially those including FPSOs, drillships and oil rigs.

We are specialists in all areas of contract law, including bespoke and standard form construction contracts, including FIDIC, JCT, RIBA, NEC and ICE, amongst others.

Members have a deep understanding of complex construction disputes in a range of sectors, including energy and natural resources, transport projects, and commercial and residential developments, and have been instructed on an array of projects, including energy plants, dams, docks, mines, factories, pipelines, railway and tube lines, windfarms, aircraft runways, processing plants, housing and apartment blocks.

Members are experienced in a wide range of construction disputes, from delay and disruption claims including critical path analyses, to defects cases, disputed variations, copyright claims, and final accounts.

Shipbuilding disputes

In addition, Chambers is particularly specialist at handling shipbuilding disputes, both in domestic and foreign arbitrations, and in the High Court, or on appeal. Members are well-versed in the full range of issues that typically arise out of contracts based on the foremost standard forms, such as the Shipbuilders’ Association of Japan (SAJ) and Association of West European Shipbuilding (AWES) forms.

Chambers also has an established and thriving practice in yacht building disputes, including those relating to the finance, construction and purchase of superyachts. Chambers is presently handling disputes in arbitration and Court involving some of the largest and most expensive superyachts ever built. Members also regularly advise and assist buyers and shipbuilders of superyachts during the pre-contractual phase, and are familiar with the structure and content of the standard form contracts used by most yards.

We work with owners, yacht builders, yards and suppliers. Leading law firms have recommended us in this area, as well as brokers, family offices, project managers, captains and marine engineers.

Cases include:

• Shanghai Shipyard Co v Reignwood International Investment (Group) [2020] EWHC 803 (Comm)
• The M V Palladium: (Goodwood Investments Holdings v Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions) [2018] EWHC 1056 (Comm)
• Teekay Tankers v STX O&S [2017] EWHC 253 (Comm)
• Leslie v Farrar Construction Ltd [2016] EWCA Civ 1041