Insights & News

Lewis Silkin oversees construction contracts and construction aspects of major new UK film studio

18 July 2022

Shinfield Studios development set to bring Hollywood to the Thames Valley.

Covid-19 relief for financially troubled suppliers with public contracts

01 April 2020

On 20 March 2020 the Cabinet Office published guidance designed to ensure that all public bodies provide support under existing contracts to suppliers of “goods, services and works” who are financially “at risk” as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

More than just a stadium…

18 September 2019

However it’s done, whether being rebuilt from scratch (Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Arsenal), expanded (Liverpool) or converted from other uses (West Ham, Manchester City), one thing for certain is that football stadiums are big business. In this article, we explore some of the current projects and highlight some of the hot topics surrounding these cathedrals of the national game.

Fail to cooperate at your peril! Court finds that contracting party’s conduct was a repudiatory breach of an implied duty to cooperate

04 June 2019

In a recent case, the court implied a duty to cooperate where close collaboration between the parties was required to perform the contract. The Court also found that one party’s failure to cooperate was a repudiatory breach that the counterparty could rely on in treating the contract as terminated.

Court of Appeal sets high bar for parties defending fraudulent misrepresentation claims and dismisses attempt to broaden transferred loss principle

21 May 2019

The Court of Appeal has confirmed the presumption of inducement in cases of fraudulent misrepresentation will be “very difficult” to rebut and rejected a Claimant’s attempt to recover the loss of its subcontracting sister company via the “transferred loss” principle.

The new visa route for recognised or emerging leaders in architecture: what does this mean for the architectural sector?

13 December 2018

The Government has announced a new immigration category for overseas recognised or emerging leaders in architecture that has the potential to ease access to jobs in the UK. With Brexit looming on the horizon, this news will provide some much needed reassurance that the UK’s Architecture sector will still be able to attract the best global talent over the coming years. However the new measures are limited in their scope and are unlikely to plug the gap that will be left once freedom of movement for EU workers comes to an end.

Construction Law Update – Fighting back against “Smash and Grab” Adjudications

21 May 2018

The case of Grove Developments Ltd v S&T (UK) Ltd (February 2018) is worthy of note, not least because it potentially provides employers with a quick means of reclaiming the loss suffered, following a “smash and grab” adjudication by starting its own adjudication on the true value.

CDM 2015: Who is the Principal Designer?

01 August 2017

By now, everyone is familiar with The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (“Regulations”). However, there still seems to be confusion as to who should fulfil the role of the Principal Designer (“PD”).

Beware of copyright when considering existing planning permission

02 March 2017

The recent judgment in Signature Realty Ltd v Fortis Developments Ltd & Anor is an excellent example of the application of copyright in a planning and building context.