The industry's own legal primer
Construction Law’s July 2020 edition is arriving on desks this week, bringing subscribers detailed analysis and comment from construction law professionals on the legal issues arising from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the construction sector. To read more of this and every other news story on this site, please log in with your … Read more
Editor’s comment Straws worth clutching at The Covid-19 pandemic has darkened the economic outlook but Editor Nick Barrett notes that forecasters are seeing light at the end of the tunnel. A sea change in construction productivity is now needed but that needs a sea change in the industry’s mindset, say commentators. News Our monthly news … Read more
Guest Editor Karen Kirkham of BDB Pitmans LLP says allowing rare and unforeseen events to shape contracts can create excessive risk for contractors which employers will have to pay for. Crisis driven amendments miss targets and can make matters worse, she argues. This story is only available to subscribers to the printed edition of Construction … Read more
How Covid-19 is impacting on one construction market – the wind industry – is analysed by Edward Stewart, Natalie Wardle, Colleen Galbraith and Kimberly Roberts of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, who focus on what reliefs may be available under FIDIC Silver Book 1999 edition. This story is only available to subscribers to the printed edition … Read more
Our regular round up of the court decisions of most relevance to construction comes from Andrew Croft and Ben Spannuth of Beale & Company Solicitors LLP who focus on a case confirming that an adjudicator’s award or court judgment is needed before an established or ascertained bond can be called; and another which, although not … Read more
In our latest CL Guides series article Harriet Farrant from DLA Piper explains how Engineer, Procure and Construct contracts work. This story is only available to subscribers to the printed edition of Construction Law. If you have a subscription please log in to read the rest of the story.
Many companies will be relying on force majeure clauses to bail them out of Covid-19 induced problems, but some parties to contracts will be left ‘in a hole’, unable to claim reliefs or terminate onerous contracts warns Stuart Jordan of Baker Botts. This story is only available to subscribers to the printed edition of Construction … Read more
Contractors throughout the UK are grappling with the delays, costs and disruption caused by Covid-1 and looking to force majeure for relief. Nick Viljoen of HFW suggests that one less considered avenue for relief may be to claim that new Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures amount to either a Change in Law or a variation. This … Read more
Chris Bryden and Georgia Whiting of 4 King’s Bench Walk explain how common law can support termination of a contract that does not have an express termination clause. However, there are risks associated with using the repudiatory breach strategy, they warn. This story is only available to subscribers to the printed edition of Construction Law. … Read more
Insurance expert John D Wright of JD Risk Associates outlines the insurance implications of Covid-19, warning that there may not be a lot the insurance industry can do to alleviate the financial pain inflicted by the pandemic. For the future, a pooling scheme might have to be launched and government backing will be essential. This … Read more