Blog Author: Joe Bennet – Associate and Alistair McGrigor – Partner, CMS A Court of Appeal decision in March has provided authoritative guidance as to when “practical completion” of construction works will be achieved. The existence of patent defects which are more than trifling will be sufficient to prevent “practical completion” and the intended purpose of the works is of relevance only in determining whether such defects are trifling. This considerably narrows the approach adopted by the TCC at first instance which allowed greater scope…

Blog Author: George Eyre – Hardwicke It is common practice for parties in the construction industry to undertake work under a letter of intent before the contract is formally executed. This practice ensures that design can be undertaken, materials can be procured, the site can be prepared and, ultimately, work can begin notwithstanding ongoing contractual negotiations. However, letters of intent often form the basis of disputes and their contractual status can be unclear. For example, letters of intent have been: held to have no contractual…

Blog Author: Hazel Boland-Shanahan A top judge came out of retirement to help decide a crucial question around interim payments and adjudications, as Hazel Boland-Shanahan explains. Confusing case law on interim payments led to the rise of smash-and-grab adjudications. The Court of Appeal judgement in S&T (UK) Limited v Grove Developments provides reasoned clarity as well as other helpful guidance. Just because the sum stated in a payment certificate or default payment notice has become due, does not mean that it represents the true value…

Blog Author: Charlie Woodley Research from HKA unveils the true complexity of causation and provides thought-provoking insight that illustrates how digitalisation can achieve dispute avoidance by proxy or reduce their severity and prevalence. Information technology is critical to our ability to manage complexity, inform decision-making, improve productivity, and reduce uncertainty, thereby mitigating risk. But technology alone will not suffice and broader digitalisation and transformation of organisations, supply chains or industry require investment in people, process as well as technology. Each must be considered equally, and…