Construction Lawyers
Construction projects come with complex legal risks - but the right legal support helps protect interests and prevent costly disputes.
Our team provide clear, jargon-free advice with a commercial and proactive approach. Our experience of advising upon all aspects of construction risk enabling our clients to reduce the chance of issues arising by drafting robust contractual arrangements.
We specialise in drafting and negotiating construction documentation for a wide range of projects, including commercial and mixed use developments, infrastructure, manufacturing, research and pharmaceutical facilities, new build and fit-out works.
Our expertise spans diverse sectors such as aerospace, education, energy, healthcare, retail, waste and public services - ensuring that regardless of your industry, you benefit from a tailored legal approach.
Our clients include funders, commercial and residential developers, building owners, contractors, sub-contractors, suppliers and consultants. We add value at every stage of the construction process - from feasibility and concept design through procurement to delivery and completion – so you can focus on realising your project vision with confidence.
Our expertise
We advise upon bespoke construction and engineering contracts and professional appointments as well as the domestic and international standard forms such as JCT, NEC, ICE, ACE, FIDIC, ACA, IChemE, RICS and RIBA.
Our collaborative approach means we work closely with your project teams to deliver secure, clear legal documentation that ensures the successful delivery of complex construction projects.
With a proven track record in advising on disputes across adjudication, arbitration, mediation and court proceedings, our team of trained adjudicators and mediators offers strategic guidance to resolve issues efficiently, always with your best interests in mind.
We deliver comprehensive construction legal advice and support in areas including:
We are able to advise upon the adaptation of bespoke or standard forms of contract to minimise your risk and create a strong contractual foundation to any project. We can also provide guidance on the market position for insurance, liability and indemnity provisions.
Whether you’re a developer or funder, we support you in preparing comprehensive construction documentation. This includes building contracts, deeds of novation, performance bonds, professional appointments, and collateral warranties for new or refurbished retail, light industrial, mixed use and housing projects.
We offer specialised guidance for the design and construction of research laboratories, manufacturing facilities and office spaces in the pharmaceutical industry, ensuring projects meet stringent industry standards.
Find out more about our pharmaceuticals and life sciences sector
We have advised Universities, Colleges, Independent and Maintained Schools and Academies upon the procurement of new teaching and sporting facilities, student accommodation as well as the maintenance and refurbishment of the existing estate.
We have advised and negotiated the construction and ancillary documentation for the design and building of a number of manufacturing facilitates with the aerospace industry.
We have developed a specialisation in assisting with the legal aspects of office relocation. Our collaborative team of property, planning and construction lawyers enables us to advise upon the purchase and fit out of new premises, move and dispose of the old premises in a seamless transition.
We have a team able to advise either the referring or the responding party in statutory adjudications under the Construction Act. We have advised upon successful jurisdictional challenges and conducted successful enforcement proceedings in the Technology and Construction Court.
VWV understands client requirements well. The lawyers clearly highlight the risks when appropriate and meet all timelines.
Our work highlights
International pharmaceutical company
Drafting and negotiating the professional team appointments (including appropriate forms of collateral warranty and novation agreement), pre-construction services agreement (bespoke schedule of amendments to JCT PCSA 2016), and main building contract (bespoke schedule of amendments to JCT DB 2016) in relation to the construction of an £85 million expansion to our client's manufacturing facility.
National contractor
We advised and represent our client in connection with a £750,000 final account dispute with a developer. The dispute involved three adjudications. We prepared the claim, referred it to adjudication and were successful. In the second and third adjudications referred by the developer, we raised successful jurisdictional challenges on our clients behalf and the adjudicator resigned in both cases.
Airbus Operations Limited
We advised Airbus on all aspects of its £100m+ Airbus Aerospace Park development, which included the refurbishment of a grade II listed art deco building, new build offices, a data centre and the creation of a highly sophisticated advanced wing research facility. The NEC suite of contracts was primarily used for the required professional appointments, building contracts and various ancillary documents.
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