Category: Legal
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‘Should we worry about Middle East contract law?’
Building relationships, rooted in respect for family values and friendship, is a vital part of business interaction. In the construction sector, the contract is often viewed as a secondary tool, referred to as a last resort. Therefore, it’s common for claims related to time extensions or payments to be resolved through negotiation, often near project…
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On WhatsApp contracts and the validity of payment applications
The Court held that the informal WhatsApp conversation constituted formal acceptance of Fincham’s quotation, forming an agreement. As this was a commercial transaction, the intention to create legal relations was presumed, thus confirming that a formal contract had been formed. View the original article and our Inspiration here
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What’s in the Construction Products Reform Green Paper?
Simon Lewis and Michelle Essen review key points of the government’s consultation on its proposals for the reform of the construction products regime. (Image: Sergeevspb via Dreamstime) This 158-page Green Paper lays out the enormous complexity of our current system and the largescale changes proposed to transform the industry. It also poses 58 questions to…
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Everything contractors should know about RIDDOR
In one case, an employee was clearing a site for a new house when the 1.7-tonne excavator he was using tipped over and crushed his leg. His employer neither investigated the incident, nor reported it to the HSE. Eight months later, the employee sadly lost his leg and complained to the HSE. The employer was…
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Four ways construction can navigate Trump’s tariffs
Uncertainty is usually a cause for concern in construction. However, it is nothing new to the UK market. Recent years have seen Brexit, covid, war in Ukraine and more. The effects of the tariffs are likely to be another in a long line of challenges affecting the supply chain. The industry has proven itself to…
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Sisk v Capital & Centric – or why not reading the full contract can lead to unintended consequences
The case of John Sisk and Son Ltd v Capital & Centric (Rose) Ltd flags the importance of reading the whole contract – and not just focus on the legal front-end, explain Jane Hughes and Jessica Barnes. (Image: Gajus via Dreamstime.com) In contract negotiations, the focus tends to be on the front-end of the contract:…
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Sisk v Capital & Centric – or why not reading the full contract can lead to costly mistakes
The case of John Sisk and Son Ltd v Capital & Centric (Rose) Ltd flags the importance of reading the whole contract – and not just focus on the legal front-end, explain Jane Hughes and Jessica Barnes. (Image: Gajus via Dreamstime.com) In contract negotiations, the focus tends to be on the front-end of the contract:…
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What construction should know about the new retentions reporting laws
New regulations now force qualifying companies to report on various aspects of how they deal with retentions. Michelle Essen and James Cooper explain. From 1 March 2025 new laws require certain companies to report on the retentions they hold and on their retention practices. While reporting on payment performance and practices has been required since…
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‘We’re worried about a PFI schools handback’
This month’s question comes from a council liaising with a PFI consortium over a schools handback when the contract ends. Steven Carey and Amelia Hamilton explain the pitfalls to beware of. The question We are a local authority responsible for a number of schools in our area. The PFI contracts for some schools are due…
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‘Our main contractor client is withholding payments. What can we do?’
This isn’t the first, and certainly won’t be the last, time I’ve heard about a subcontractor protesting about being treated unfairly by a main contractor client. When I was taking my first steps in the industry I’ve grown to be so passionate about, things were a lot more difficult for subcontractors. That may sound hard to…