Our construction team (both contentious and non-contentious) provides a full legal service to our University clients.
Our non-contentious team works with our university clients to provide fully tailored suites of construction precedents that can be utilised on all manner of projects. Such precedents include: amendments to standard form building contracts (e.g. the JCT and NEC suites) as well as bespoke building contracts; professional team appointments; framework agreements; collateral warranties; bonds; parent company guarantees; letters of intent; and letters of reliance. We advise our university clients pre-tender (often in conjunction with our procurement team), through the actual tender process to entering into contract, through the lifespan of the project to practical completion, and beyond. We assist in negotiating and finalising the building contracts and professional team appointments, delivering any required collateral warranties to third parties and ensuring any necessary security documents are correctly completed and placed.
The AG Managing Risk Service is a key part of our proactive, strategic advice to clients during the construction phase of their projects, avoiding disputes and saving time and costs. Our dedicated construction dispute resolution lawyers regularly advise our university clients and their project teams, as part of our whole life project construction offering when issues arise (for example, delay/extension of time and loss and expense entitlement, practical completion/defects and payment/pay less notices) giving real time advice such that they can be managed properly and in timely manner.
We regularly assist our clients in the resolution of latent defects in their property portfolios; from compliance with Building Regulations / cladding and fire safety issues through to issues of defective design and workmanship, from acoustic defects to the effect of wind on the microclimate around tall buildings. Our defects notification process provides clients and their estates teams with a clear and cost effective means of engaging with contractors (and construction professionals) such that latent defects are investigated and made good. Our aim throughout is to place our clients in the strongest position to enable them to resolve the issues at hand without the need for formal dispute resolution proceedings, whether that be adjudication, litigation or arbitration.
Our combined construction team provides training to our university clients and their project managers (both internal and external) in respect of the precedents we provide, how to use them correctly, and how to avoid risk. We work closely with our clients to tailor training to their specific needs.
We also work very closely with other teams – for example our property colleagues, especially when preparing/negotiating e.g. Agreements for Lease, Development Agreements and Joint Venture Agreements for and on behalf of our university clients – and pride ourselves in our ability to provide an efficient and seamless full property and construction service. Our 'one stop shop' approach, means we can provide legal advice (under one roof) from inception, planning, procurement, development to sale/lease/utilisation of the end product.
Some examples of our work with higher education institutions are:
- Advising on the £80 million Downing development of the Centre for Creative Arts at Leeds Beckett University's City Centre Campus;
- Advising on the early use of the site by a university (given part of the site was required on Open Days prior to practical completion of the entire works);
- Advising University of York on its Safe Autonomy Building, New Engineering Centre, Management School and Central Hall.
- Advising on early contractor engagement, whilst finalising complex planning issues in order to ensure a university's project proceeded in accordance with the planned programme;
- Working with Lancaster University from tender through to completion of the redevelopment of the £41 million Health Innovation Campus;Supporting external project managers in administering building contracts, and in assessing claims for more time etc.;
- Acting in relation to the development of the Carnegie Teaching and Research Facility (CTAR) at Leeds Beckett University's Headingley Campus;
- Drafting framework appointments for a University's panel consultants;
- Advising on a Modular Build at Leeds Beckett University's Headingley Campus, temporarily re-housing staff during development work.
Key contacts
Stephanie Kosaka
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