Ben deals predominantly with construction law but also advises on commercial, property and dispute matters. He has many years’ experience in the construction industry, both within his own building business and advising subcontractors, contractors, developers and employers who operate in a variety of different construction sectors in a legal capacity. He also advises freeholders, leaseholders, landlords and tenants across a wide range of property law matters.
Ben is also well versed in the area of insurance litigation, particularly in the professional negligence and liability of architects, surveyors, engineers and contractors, construction and engineering projects, and marine, trade and energy. In addition he has worked on matters involving insolvent companies pursuing claims for additional costs and loss and expense as well as developing strategies to maximise the debt recovery from contractors and pursuing debts.
Expertise
Construction and development
- Development projects, acting for funder, developer and employer
- Professional Team Appointments, Collateral warranties, bonds and guarantees
- Contract drafting and amendments
- Dispute resolution including arbitration, adjudication, mediation and litigation
- Project documents and funding
- Funding drawdown and land registration issues
- Insolvency
Property
- Boundary and party wall advice, disputes and injunctions
- Recovery of property assets and related monies
- Property development issues
- Development funding/contractual matrix restructuring
- Lease extensions and enfranchisement
Insurance
- Advising on professional negligence claims and disputes
- Drafting and amending commercial agreements
- Company acquisitions and associated claims
- Debt Recovery
Commercial
- Drafting and amending commercial agreements
- Company acquisitions and associated claims
- Debt Recovery
Experience
Construction & Development
- Working as part of a team in the preparation and conduct of a trial in the TCC in a professional negligence claim against a consulting engineer in respect of the redevelopment of a site into a shopping centre.
- Working as part of a team in a claim against consulting engineers in respect of the design and construction of a national stadium.
- Acting in a claim against a contractor in respect of a waste treatment plant.
- Acting in a claim against consulting engineers in respect of the soil nailing of a railway embankment.
- Acting in a claim against surveyors/project management in respect of the construction of a contemporary art gallery.
- Acting in an injunction against a developer for breaching a party wall agreement.
- Acting in an adjudication for a subcontractor in respect of a variation account.
- Acting in an adjudication for a subcontractor in respect of a final account valuation and contractors’ pay less notice.
- Acting in a County Court claim in respect of the defective works of a subcontractor.
- Acting in a claim against a surveyor in respect of a measured building survey, with the dispute settling at mediation.
- Acting as part of a team for the administrator of a leading contractor in closing out several claims against former retail and other clients for a total sum in excess of £4m.
Commercial
- Advising a mechanical and engineering contractor on commercial claims.
Property
- Acting in an arbitration claim in respect of the cost and specification of a penthouse apartment.
- Acting in a claim in respect of an extension at a residential property.
Other
- Working as part of a team on a large multi-jurisdiction arbitration in respect of a major pollution incident in West Africa, attending criminal trials in a foreign jurisdiction and liaising with teams of lawyers based in a number of jurisdictions.
- Working as part of a team in a claim regarding the close-out of a utilities framework contract involving a pre-action protocol claim and a number of adjudications.
- Advising as part of a team in the recovery of offshore companies and assets.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Career
Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2016, Ben worked at the following firms:
- Systech Solicitors
- Fishburns