Construction litigation

Construction solicitors

Resolving disputes mid-build allows all parties to continue their working relationships through to completion of a project with definition and understanding.  

Construction mediation

Our team of expert mediators ensures that 80% of cases taken to mediation by Stephensons are settled immediately or shortly afterwards. It’s an enviable record and one we’re proud of; litigation can be costly and stressful, and it’s an essential part of the construction litigation process to give you the opportunity to reach agreement yourself with your contractors or other partners.

Our legal professionals work with qualified and accredited surveyors, architects and quantity surveyors who support many of our clients’ cases. Regularly working on adjudication cases as well as wider methods of dispute resolution, our construction litigation team and its associated professionals back claims with technical expertise that resolves effectively a large percentage of the cases we handle.

Find out more about Stephensons’ alternative dispute resolution services. 

Solicitors specialising in building disputes

Our construction law solicitors have a wide range of expertise to help you deal with any construction litigation you may face. Our services include:

• Mediation of claims to reach out-of-court settlement, both mid-build and post-construction
• Obtaining injunctive relief against one or more parties
• Claims for additional construction costs
• Adjudication
• Enforcement of adjudicator’s award, where payment has not been made
• Claims for damages

Construction litigation case studies

Our construction lawyers work with clients across the whole of the construction industry, including builders, developers, contractors and subcontractors, surveyors, architects and other professionals.

At some point, many organisations involved in construction will face a dispute; our team is able to support cases of all sizes, with seamless support from commercial litigation and commercial real estate practitioners.

Construction law case study - supplier dispute

Our client, a supplier of industrial plant machinery, was in a dispute with its major developer customer. The dispute centred on the quality and quantity of the goods and services provided to the developer and its sub-contractors.

The contract between the parties was very detailed and required full analysis. In advising the supplier, our team narrowed the issues of law and fact and planned an effective route to safely secure the best result through adjudication. The costs of the adjudication were far in excess of £50,000 and the supplier recovered £500,000.

The supplier faced the risk of paying the adjudicator’s costs of over £20,000 as well as its own legal costs in the event of failure, demonstrating the value of funding in minimising risk and aiding cash flow.

Construction law case study - contractor dispute

We acted for an SME construction company which found itself in financial difficulties following its involvement in a major project in the North West.

Our client had entered into a contract with a blue-chip main contractor, and the contract was very much in the main contractor's favour.

Through effective adjudication, we helped the client navigate through a difficult and complex dispute, leading to it making a full recovery. This was a great success story, demonstrating the value of alternative dispute resolution and specialist expertise.