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William Hallett

Principal Associate

Biography

William is a Principal Associate in our construction and engineering team based in our Birmingham office. William specialises in construction and engineering transactions and disputes and acts for a range of clients in the public and private sectors. These clients include developers, contractors (and specialist subcontractors), housing associations, NHS Trusts, education institutions, local authorities, and other end users.

In respect of transactional work, William reviews, drafts and negotiates building contracts (both industry standard and bespoke) and related construction contracts. This experience covers most major standard form contracts including JCT, NEC3/4, and MF/1.

William also undertakes all types of dispute resolution work for employers, main contractors and subcontractors including adjudication, arbitration, mediation and litigation. William has experience in a wide range of complex disputes, including defective design/workmanship, delay/loss and expense claims, interim/final payment disputes, termination disputes, professional negligence and post-insolvency claims, as well as disputes arising from Private Finance Initiatives (PFI).

William also works with clients to pre-empt disputes and, where possible, avoid the need to escalate issues to formal dispute resolution.

Notable cases

  • Advising a glazing sub-sub-contractor engaged under a bespoke contract on a significant London-based project on a successful "smash and grab" adjudication, enforcement proceedings and the later part 7 final account claim for £7 million in the Technology and Construction Court.
  • Advising an NHS Trust in relation to a successful mediation resulting in a settlement in excess of £8 million. Issues involved disputes as to the correct interpretation of the payment mechanism provisions in a PFI contract and contractual liability for the drainage system and relevance of excusing causes and relief events.
  • Advising an NHS Foundation Trust in relation to a dispute following the discovery of defects in the fire protection system at a hospital. As part of the settlement, it was necessary to vary the project agreement, partially removing the requirement to bench mark an FM provider and preparing an agreement between the Trust and Project Company extending and varying the payment made in the contract with the FM provider.
  • Acting for a local authority in successfully defending an adjudication made by the authority's highways contractor in relation to the validity of withholdings of £11 million (which was successfully reduced down to £5.2 million) by the authority against payments otherwise due through the operation of a pain / gain share mechanism and contract cap and target regime.
  • Advising a supplier of systems and equipment in the aerospace sector in relation to the construction and refurbishment of a building for its plant and machinery. Advising on the JCT Design and Build Contract 2016 and drafting and negotiating the various consultant’s appointments, collateral warranties and novations.
  • Advising local authority in relation to an office relocation involving the refurbishment and build of two separate properties. Advising on and negotiating amendments to NEC3 Design and Build 2005 contracts and form of parent company guarantees and ABI performance bonds.

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