James is an experienced construction and engineering law specialist, with a practice in both contentious and non-contentious matters spanning almost 10 years.
James has extensive experience drafting and negotiating JCT, NEC and bespoke construction contracts relating to large-scale UK and international developments and infrastructure projects. He regularly advises clients on risk allocation, contract negotiations and amendments, procurement and ancillary security documents such as collateral warranties, performance bonds and insurance aspects.
James has particular experience in matters concerning building safety, having led numerous complex disputes on behalf of claimant owners, landlords, and contractors. He is also well-versed in disputes involving delay, disruption, defective works, quantum claims (including interim and final account disputes), and wrongful termination.
James has strong knowledge and experience of all forms of ADR, including adjudication, arbitration, mediation, expert determination, commercial negotiations, pre-action work, and High Court litigation.
James’ clients include employers, developers, contractors, sub-contractors, specialist construction consultants, government bodies, registered providers of social housing, and high-net-worth clients.
James has provided unfettered advice to Fusion People, and kept us grounded as a client while expertly managing our expectations. In over 20 years of litigation matters, James has become our “go to” partner.
COO, Fusion People Limited
James’ knowledge and expertise in dealing with complex construction disputes, including cladding and building safety cases, was instrumental in consistently delivering outstanding results for ISHA.
Jodie Elias, former Head of Building Safety at ISHA
James delivered expert legal guidance with precision, professionalism, and unwavering integrity - demonstrating deep expertise and a true commitment to client success.
Asset Management / Compliance Consultant for large Registered Provider of Social Housing
Expertise
- Construction law (contentious and non-contentious)
- Fire safety – regulatory compliance and disputes
- Construction litigation
- Adjudication, mediation, expert determination
- Professional negligence
- ESG / Sustainability Matters
Experience
Fire safety - regulatory compliance and disputes
- Acted for a developer client in the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) defending multiple actions including a Building Remediation Order and application for determination in respect of service charges/increased insurance premiums.
- Represented numerous social housing registered providers against contractors/consultants in disputes arising in relation to the Building Safety Act and aligned Defective Premises Act amendments, as a consequence of defective fire safety works and contravention of Building Regulations relating to fire safety.
- Advised and support registered provider client negotiations with main contractors in respect of complex settlement agreements addressing defect remediation and damages as compensation for cladding and external wall defects under the Building Safety Act and Defective Premises Act.
- Acted for a subcontractor defending high-profile tall-building proceedings (pre-action, leading to litigation) for a £10m remediation claim for defective cladding and EWI installation on a major university accommodation project in south east UK.
Construction litigation
- Represented a small drywall subcontractor (defending) against a major UK housing developer contractor (claiming) in a multi-party dispute regarding fire safety defects (settled midway through proceedings).
- Represented MW as defendant in Premier Engineering (Lincoln) Ltd v MW High Tech Projects UK Ltd [2020] regarding a final account dispute, incorporating claims for overpayment for labour, materials and plant.
- Acted for Yuanda in the reported case Yuanda (UK) Company Ltd v Multiplex Construction Europe Ltd (and another), which considered whether an ABI performance bond could be called for liquidated damages before the final account was settled/resolved (including by adjudication).
- Supported a government department in pursuing a claim against the original contractor for water ingress defects at a flagship unit of its property portfolio (value: £3.5m).
Adjudication
- Acted for MW High Tech Projects UK Ltd (responding) in adjudication proceedings which raised the issue of whether power generation was the primary activity of the energy-from-waste plant being developed by the parties.
- Acted on a final account dispute on behalf of a labour-only contractor and prepared full adjudication submissions including evidence (successful outcome with eventual global settlement of multiple project disputes between parties).
- Acted for a major UK commercial property investor/developer in multiple adjudications (responding) in respect of extension of time and eventual final account settlement (dispute value £1.8m).
- Acted for a school trust (referring) in final account (true value) adjudication with the main contractor (having successfully defended an initial adjudication in respect of interim payment application entitlement); success in full recovery of sums overpaid to the contractor in true-value final account determination (value £1m, with client recovery of £400K).
- Acted for a government body in responding to a high-value adjudication (c.£3m) relating to EOT/delay on the construction of a new ferry terminal in the north-west of England involving multiple technical experts.
- Supported a government office in relation to an international development project (in Africa) and multiple disputes with the main contractor for delay and prolongation costs.
Mediation
- Acted for G15 housing association in a high-value defects dispute culminating in mediation with a local government authority for wholescale structural defects inherited on disposal of property units; seeking to recover remediation costs (c.£12m).
- Acted for a HNW client in a dispute with the contractor and subcontractors regarding wholescale defects in a private dwelling house, as part of a pre-action process before litigation (unresolved at mediation).
Professional negligence
- Acted for a HNW client pursuing a professional negligence claim against former solicitors for loss of a chance in High Court proceedings (value: £3m / result: confidential settlement).
- Acted on a professional negligence claim for an employer client against an architect for defective (non-compliant) designs leading to the employer having to defend claims brought through building safety legislation in the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) (FTT).
ESG / Sustainability Matters
- Represented an international modular construction contractor engaged to develop sustainable housing in the UK for major Scandinavian housing provider. Dispute on defects and final account settlement. Settled before litigation (bespoke building contract).
- Advised on the complex contractual intricacies of a bespoke retrofit project alongside funding elements and deliverables for a JV entity on a major retrofit project in the UK (1m homes a year).
- Acted in support of numerous housing association/JV clients in preparing grant funding applications for SHDF wave funding (specifically SHDF waves 1, 2.1 and 2.2).
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Member of the Society of Construction Lawyers.
Career
James qualified as a solicitor in 2017. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2025, he worked at the following firms:
- DWF Law
- Devonshires
- Shoosmiths