Legal Comment – Page 91
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CommentYou'll never walk alone: Representing yourself
If your recessed budget doesn’t stretch to legal fees and you decide to represent yourself, you should at least go in armed with these expert tips …
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CommentCut costs, not jobs: Lower HR costs without redundancies
Tempting to reach for the P45s when your business is suffering, isn’t it? But the wisest companies are finding alternative ways of reducing costs …
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CommentLet's get it right this time: Construction Act changes
The government looks set to oppose any amendments to their changes to the Construction Act, but some of these weren’t fit for purpose anyway
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CommentYou can't just do what you want: Adjudicator's guidelines
What are the legal guidelines that an adjudicator has to stay within? This frequently asked question just became a little bit clearer thanks to a recent case in the Scottish courts
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CommentIn my expert opinion: How to pick an expert witness
Expert witnesses can make or break a case, so it’s vital to pick exactly the right (independent, knowledgeable and impressive) person for the job
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CommentFriends disunited: Mixing business and pleasure
What’s wrong with agreeing a deal in the pub with a beer, a nod and a wink? After all, you’re mates, aren’t you? Well, sadly, those days are over. You must properly record everything
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CommentWhy the long face: Construction Act amendments
The House of Lords is considering an amendment to the Construction Act that would make its payment rules ever so simple to use. Here’s what it says
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Catch me if you can: Avoiding health and safety penalties
If your company faces an enormous penalty for breaking health and safety laws one option is to dissolve the company entirely. But is it right, wise, or even legal?
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How to be good when times are bad: early contractor involvement
Early contractor involvement thrived during the good times. But can the system stand up in today’s tougher economic environment?
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CommentThe dance of debt: Costs of dispute
Some folk will perform the litigation tango over trifling disputes, and lose vast sums in the process. But at least they teach us a few new things about the law…
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Linnett to the rescue: Linnett vs Halliwell
A party can’t get out of coughing up its fair share of an adjudicator’s fees by quibbling about jurisdiction after the event (we have one Christopher Linnett to thank for that)
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Comment10 years is a long, long time: liability for defects or collapses
There are strict laws in the Emirates about defects that threaten a building’s stability, and you’re liable for a decade. So what can you do to avoid having to pay out?
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CommentRenegotiating tenders in Dubai
Has your UAE client asked you to take a pay cut? Here are some tips from lawyers on minimising the pain
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CommentFair enough?: Breaching natural justice
The case of Dorchester vs Vivid raised the familiar question of when an adjudication breaches natural justice. Here’s what the judge had to say…
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CommentMea culpa: Disputes from the architect's point of view
The tale an architect wants a building to tell can turn into a shaggy dog story if the builders doesn’t want to tell it as well... and if they aren’t distracted by people like me
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A guide to a legal labyrinth: Claiming from the insurer
How do you make a claim against a consultant that has no money, but does have an insurance policy? Simple: you claim against its insurer. Hang on... did I say ‘simple’?
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CommentCan you dig it?: Retaining planning permission
Money matters: Many developers are keen to retain planning permission for stalled schemes until the property market recovers, but this is fraught with complications
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CommentPayment times: 10 days seems a lifetime away
The government says its suppliers will be paid within 10 days, but it still has an awful lot of work to do to stamp out payment abuse in the public sector
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CommentThe reader: Tony's booklist
Here’s my personal selection of handy reference books to help you solve those legal conundrums that my columns don’t cover
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Do well at schools: How to win BSF work
If you want to come out at the top of the class in the competition for Building Schools for the Future work, now’s the time to pull your socks up