This conference marks the 35th anniversary of the Centre of Construction Law & Dispute Resolution at King’s College London and will be chaired by the Centre’s Director, Professor Renato Nazzini.

Leading experts from private practice, the public sector and the judiciary will deliver substantial think pieces on all areas of the Centre’s research, with topics including common law and civil law perspectives on key issues of construction law, international arbitration and adjudication, reflections on the future development of construction law in the UK and globally, and sustainable public procurement. Each session will be followed by a discussion and a Q&A.

The event is free to attend either in person or online.

Thursday, 17 November 2022

2:00pm – Welcome

• Professor Renato Nazzini, Conference Chair, Director of the Centre of Construction Law & Dispute Resolution
• Professor Dan Hunter, Dean of The Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London

 

2:15pm – Construction law: The past, the present and the future

Chair: Professor Phillip Capper, White & Case LLP, King’s College London

• Professor John Uff CBE KC, Keating Chambers, King’s College London – The development of construction law in the past 35 years
• Kim Franklin KC, Crown Office Chambers - The development of construction law in the next 35 years
• Professor Renato Nazzini, Director of the Centre of Construction Law & Dispute Resolution, King’s College London - English construction law in the international market
• The Honourable Mr Justice Waksman, Technology and Construction Court - The role of international courts in construction disputes

 

4:00pm – Coffee break

 

4:15pm – Launch of the report ‘2022 Construction Adjudication in the United Kingdom: Tracing trends and guiding reform’

• Professor Renato Nazzini, Conference Chair, Director of the Centre of Construction Law & Dispute Resolution
• Dr Hamish Lal, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld 
• Kathy Gal, gal.com

 

4:45pm – Procuring net zero construction projects

Chair: Professor David Mosey, King’s College London

• Dr Roxana Vornicu, King’s College London – The Centre of Construction Law & Dispute Resolution Report ‘Procuring Net Zero Construction’
• Rebecca Rees, Trowers & Hamlins - Procurement procedures and net zero proposals
• Professor Sara Valaguzza, University of Milan - Bringing net zero to life in Italy
• Jason Russell, Atkins Global - Case studies of net zero procurement ‘action plans’

 

6:00pm – Drinks reception

 

 Friday, 18 November 2022

 

10:00am – Key issues in English construction law

Chair: John Barber, Michael Brown Lecturer and former Director of the Centre of Construction Law & Dispute Resolution, King’s College London

• Richard Wilmot-Smith KC, 39 Essex Chambers - Performance bonds & bank guarantees: 35 years of development
• Julian Bailey, White & Case LLP - The meaning of “fitness for purpose”
• Fiona Parkin KC, Atkin Chambers - Professional negligence in construction: A journey of 35 years
• Matt Molloy, MCMS Ltd - Adjudication since May 1998

 

11:45am – Coffee break

 

12:00pm – Recovering money: Quantum issues in construction disputes

Chair: The Right Honourable Lord Justice Coulson, Court of Appeal

• Frederick Wilmot-Smith, Brick Court Chambers - Quantum meruit claims following an employer’s wrongful termination
• Dr Ronan Champion, University of Reading - Quantifying prolongation costs
• Nicholas Gould, Fenwick Elliott LLP - A common law perspective on liquidated damages
• Anne-Karin Grill, AKG Advisory - A civil law perspective on liquidated damages

 

1:45pm – Lunch

2:30pm – Achieving safety objectives through case law, statute and procurement processes

Chair: The Honourable Mrs Justice O’Farrell, Technology and Construction Court

• Professor David Mosey, King’s College London - Public and private procurement systems that reduce risks and improve safety
• Mr Abdul Jinadu, Keating Chambers - Building safety law
• Professor Philip Britton, former Director of the Centre of Construction Law & Dispute Resolution, King’s College London - English residential building law: from Anns to Grenfell, and beyond

 

3:55pm – Coffee break

 

4:10pm – Current topics in international construction arbitration

Chair: Alexander Gunning KC, One Essex Court Chambers

• Dr Manuel Penades Fons, King’s College London - Arbitration and insolvency in common law jurisdictions
• Professor Crenguta Leaua - Leaua Damcali Deaconu Paunescu - Arbitration and insolvency in civil law jurisdictions
• Professor Paula Gerber, Monash University - Using AI in resolving construction disputes
• Dr Crina Baltag, University of Stockholm - Future of construction investor-State dispute resolution

 

5:50pm – Concluding remarks

• Professor Renato Nazzini, Conference Chair, Director of the Centre of Construction Law & Dispute Resolution

 

6:00pm – Cocktail reception