We’re delighted to invite you to join us on February 13th for an afternoon of discussion and insight into a range of construction and law topics.
As always, we will be joined by an exceptional line-up of outstanding speakers for what promises to be an interesting and lively set of talks.
Join us from 2:30pm on 13th February at the IDRC, London.
Timetable
The talks include:
Sustainability: Climate Change and the Law: How can the built environment work to reduce carbon emissions and what might this mean for construction disputes? Amelia Ku-Neale will be looking at these issues with barristers Ruth Keating and Camilla ter Haar.
Managing Change on Construction Projects: Hear about the latest contractual and legal requirements for dealing with variations. Solicitors Amanda John and Phoebe Gunputh will join Steven Woolnough to share practical insights to help you manage change and avoid disputes. This session will be chaired by Bill Bordill.
When Construction Projects Fail: Structural engineering expert Mark Moppett will cover lessons learnt from when construction projects go wrong. He’ll be sharing tales from his career as an expert witness.
Q&A and Close at 5pm.
Event is followed by our annual client party, full details to follow.
Speakers
Amelia Ku-Neale, Sustainability Consultant, DeSimone
Amelia completed an MSc in Environmental Science at Newcastle University in 2021 before joining consultants, DeSimone in London in January 2022. She has recently written for Construction Management magazine on the subject of BNG and works as a Sustainability Consultant for the practice, supporting clients and staff on projects across the globe.
Ruth Keating, Barrister, 39 Essex Chambers
Ruth Keating has a particular experience in energy and construction disputes, commercial, environmental and public law. She has acted as junior counsel in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court and appears regularly as sole counsel in the High Court and County Court. Ruth is also called to the Bar of Ireland and has rights of audience before the courts of the European Union.
Ruth was a judicial assistant to Lady Arden and Lord Kitchin at the Supreme Court. During this time, she assisted on cases of the United Kingdom Supreme Court and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
Camilla ter Haar, Barrister, 39 Essex Chambers
Camilla ter Haar has a broad practice which combines commercial and construction law and public inquiry work. She regularly acts in international and domestic matters for a range of public and private clients and their legal advisors. Camilla’s principal practice areas are in commercial and related litigation, including construction law. She is commonly retained by both the private and public sectors in pre-trial, interlocutory and trial appearances and to advise.
Amanda John, Partner, Gunnercooke
Amanda John is a partner in construction focusing on commercial property, dispute resolution and corporate commercial matters. She works with both private individuals and companies ranging in size from start-ups to PLCs within a broad range of sectors including hospitality, property development, health and wellbeing, IT, and automotive.
Phoebe Gunputh, Senior Associate, Hugh James
Phoebe Gunputh is a Senior Associate in the Hugh James Construction, Infrastructure and Projects team, specialising in contentious matters. Phoebe is an experienced litigator and solicitor advocate and advises clients in both the public and private sectors on all aspects of construction disputes. She regularly provides advice, negotiates, and acts in litigation and adjudication to put businesses in the strongest possible position to resolve their disputes.
Mark Moppett, Director, DeSimone
Mark Moppett has over 38 years of wide experience in structural engineering design. In his 15 years as an associate at Ove Arup in London, Mark worked across all industry sectors on projects in Hong Kong, Jersey, Berlin and Manchester.
In 2024 he joined DeSimone as a director and technical expert witness. For almost 30 years, he has acted as an expert witness on legal disputes including high profile cases such as the Madonna stage collapse in Marseille and Manchester Royal Exchange. Mark remains a fully practising engineer. His specialisms include complex new-builds, and heritage-sensitive buildings.
Steven Woolnough, Associate, Decipher
Steven Woolnough has over 15 years of experience in construction and engineering. He has worked for both main contractors and consulting firms. Steven has a law degree, and after commencing his career in construction, he completed a master’s degree in quantity surveying.
Steven is a chartered quantity surveyor and an RICS-accredited expert witness. He is also passionate about training the next generation of construction professionals. He sits as a CICES examiner and RICS APC assessor. He also advises individuals on their journey to chartership.
Bill Bordill, Director, Decipher
Bill Bordill is an experienced quantum expert and dispute resolver. He operates as the discipline lead for quantity surveying within Decipher Consulting. Combined with his role as an APC Assessor for the RICS, Bill maintains a direct and active involvement with current issues on live projects.
Bill is also a construction adjudicator and a member of the adjudication panel of several appointing bodies. These include the RICS president’s panel of construction adjudicators.