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Stephen James

Partner

Stephen James

Partner

“The construction lawyer, Stephen James, knows his stuff inside out. Very methodical and pragmatic in his working. Assimilates information very quickly and advises very well.”

The Legal 500

Stephen is partner in the construction team, advising on a broad range of disputes.

With over 20 years’ experience and ranked band 1 in Chambers and Partners 2023, Stephen is able to minimise legal risk in a way that is cost-effective and is frequently recognised as a leading lawyer by legal guides, including Chambers and Legal 500.

Stephen is Secretary of Constructing Excellence Berkshire.

Experience

Construction

If a problem arises on a construction project, Stephen can help you resolve it. His expertise covers a wide range of disputes from interim and final accounts to extensions of time, defects and professional negligence.

Clients include employers, developers, architects, contractors and specialist subcontractors.  Stephen’s caseload spans adjudication references, arbitration, Part 7 and 8 litigation claims, mediation and expert determination.

Insolvency

Stephen is experienced in working with insolvency practitioners in all forms of insolvency procedures and a very wide range of applications. He also acts for individuals in bankruptcies and voluntary arrangements, as well as defending directors’ disqualification proceedings and wrongful trading claims.

Injunctions

Stephen has obtained and defended many injunctions, including the freezing of assets, preventing unlawful picketing, enforcing restrictive covenants and search orders.

General advisory

Stephen’s wide experience allows him to offer external and in-house training to clients on many construction related issues, as well as risk avoidance, directors’ duties and product liability.

What our clients say

“Stephen James is extremely knowledgeable about construction, and consistently gives excellent and practical advice. He has a well-developed following of developer and contractor clients, who like his approachability.”

Legal 500 2024

“Stephen James continues to provide excellent legal support on construction disputes.”

Chambers 2024

“Stephen is tactically good. He is punchy when it comes to negotiations and has a great commercial outlook.”

Chambers 2024

“The quality of Stephen James’ advice is highly rated because he knows what is needed to get a result.”

Chambers 2024

Read, listen and watch our latest insights

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  • 05 December 2018
  • Construction

Liquidated damages: commercially justified, not a penalty

Some significant issues in relation to the application of liquidated damages for delay have been considered in the recent case of GPP Big Field LLP & Anor v Solar EPC Solutions SL (2018). GPP Big Field LLP and GPP Langstone LLP (together and separately “GPP”), as employer, entered into five EPC contracts with Prosolia UK Limited (“Prosolia”), the contractor, for the construction of solar power generation plants in the UK.

art
  • 04 October 2018
  • Construction

Can off-site manufacturing improve productivity in the construction industry?

The Government recently published a report into off-site manufacturing for construction, exploring how construction industry productivity can be improved through the use of off-site manufacturing. The report is available here.

art
  • 19 July 2018
  • Construction

The Construction Sector Deal – investment in “bytes and mortar”

On 5 July 2018, the Government announced its Construction Sector Deal worth £420 million to transform the UK construction industry by improving productivity through greater investment in innovation and skills.

art
  • 02 May 2018
  • Construction

BIM: Opportunities, challenges, and new developments

Recently I was asked for my views on the potentials and challenges of BIM in light of the Winfield Rock Report and the new CIC BIM Protocol. This blog summarises some of the key themes.

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  • 02 May 2018
  • Construction

Retention in construction contracts under review

Recent years have brought a host of challenges for the construction industry but what we expect for 2023?

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  • 05 April 2018
  • Construction

Termination: the pitfalls

There are many risks in termination of a contract, particularly in construction contracts – get it wrong and you risk being in breach of contract yourself. The two main pitfalls are: