Building on the sell out success of last year's seminar programme 'The fundamentals of construction law', Speechly Bircham would like to invite you to our five month seminar programme designed specifically with our Contractor and Engineering clients in mind, 'Contractual Challenges: from conception to close out'.
This is an essential refresher course designed to help effectively manage risk and protect interests when managing projects. Our lawyers will take you through real life examples, helping ensure you have the right foundations in place and advising you on the necessary steps to avoid costly disputes. We are pleased to announce that international consulting firm, Navigant Consulting will be joining us for seminars two and five.
We would recommend attending the whole series however, you can sign up for individual seminars that are of particular interest. Each seminar is CPD accredited and will be accompanied by a detailed briefing paper.
Please feel free to forward this invitation onto your colleagues.
To register your place please email seminars@speechlys.com stating the name of the seminar(s) you would like to attend.
Seminar one: getting you started and making sure you're covered - contract formation and letters of intent
Thursday 25 March 2010
Content:
- Letters of intent - the extent of their usefulness and what to look out for;
- Entitlement to payment and exploring what part quantum meruit has to play;
- Design responsibility - the difference between a fitness for purpose responsibility and an obligation to exercise reasonable skill and care; and how a contractor can limit their liability for design errors - either their own or the errors of others; and
- Site survey information and the contractor's need to visit and inspect the site.
Seminar two: time and money, because time is money!
Thursday 22 April 2010
Content:
- How standard forms provide for contractors to be paid in the event of delay;
- Consequences of not complying with contractual requirements – pitfalls for the unwary;
- The Court's approach to causation and concurrency when contractor and employer events occur at the same time; and
- In what circumstances the contractor can accelerate the works and be paid.
Seminar three: protection in recessionary times and the warning signs to look out for
Thursday 20 May 2010
Content:
- What are the warning signs of financial difficulties - when to serve withholding and other notices and why;
- Guarantees and bonds - calls on and defences to calls;
- Setting up escrow and trust accounts;
- Ownership of plant and materials;
- Step in rights and direct payment; and
- Suspension / termination of contracts.
Seminar four: the home straight - terms of completion and potential payment pitfalls
Thursday 17 June 2010
Content:
- What is completion and how do you know when it has been achieved?
- Liquidated damages – when and how does an employer lose its entitlement?
- How to recover retention monies
- Defects and the costs consequences to the contractor before and after completion
- When are claims barred?
Seminar five: when it goes wrong - to adjudicate, litigate, arbitrate or mediate?
Thursday 15 July 2010
Content:
- When can you adjudicate and is it appropriate in "complex" cases;
- Litigation or arbitration?
- What does other forms of dispute resolution have over the "traditional" forms: mediation; expert determination; executive tribunal; and
- Others enforcement issues and stay of execution; in what circumstances can a party not pay up?