Construction Industry, Construction Law

U.S. Crackdown is Raising the Price of Corruption

by Andrew Ness

The principal weapon of the U.S. government to combat corruption in international business dealings is the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). To say that the U.S. is now aggressively pursuing FCPA cases is an understatement. In the past year, we have seen billions of dollars of fines, sting operations, and the pursuit of individuals around the world. Here are some of the latest FCPA headlines:

…

U.S. Crackdown is Raising the Price of CorruptionRead More »

Construction Industry, Construction Law

“Clause pénale” v. liquidated damages – any similarities?

1 Comment

by Joanne Clarke

Delays are of course a common problem in construction projects. French law (like English law) allows for a pre-estimation of damages for delay. However, the common law and the civil law approaches to such pre-estimation appear to differ, as pan-European construction professionals may have encountered.

…

“Clause pénale” v. liquidated damages – any similarities?Read More »

Construction Industry, Construction Law, Contract Administration

The Procurement Process in Canada after the Supreme Court of Canada Tercon Decision*

1 Comment

by Joel Heard

The tendering and procurement process in Canada has traditionally been treated by the courts as a special area of contract law in which fairness and protecting the integrity of the tender process have been guiding principles.  Courts have implied terms into contract “A” bid contracts that have obliged owners to act fairly, and wide discretionary clauses have been interpreted narrowly to ensure the integrity of the tendering process. …

The Procurement Process in Canada after the Supreme Court of Canada Tercon Decision*Read More »

Construction Industry, Construction Law, Contract Administration

When a ‘notice’ need not be ‘noticed’

by Vincent Connor

Opening the mailbox at my Hong Kong apartment block brings the usual array of bills, more bills, flyers and…what appear to be ‘notices’ (usually from my landlord): but as we know from the world of construction law, often it is argued that what is intended to be a ‘notice’ fails to meet up to the strict requirements of the contract.

…

When a ‘notice’ need not be ‘noticed’Read More »

Project Management

Check Your Project for These Four Warning Signs

Obviously your project is in trouble if you are missing deadlines and consistently exceeding the estimated effort and cost to get work done. However, you may have a project that actually appears to be on schedule, yet you are concerned about potential problems down the road.

There are things that you can look for that will give some sense as to whether there are potential problems lurking. At this point you cant really call them issues or problems, but they can be identified as risks that have the potential to throw your project off in the future. …

Check Your Project for These Four Warning SignsRead More »

Construction Industry, Construction Law, Contract Administration

Let’s talk about it: is mediation a viable option in Dubai?

1 Comment

by Melanie Grimmitt

Mediation has become established in the West as a useful alternative to more confrontational and adversarial forms of dispute resolution. Here in Dubai it is uncommon, but in our experience the number of disputes is on the increase, so could it, or should it, have a role to play?

…

Let’s talk about it: is mediation a viable option in Dubai?Read More »

Construction Industry, Construction Law

Is your Arbitrator too busy?

by Martin Harman

In the autumn of this year I had the dubious pleasure of celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the publication of the Terms of Reference in an administered arbitration, which is still lumbering towards its own uncertain conclusion. At the time of our appointment as lawyers for one of the parties, which was shortly after the issue of the Terms of Reference, I toyed with the idea of proposing to my client a fixed fee for taking the case to conclusion. It seemed to me that this was quite a “cutting edge” concept at the time and I thought to myself that whilst the risk of such a course of action taken at the outset of hostilities could be very high, I mused that following close of pleadings and the crystallisation of the issues in dispute within the Terms of Reference, the task of assessing the likely future costs would not be beyond the whit of the reasonably experienced lawyer. I therefore felt that the risk of taking a bath on the fixed fee would not be that great. However, some little voice within me clearly counselled caution and as a result I did not make that proposal. Whilst this has saved me from a personal embarrassment and possible lynching by my partners, nevertheless my client has suffered because the case has taken a course which nobody could have predicted at the time when the Terms of Reference were agreed.

…

Is your Arbitrator too busy?Read More »

Construction Industry, Construction Law

Litigating a dispute with French connections – the rule of exorbitant jurisdiction applied by the French courts

by Gauthier Van Nieuwenhuyse

Continuing our discussion on issues to consider when litigating a dispute with French connections (see our last post “A Growing Trend In French Construction Law? The Recognition of Mandatory Rules by the Court of Cassation”), the following contribution highlights a further issue to be considered by parties to a construction contract when litigating as, or with, a French party to the contract.

…

Litigating a dispute with French connections – the rule of exorbitant jurisdiction applied by the French courtsRead More »

Scroll to Top