Ashfords LLP

Construction & Infrastructure 

Partner

Laura is an Associate in the Construction & Infrastructure Team and deals with both contentious and non-contentious construction matters.

Laura acts for a range of clients including developers, local authorities, contractors, sub-contractors and funders. She has extensive experience in advising on the construction aspects of projects across a variety of sectors, including commercial, residential, retail and leisure, education, energy and waste and local government.

Laura's procurement work involves advising on standard forms of construction contracts, including JCT and NEC, together with consultants' appointments, collateral warranties, bonds and parent company guarantees. Her dispute resolution experience includes assisting with pre-action negotiations, adjudications and Court proceedings, and in particular advising a waste management company in connection with a long running dispute on a PFI project to design and construct a waste treatment plant.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE International retailer: Acting for the client in connection with a range of non-contentious construction matters, to facilitate continued expansion of the business and associated infrastructure. Work to date has included drafting, negotiating and advising on the construction documentation for: (i) a new 1.2 million sq ft processing and distribution centre; (ii) the client's new office HQ; and (iii) store fit-out projects across Europe. Exeter City Council: Drafting, negotiating and advising on the JCT Design & Build Contract and ancillary construction documentation for a new bus station and Passivhaus leisure centre. When completed, the centre will include the UK's first Passivhaus swimming pool. Waste management company: Advising the client in connection with a complex, long running dispute relating to commissioning test failures on a PFI project to design and construct a waste treatment plant. Local authority: Drafting and advising on the authority's capital works framework agreement, including the forms of NEC call-off contract (ECC and PSC), ancillary construction documentation (including collateral warranties, advance payment bond, retention bond, performance bond and parent company guarantee) and a form of access agreement to allow other public bodies to instruct projects under the framework. Private company: Reviewing and negotiating the construction documentation for a new multi-million pound country house hotel and restaurant, including the forms of professional consultant appointment and construction management trade contract.