Ashfords LLP

Construction & Infrastructure

Partner

Jessica is a Partner in the Construction & Infrastructure Team.

Jessica has over 25 years’ experience in advising on construction and engineering law. Her expertise includes working with institutional clients, banks, contractors and consultants as well as for social housing providers and local authorities on a wide range of projects in a number of sectors including the social housing sector as well as in the commercial, hotels and leisure and healthcare sectors.

She advises on a wide range of projects involving the drafting and negotiating of major strategic and operational commercial and construction contracts including advising on standard JCT, PPC, NEC3 contracts, international forms of contract and bespoke construction contracts, professional team appointments, collateral warranties, agreements for lease, construction related elements of funding agreements, drafting and reviewing parent company guarantees, advance payment and performance bonds, framework agreements, consortium agreements, hub contracts, extensive and short form letters of intent, initial contracts and appointments and specialist sub-contracts.

Jessica joined Ashfords after working for several years at Trowers & Hamlins before joining us from Clarke Willmott. Jessica was also Deputy Director of the Quantity Surveyors Division of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE Investor: Advising a major commercial property investor in connection with significant conversion projects from office to residential in the heart of central London. ICT solutions provider: Advising a leading global ICT solutions provider on the acquisition and multi-million pound fit-out of prestigious new UK Headquarters. Housing group: Acting for a SE based housing group on a £33 million project for over 220 units comprising a sale agreement and a JCT building contract providing for phased completions and including complex termination and land transfer back provisions. UK university: Acting for the university in connection with its major student accommodation development and redevelopment projects including associated infrastructure and interface contracts involving negotiating project agreements, NEC3 contracts, and consortium agreements with the developer for the private for sale housing and affordable housing and negotiating funding agreements including with the HCA. Jessica worked closely with the internal and external project procurement and management teams to ensure successful and timely procurement of the projects ahead of commencement of works on site and advised throughout the duration of the project works and following sequential practical completion in phases including so as to ensure compliance with all University minimum design standards and accessibility requirements and handover requirements including zero defects. The work also involved negotiating extensive management and operational agreements. London Borough Council: Acting for a leading London Borough in connection with its major refurbishment works programme involving its landmark listed buildings and requiring extensive works to be carried out and completed within tight site constraints and timeframes in view of the venue's high profile international programme of events.