England - East Midlands • Real estate
Freeths LLP
Comprising a key part of the firm’s national practice, the construction team at Freeths LLP handles high value, complex disputes in the building, engineering, process plant and oil and gas sectors, where they’re instructed by a range of household names. In addition to leading the Nottingham team, Chris Holwell is the firm’s national head of construction and a construction procurement specialist. Meanwhile, Amy Morley specialises in adjudication and other matters concerning the management of complex claims. John Kelly is an expert in complex defect and professional negligence claims.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The construction practice at Freeths has a depth of talent we haven't found at any other firm. They are responsive and dynamic in dealing with any matter for which we have sought help, and have always achieved good results. You know you are in safe hands with Freeths.’
‘John Kelly has a no nonsense approach to finding pragmatic solutions. Reassuringly this pragmatism is built on a foundation of deep technical knowledge combined with many years of experience. John has been an indispensable resource when dealing with complicated contractual situations, as well as a pleasure to deal with.’
‘We have used Freeths for over 20 years and have always received an excellent service. They have taken the time to understand our business and how we operate, particularly our appetite towards risk.’
‘Chris Holwell, the Head of Construction, manages our account and has done for many years. He has an excellent knowledge of our business. Chris always presents his advice in a clear way that is easy to understand, often citing appropriate examples to emphasise the point he is making. He brings a pro-active approach to problem solving, often setting out the different options available to us and explaining the risks and/or benefits of each one.’
‘The Construction team at Freeths have assisted us in compiling our standard forms of amendments to construction contracts plus template consultants appointments. On each of our developments these are used as a starting point and Freeths provide useful and proactive advice when there are any departures to the standard terms.’
‘Chris Holwell is particularly good, he has good knowledge of construction contracts, current issues and is commercially astute offering us proactive and good advice in a timely manner.’
‘John Kelly in particular is an outstanding Lawyer: very sharp, diligent, measured and knowledgeable.’
‘The construction practice at Freeths is excellent. They understand the commercial issues facing developers and they have a collaborative and pragmatic approach to developing the necessary contractual requirements of a development project, without over complicating the process.’
‘My main contact in the construction team is John Kelly. John comes from a construction background and this is very valuable. He understands the day to day issues faced by developers and is very good at describing issues and solutions in an easy to understand way.’
Key clients
- Aldi
- Tarmac
- Gleeds
- Igloo Group
- Travis Perkins Plc
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals
- Bio Products Laboratory Limited
- Somerston Group
- EM Lawshare
- Chancerygate
Work highlights
- Advising Gleeds on their contracts for work on the new Sizewell C nuclear power station.
- Advising Igloo Regeneration in relation to the redevelopment of the Sunderland Riverside site – a former industrial area which is being cleared and redeveloped, including 1,000 new homes which are designed for sustainable living.
Lawyers
Leading individuals
Next Generation Partners
An experienced dispute lawyer, John specialises in complex construction defects cases, including dealing with matters of professional negligence. He also has significant experience in bringing and defending construction adjudications on matters of termination, payment, extension of time and defects. John has growing experience with international construction disputes. He has been involved within the construction industry since leaving school in 1982, until re-training as a solicitor in 2000 focusing solely on construction law. John’s in-depth sector knowledge is a significant advantage in assessing a client’s position. It allows John to work efficiently with his clients and enables him to obtain a quick grasp on the issues to be resolved. John is frequently brought in to assist on problem projects to help guide the project team, protecting a client’s position against a back drop of a live contract.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Chris Holwell