Boasting a ‘wealth of experience’ in contentious construction matters, the ’dynamic, client-oriented’ team at CMS handles the full range of dispute resolution and litigation in various sectors. ‘Top dog’ Adrian Bell and Steven Williams jointly lead the practice with a strong reputation in major ICC arbitrations and large domestic public sector projects. Mark Breslin and disputes specialist Sarah Grenfell further bolster the team’s capabilities, handling offshore wind, battery storage, and other energy-related disputes. Other key members of the team include Jay Randhawa and Robbie Leckie, assisting with PFI healthcare projects and advising on joint venture disputes.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Adrian Bell is just brilliant at orchestrating the team.'
- ‘The practice excels at combining construction sector specialism with construction law expertise. I can't think of a practice which does this better.’
- ‘Adrian Bell is a top dog, not just in the CMS Construction Contentious practice but in London Construction Contentious practices.'
- ‘Top to bottom, the construction department at CMS is stuffed with clever, hard working and able construction lawyers. They are a pleasure to work with.’
- ‘Steven Williams is hugely experienced and has great commercial and legal insight. Matthew Taylor is incredibly astute and perceptive. He has a keen interest in construction law.’
- ‘They have a wealth of experience in many different regions and project types, in particular infrastructure projects. They have a good understanding of both legal and business values.'
- 'Adrian Bell is very experienced in all forms of global construction disputes. He is good at understanding and solving complex problems for the clients.'
- 'Jay Randhawa is a rising star. He is hardworking and friendly.’
Key clients
- Amey
- Bechtel
- Dragados
- M&G Real Estate
- EQUANS
- KBR
- Lendlease
- Multiplex
- Laing O’Rourke
- Wates
- Public Health England
- National Grid
- Balfour Beatty
- AECOM
- Kier
- Interserve
- Hammerson
- Eni
- Global Switch
- The Unite Group
- Acciona
- Gulermak
- Técnicas Reunidas
- Van Oord
- Hitachi Limited
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
- Prudential
- National Grid
- Imperial College London
- SEGRO
- Unispace
Work highlights
- Representing URS Corporation Limited in a series of professional negligence claims.
- Acting for Project Co in a dispute related to a terminated PFI project in the healthcare sector.
- Acting for a leading industrial group in a USD500m dispute arising out of the construction and commissioning of a power plant in South East Asia.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Adrian Bell, Steven Williams