Construction & Engineering
Douglas acts in all forms of construction dispute resolution, including adjudications and claims against construction professionals. He has wide experience of many standard contracts, including JCT, NEC, FIDIC, and IChemE forms.
Douglas has completed secondments to a number of major City firms, where he assisted on matters including a c. $70m ICC arbitration about a ‘late’ power plant, a £14m claim under a PFI facilities management contract, and a £7m claim on a latent defects insurance policy.
Douglas is a contributing editor to Emden’s Construction Law: he wrote the chapters on misrepresentation, estoppel and frustration. He has also presented to the SCL on delay analysis.
Douglas is a member of the SCL and TECBAR.
Selected Cases
Douglas’s current and recent instructions include:
- Acting for the respondent employer in a c. $70m ICC arbitration on a delayed combined-cycle power plant project in the Caribbean (led by Mark Chennells QC).
- Acting for an eastern European state entity in a c. $66m ICC arbitration on a delayed infrastructure project (FIDIC Yellow) (led by Roger Stewart QC and Richard Liddell QC).
- Part of a large team of counsel acting for the engineer in a c. $5bn ad-hoc arbitration about the design of a Middle East hub airport.
- Acting for the main contractor in a c. £20m multi-party claim concerning subsidence at a Midlands warehouse; the various claims concern design defects and breach of fitness for purposes obligations (led by Andrew Rigney QC).
- Acting for the parent company in a £2.1m claim on a parent company guarantee for delayed and defective M&E works.
- Advising the lessors of biogas boilers on a £1.7m claim against their lessees for breaches in respect of Renewable Heat Incentive payments.
- Acting for the contractor (in liquidation) in Part 8 proceedings to overturn an adjudicator’s final account decision: ML Hart Builders Ltd (in liquidation) v Swiss Cottage Properties Ltd [2021] EWHC 3420 (TCC) and [2022] EWHC 1465 (TCC).
- Acting for the contractor in a £1.4m LAD and Contract Price arbitration about a water treatment plant project in Surrey (IChemE Burgundy)
- Acting for the employer in a £350k claim under the Third Party (Rights Against Insurers) Act 2010.
- Advising on the enforceability of an adjudicator’s decision following insolvency – the matter was later litigated in Bresco Electrical Services Ltd (in liquidation) v Michael J Lonsdale (Electrical) Ltd [2020] UKSC 25.
- Acting for the employer in 2 c. £250k interim and final account adjudications (led by David Sears QC).
- Acting for the main contractor in 2 c. £150k adjudications concerning scaffolding works on a school refurbishment project.
- Acting for the main contractor in TCC adjudication enforcement proceedings (O’Farrell J and Pepperall J).
- Acting for the main contractor in a c. £400k delay and disruption dispute with its building material supplier.
- Acting for a subcontractor in a £170k wrongful termination dispute.
- Advising the main contractor in a c. £110k final account dispute.
- Advising on economic loss in relation to a claim for allegedly defective renovation works at a premium property development in Belgravia.
- Acting for a solar-farm developer in a claim for delayed and defective preparatory works.
- Acting for a building owner in an appeal under the Party Wall Etc. Act 1996.
Awards
City University and Lincoln’s Inn
- Eastham scholar (Pupillage award, Lincoln’s Inn, 2015)
- Buchanan Prize (BPTC award, Lincoln’s Inn, 2015)
- Berwin Leighton Paisner Prize for best law-school team, Worshipful Company of Arbitrators arbitration competition, 2015 (representing City University)
- Lord Denning scholar (BPTC scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn, 2014)
- Monckton Prize for EU Law (City University, 2014)
- Winner, University of Southampton IV moot (representing Lincoln’s Inn, 2014)
- Lord Bowen scholar (GDL scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn, 2013)
- Hardwicke scholar (Entrance award, Lincoln’s Inn, 2013)
King’s College London
- Wellcome scholar (full stipendiary PhD scholarship, 2010-13)
- Society for the Social History of Medicine bursary (2012)
- Arts and Humanities Research Council scholar (MA scholarship, 2009-10)
UCL
- Elizabeth Margaret Dale Cast Prize (top overall degree, 2009)
- Dean’s List (2009)
- Professor Joel Hurstfield Prize (top in 2nd year, 2008)
- Dolley Prize (top in 1st year, 2007)
News
Articles
- LADs: Are they always recoverable?
- The Motor Vehicles (Compulsory Insurance) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019
Qualifications
- 2015 – BPTC – City University – Outstanding
- 2014 – GDL – City University – Distinction
- 2013 – PhD History (Portraits of early-modern patients) – King’s College London
- 2010 – MA Early Modern History – King’s College London – Distinction
- 2009 – BA (Hons) History – University College London – First Class (top in year)
Memberships
- SCL
- TECBAR
- PNBA
- COMBAR
- PIBA
