Call Date: 2004

Practice

Lucie specialises in construction and engineering, energy, information technology and professional negligence disputes for a wide variety of contractors, private employers, manufacturers and their professional advisors.

She has a broad practice with expertise in domestic and international arbitration, domestic courts, mediation and all aspects of adjudication proceedings. As part of her diverse practice she appears regularly as sole counsel in court, arbitration, mediation and adjudication hearings. Her experience covers the entire litigation process including pre-action protocol, drafting pleadings, settling witness statements, attending negotiations, preparing for and appearing at applications and hearings including strike out, summary judgment, CMC's and trial. She has also advised on and acted in appellant proceedings.

Construction and engineering

Lucie is familiar with all Standard Forms. She has appeared in and advised upon a wide range of general construction disputes both domestic and commercial including delay and disruption claims, extension of time claims, loss and expense claims, liquidated damages claims, valuation and final account claims and variations and defects claims as both as sole and junior counsel. She is also familiar with the provisions of the Party Wall Act 1996 and disputes involving party walls. Examples of her recent cases include:

Acting for the owners of a food processing plant in a valuation claim.

Appearing at a summary judgment hearing for the owners of an equestrian centre in a defects claim.

Preparing pleadings on behalf of a contractor in a dispute involving the M&E installation works at a school.

Acting for an individual against a contractor in relation to the construction of an extension which, at trial, required expert evidence from both a surveyor and architect with particular emphasis on defective foundations.

Advising and preparing pleadings for a home owner in a dispute against a large development company in relation to the purchase of a new build home subsequently found to suffer from extensive defects.

Acting in a large dispute over the construction of a sports stadium, which involved the preparation of witness statements dealing with matters of a highly technical nature.

Acting for a contractor in a dispute involving the alleged breach of a Party Wall Award.

Running an adjudication on behalf of a defendant Employer concerning the valuation of an interim certificate and an extension of time claim.

Running an adjudication on behalf of a Contractor to recover payment.

Professional Negligence

She has experience in the professional negligence field acting for claimants, defendants and their insurers in relation to claims brought against a wide range of professionals including architects, engineers and contractors. Recent cases include:

Acting for an architect in a negligence action which involved allegations of negligent costing, supervision and certification.

Advising on a claim against a building society for a negligent survey.

Advising on the recovery of an architect's fees.

Advising in proceedings against a firm of architects in relation to the negligent design of an extension/conservatory.

Advising a firm of architects in relation to a substantial claim for works they carried out on a spa and fitness centre.

Acting on behalf of a the insurers of a structural engineering firm in a negligence claim worth circa £230,000 concerning the design of the structural steelwork for a commercial premises.

Energy

She has experience of disputes in relation to all kinds of energy and industrial property including an oil rig, sewerage plant, scientific laboratory, food processing plant and chemical plant. Case examples include acting on a dispute surrounding the design and construction of a sludge drying plant.

IT and Telecommunications

Lucie has considerable experience in disputes in the IT and telecommunications field acting for contractors and suppliers. Most recently she has been:

Acting in a multi million pound dispute concerning the design and implementation of an ERP package for a multinational company. She was involved for over a year in preparing for a 3 month TCC trial.

Advising on the removal of a telecommunications mast under the Telecommunications Act 1984 (as amended by the Communications Act 2003).

Advising on software licence agreements