Call Date: 2001

Practice

Riaz has a broad and varied practice in all aspects of construction and engineering, energy, transport and professional negligence disputes with expertise in both domestic and international arbitration, domestic court litigation, mediation and adjudication (advising on both the conduct of adjudications and the enforcement of adjudicators' decisions).

His experience includes being involved from the onset of proceedings in drafting pleadings, including detailed responses to claims and advising on expert evidence and witness evidence and hearing preparation.

He has represented large construction firms, developers, homeowners, smaller building concerns, engineers, local authorities and also architects and planning consultants in professional negligence claims.

He has worked on a wide range of disputes including all aspects of residential developments, petro-chemical plants, water supply works, oil and gas pipelines, transport buildings and systems, excavation works, scientific laboratories, pharmaceutical facilities and sport and leisure complexes.

Construction and engineering

Riaz has represented contractors, private employers, local government and their professional advisers in numerous cases concerning many types of building and civil engineering projects dealing with issues such as defective works claims, delay claims, professional negligence and general contractual matters. Recent examples include:

Acting in a substantial delay and defects claim involving the construction of a transport building in Hong Kong;

Appearing in a three week hearing for a property developer in a substantial delay and extension of time claim involving the construction of luxury developments in West London;

Acting in a six day trial in the Cardiff TCC regarding a claim against a window and door supplier for a residential project;

Appearing in a forthcoming trial of a preliminary issue in the London TCC regarding the existence of a contract in a Project involving the design and construction of a professional football stadium;

Advising on and conducting adjudication of a dispute regarding the design and construction of a major UK scientific laboratory;

Appearing as a junior in a TCC trial as to whether a LAD clause in a Development Funding Agreement for the development of a large number of commercial shop units was unenforceable as a penalty McAlpine v Tilebox (2005) BLR 271.

Energy

He has broad experience of both domestic and international disputes in relation to the design and construction of power plants and pipelines. Case examples include:

Acting in an ICC arbitration involving the design and construction of a petro-chemical plant in Jordan. The case ran for over 2 years and comprised several stages of hearing. He was involved in drafting detailed pleadings, Scott Schedules and advising on expert and witness evidence and in the hearing. This included spending significant time on site and in the engineers' offices in Dublin preparing pleadings and evidence;

Advising on a dispute regarding a major gas pipeline through Central Asia.

Professional Negligence

Riaz has wide experience in the professional negligence field, acting for claimants, defendants and their indemnity insurers in relation to claims brought against a wide variety of professionals including engineers, architects and planning consultants. This includes

Acting for a homeowner on a claim against an architect/contract administrator in the Birmingham TCC which was settled in mediation;

Defending a professional negligence claim against a planning consultant ongoing in the Birmingham TCC.

Transport

He has represented contractors on disputes arising from road and rail project and infrastructures including advising on the conduct of an adjudication involving the design of a major transport link in London and in an arbitration between a Main Contractor and Sub Contractor relating to the construction of a transport building in Hong Kong Airport.

Reported Cases

McAlpine v Tilebox (2005) BLR 271