

Laura Hussey
Call 2016
“Laura has great attention to detail, is very good with clients and a pleasure to work with.”
A client
Laura has a domestic and international practice in all specialist areas of Chambers’ work including construction, engineering and infrastructure, energy and utilities, information technology, professional negligence, as well as general commercial disputes.
Laura frequently acts as sole counsel, as well as junior counsel as part of larger teams. She is currently being led in an ultra-high-value international arbitration relating to a major infrastructure project in the Middle East.
Laura has gained experience at all stages of litigation, adjudication, mediation and arbitration. She has worked with a variety of bespoke and standard form contracts and is familiar with the FIDIC, JCT, NEC, and ACA forms.
Prior to joining Atkin Chambers Laura spent a number of years gaining valuable and wide-ranging experience in banking and commercial roles. She now applies that experience to her work in order to provide practical and commercially sensitive advice.
CONSTRUCTION, ENGINEERING AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Laura has experience in a range of construction disputes, both domestic and international. Recent work includes:
INTERNATIONAL
- Acting as junior counsel for an employer in an arbitration in Dubai (DIAC rules) in a dispute concerning the construction of a large residential and commercial complex with issues including delay, variations, extensions of time, bonds and guarantees.
- Instructed, as part of a team of counsel, on behalf of an international architectural and project management firm in an arbitration concerning the design and construction of a major airport in the Middle East.
- Instructed in relation to an ICC arbitration, seated in Dubai, concerning the construction of seawater pipelines in the Middle East with issues including unlawful termination, delay and bonds.
- Advising on a claim concerning payment for variations under a contract for the hydraulic modelling for large construction works in Sri Lanka.
DOMESTIC
- Acting as junior counsel in a large multi-party dispute concerning the construction of a UK abattoir.
- Acting as junior counsel for a construction manager in a multi-party claim concerning the construction of a luxury London residential development.
- Advising, as junior counsel, on a complex dispute concerning a large tunneling infrastructure project.
- Acting for a developer in a claim concerning the residential development of 26 plots of land with issues including limitation and the interpretation of the contract.
- Drafting a mediation response in an ongoing dispute concerning a regional city tram system’s extension works where the primary points in dispute concerned the interpretation of the contract.
- Advising and settling a particulars of claim against a contractor in a dispute concerning the extension to a private property where the contractor abandoned the site.
- Advising on the contractual interpretation of clauses within an NEC3 contract.
- Advising on the interpretation of various contractual clauses including a limitation of liability cap and entire agreement clause.
- Acting for a company that installs passenger lifts in a claim concerning scaffolding works and the termination of the contract.
- Drafting particulars of claim in a dispute concerning outstanding payments owed by a contractor to a sub-contractor for three separate projects.
- Acting for an I.T. provider, including on various interim applications, in a claim concerning variations and unpaid invoices.
PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE
Laura’s professional negligence experience includes:
- Advising, as junior counsel, an employer on a dispute concerning the development of a London Grade II listed townhouse with issues including the suspension of works, unlawful termination and the contractual interpretation of clauses within a JCT 2016 Standard Building Contract.
- Drafting, on behalf of an architect, a defence in a claim concerning an alleged negligent design allowing fire to spread in a block of flats.
- Advising on and drafting various interim applications along with settling a defence in a multi-party dispute concerning the installation of underground electrical cables including the interpretation of indemnity clauses.
- Acting for an infrastructure services contractor in a claim concerning highway maintenance and improvement works.
- Advising on claims against an architect and contractor in a dispute concerning the extensive refurbishment of a private property with numerous design and workmanship defects including issues of limitation.
- Advising on a multi-party claim regarding the construction of advertising signs including issues regarding defective structural engineering work, limitation and latent defects.
- Advising and settling a defence in a claim against a contractor concerning the refurbishment of a private property under an oral contract and alleged substantial defects. The key issues included establishing the terms of the oral contract, particularly the scope of work and issues of quantum.
- Drafting a defence in a claim against a contractor concerning the installation of pipework including issues relating to the Defective Premises Act 1972 and quantum.
- Drafting a defence in a claim against an architect in a dispute concerning the design and construction of a building for a local council.
ENERGY AND UTILITIES
- Acting for an electrical and mechanical services provider, including settling a particulars of claim and a reply and refence to counterclaim, in a claim concerning the payment terms under a contract for the construction of high and low voltage substations.
- Advising in relation to a fire at a substation including issues of the parties’ contractual relationships and whether the loss was recoverable.
- Instructed in relation to an ICC arbitration, seated in Dubai, concerning the construction of seawater pipelines in the Middle East with issues including unlawful termination, delay and bonds.
- Advising on whether a contractor validly could commence adjudication proceedings in a claim concerning an offshore wind farm and extensions of time.
QUALIFICATIONS AND AWARDS
2015: Princess Royal Scholarship, Inner Temple.
2015-2016: BPTC, City Law School.
2014-2015: Graduate Diploma in Law, City Law School.
2002-2006: University of Washington Dean’s List Scholar for high academic merit.
2002-2006: Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science, University of Washington, USA (Double First Class equivalent)
LEGAL TEXTS
‘In search of the fraud exception’ TECBAR Review, Autumn 2018.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Laura is a member of the SCL, TECBAR and COMBAR.