A.I.: The External Force Changing The Legal Landscape
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The below article has been adapted from a presentation given by Andrew Goddard KC (with assistance from Laura Hussey) at […]
30th May 2023
News - Articles
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. She regularly acts as both sole counsel and junior counsel in both litigation and arbitration.
Recent examples of her international work include acting as junior counsel in high-value arbitrations relating to major transportation networks in the Middle East and in a dispute concerning the construction of floating production, storage and offloading oil platforms in Brazil.
Her domestic litigation work recently includes acting as junior counsel in large multi-party disputes concerning the construction of a large luxury London residential development and the construction of a Premier League football stadium.
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
- As junior counsel in a circa £45m multi-party claim, concerning the construction of a large luxury London residential development and in particular regarding its façade and fire-stopping and fire compartmentation measures.
- As junior counsel acting for a developer in a circa £30m final account dispute concerning the construction of a Premier League football stadium.
- As junior counsel in a circa £35m multi-party dispute concerning the design, procurement and construction of a UK abattoir including complex technical issues in relation to the abattoir processing systems and complex quantum issues.
- Acting for an employer in an adjudication concerning a contract for the design and installation of cladding to a large residential complex.
- As junior counsel in a dispute concerning a large urban tunneling infrastructure project and in particular noise levels and noise mitigation measures.
- Acting for a developer in a claim and mediation concerning the residential development of 26 plots of land in a dispute over whether and, if so on what terms, a contract had been concluded between the parties including issues with limitation.
- Advising on a dispute concerning a regional city tram system’s extension works.
- Acting for an employer in a dispute concerning a private property extension where the contractor had abandoned site.
- Acting for a company that installs passenger lifts in a claim concerning scaffolding works and the termination of the contract.
- Acting for an IT provider, including on various interim applications, in a claim concerning variations and unpaid invoices.
- Advising an employer in a dispute with a main contractor over allegations of failure to make regular and diligent progress and claims under the performance bond.
- Advising a main contractor on S.32 of the Limitation Act and the meaning of ‘deliberate concealment’.
- Advising a leading infrastructure company on the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.
INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION
- As junior counsel in a circa US$110m (with circa US$220m in counterclaims) arbitration seated in New York and with the substantive law being that of the State of New York (ICC Rules) in a dispute concerning the construction of floating production, storage and offloading oil platforms with issues including extensions of time, variations and Brazilian tax law. Responsible principally for part of the case pleaded at circa US$38m and US$9m in counterclaims.
- As junior counsel in a high value ICC arbitration (foreign law, foreign seat) in a dispute concerning the design and construction of a major metro system in the Middle East with issues including extensions of time, termination and variations.
- As junior counsel for an employer in a circa AED380m arbitration (with AED70m in counterclaims) 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.
- As junior counsel on behalf of an international architectural and project management firm in an ultra high value arbitration concerning the design and construction of major airports in the Middle East.
- As sole counsel in relation to a US$6m ICC arbitration, seated in Dubai, concerning the construction of seawater pipelines in the Middle East with issues including unlawful termination, delay and bonds.
PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE
- As junior counsel in a large multi-party dispute concerning the design and installation of the brickwork façade of a university building.
- Acting for an engineering and construction company in an adjudication concerning the design and construction of a new ferry terminal and linkspan with complex engineering issues.
- As junior counsel in a multi-party claim concerning the acoustic design of a large mixed use property.
- Acting, on behalf of an architect, in a multi-party dispute concerning whether the design of a block of flats permitted a fire to spread.
- As junior counsel, in 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.
- Acting in a multi-party dispute, including interim applications, concerning the installation of underground electrical cables with issues including the interpretation of indemnity clauses.
- Acting for a major 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 alleged design and workmanship defects including issues of limitation.
- Advising on a multi-party claim regarding the construction of advertising signs including issues regarding alleged defective structural engineering work, limitation and latent defects.
ENERGY AND UTILITIES
- Advising a contractor in adjudication proceedings in a claim concerning an offshore wind farm and extensions of time.
- Advising on a claim concerning payment for variations under a contract for the hydraulic modelling of large construction works in Sri Lanka.
- Advising in relation to a fire at a substation including issues of the parties’ contractual relationships and whether the loss was recoverable.
- Acting for an electrical and mechanical services provider in a claim concerning the payment terms under a contract for the construction of high and low voltage substations.
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.
