7 March 2018: Lucie Briggs to speak at PNLA Conference
Events
Lucie Briggs will speak on Architects’ Negligence with Stephen Homer, a partner at Ashfords, on 7 March 2018 at The Professional Negligence Lawyers’ […]
Events
Lucie Briggs
Call 2004
“very, very bright and good to work with”.
Chambers and Partners
Lucie Briggs specialises in construction and engineering, energy, infrastructure, information technology and professional negligence disputes. She regularly acts for a wide variety of clients including contractors, construction and IT professionals, government entities, private employers, manufacturers and their professional advisers.
She has a broad practice both as an advocate and in advisory work with expertise in domestic and international arbitration, domestic courts, mediation and adjudication. As part of her diverse practice she appears regularly as sole counsel in the high court, arbitration, mediation and adjudication hearings. Her experience covers the entire litigation process from pre-action protocol, drafting pleadings, settling witness statements, attending mediations and negotiations, to preparing for and appearing at applications and hearings, including strike out, summary judgment, injunctions, CMCs and trial. She has also advised on and acted in appellant proceedings.
Lucie is recommended in the recent edition of Chambers and Partners in the field of construction and is described as “very switched on and pragmatic, but also remarkably client-friendly. I would rate her extremely highly” and “Her cross-examination is fantastic, as is her preparation. I am really impressed by her.”
CONSTRUCTION, ENGINEERING AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Lucie regularly acts in a wide range of general construction and engineering disputes both domestic and international. Cases include construction projects both domestic and commercial, large infrastructure and transportation projects, geotechnical and contaminated land disputes, technical engineering projects, M&E and manufacturing. The disputes cover a wide range of issues including delay, defects, valuation, final account and contractual disputes. Most recently Lucie has acted in cases concerning a waterproofing system for a multi-story car park, drainage defects and flooding at a housing association complex, a defective floor slab in a large commercial warehouse, and the design / construction of a sea wall.
IT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Lucie has considerable experience in the IT and Telecommunications field, acting in several large and high profile IT disputes. Cases include court proceedings about the design and implementation of an ERP package for a multinational company, involving allegations of fraudulent misrepresentation, software failure and delay; advising on and appearing in an action to obtain source code and damages under a software licensing agreement; obtaining injunctive relief in a dispute under a software agreement; acting for a software company in proceedings concerning the alleged failure of software designed for use as part of a remote security monitoring system and acting in a dispute on behalf of a UK based subsidiary of a major global software and systems contractor in respect of claims relating to the design, supply, integration and operation of an IT system forming party of a nationwide IT solution.
PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE
She has a wealth of 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, surveyors, IT professionals, consultants and contractors. Cases include: acting for an architect regarding allegations of negligent costing, supervision and certification; advising on a claim against a building society for a negligent survey; acting for an architect in a fees recovery claim; and acting on behalf of the insurers of a structural engineering firm in a negligence claim concerning the design of the structural steel work for commercial premises.
ENERGY, NATURAL RESOURCES AND UTILITIES
As a chemistry graduate, Lucie has particular expertise in energy, natural resources and utilities claims with a particular emphasis on renewable energy. Her experience includes disputes concerning an oil rig, water treatment units for a floating production storage and offloading facility, a sewerage plant, an offshore wind farm, a scientific laboratory, a food processing plant, a chemical plant, and most recently, a biogas plant.
PARTY WALL
Lucie has extensive experience in matters under the Party Wall Act 1996. She regularly advises on all aspects of the Act and appears in related court proceedings including Party Wall appeals. Lucie was Counsel in the case of Onigbanjo v Pearson [2008] BLR 507 (a Party Wall appeal approved by the Court of Appeal in Reeves v Blake [2010] 1 WLR 1) which decided the scope and ambit of a Party Wall Surveyor’s jurisdiction under the Party Wall etc Act 1996 and more recently appeared in Chliaifchtein v Wainbidge Estates Belgravia Ltd (unreported) in which the court found that it was not appropriate to join Party Wall surveyors to the appeal of their own award. Lucie also regularly appears in the High Court to obtain or resist injunctions arising out of Party Wall matters.
ADJUDICATION / ARBITRATION
Lucie has extensive experience in the conduct of both adjudication and arbitration proceedings. Lucie also regularly advises upon and appears in adjudication enforcement proceedings. Most recently Lucie appeared in Philpott & Orton (Liquidators of WGL Realisations 2010 Ltd) v Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle School [2016] 1 All ER (Comm) 1, in which the court decided that an arbitration clause in a building contract ‘trumped’ the procedure for the taking of an account imposed by the Insolvency Rules and in South Coast Construction v Iverson Road Limited [2017] EWHC 61 (TCC) in which the TCC decided that it was appropriate to lift the moratorium on proceedings imposed by the Insolvency Act 1986 when a company serves a Notice of Administration, in order to allow the enforcement of an Adjudicator’s Award.
OTHER PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION
Qualifications
Chemistry BSc 1st Class with Honours (King’s College London); Lord Bowen Scholarship; Sir Thomas More Scholarship.
Publications
Contributing editor of Hudson’s Building and Engineering Contracts, 12th edition.
Recently Reported Cases
South Coast Construction v Iverson Road Limited [2017] EWHC61 (TCC)
Philpott & Orton (Liquidators of WGL Realisations 2010 Ltd) v Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle School [2016] 1 All ER (Comm) 1; [2015] BLR 495; [2015] TCLR 4; [2016] BPIR 448.