A More Nuanced Approach: HMRC’s Revised Policy on VAT Treatment for Early Termination Fees and Compensation Payments

Effective from 1 April 2022, HMRC has issued revised guidance on the treatment of VAT for termination and compensation payments. Read on for details of this more nuanced approach to VAT treatment. Background Guidance issued by HMRC in late 2020 […]

Read More

Conclusivity and Time Bar Clauses: Scottish Court of Session Guidance

In an important recent decision, D McLaughlin & Sons Limited -v- East Ayrshire Council, the Scottish Court of Session (the “CSOH”) has considered final certificate conclusivity and time bar provisions and their application to interim payment disputes. Background D McLaughlin […]

Read More

Resolving Costly Domestic Building Disputes: A Proposal by the TCC

In the recent case of The Sky’s The Limit Transformations Ltd v Dr Mohamed Mirza [2022], the TCC considered a disproportionately costly domestic building dispute involving issues of contract formation, termination and sums due under a final account. The Court […]

Read More

Government gives industry deadline of early March 2022 to agree to a plan of action to remediate unsafe cladding

Since the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, the Government has taken a number of steps aimed at addressing the building safety and cladding crisis. Those steps have included provision for financial contributions to remedying unsafe cladding through the ACM cladding […]

Read More

Entitlement to Liquidated Damages Lost After Alleged Verbal Agreement

In the case of Mansion Place Limited v Fox Industrial Services Limited [2021], the TCC considered an alleged verbal agreement between parties and its impact on future claims. Background In February 2020, Mansion Place Limited (“MPL”) engaged Fox Industrial Services […]

Read More

Excluding Liability for Deliberate Breach – Is Special Wording Required?

In the recent case of Mott Macdonald Ltd v Trant Engineering Ltd [2021] EWHC 754 the TCC considered whether an exclusion clause required exceptional wording in order to exclude liability for fundamental, deliberate and wilful breaches. Background Trant Engineering Limited […]

Read More

The TCC consider the circumstances in which an independent Category 3 design checker may owe a duty of care to a main contractor

In the recent case of Multiplex Construction Europe Limited v (1) Bathgate Realisations Civil Engineering Limited (in administration) (2) BRM Construction LLC (3) Argo Global Syndicate 1200 the TCC considered the scope of a professional design checker’s duty of care […]

Read More

Contract Interpretation and Repudiatory Breach

In the recent case of Optimus Build Ltd v Southall & McManus, the Technology and Construction Court (TCC) considered a dispute in which the contractor believed the contract was a fixed price contract and the employer believed it to be […]

Read More

Adjudication Enforcement – Guidance on Natural Justice and Jurisdiction

In the case of Global Switch Estates 1 Limited -v- Sudlows Limited, the Technology and Construction Court (“TCC”) dismissed an application for summary judgment to enforce an adjudicator’s decision due to material breaches of the rules of natural justice. Background […]

Read More

The Second Set of NEC4 Amendments – What Do You Need to Know?

Following publication of the NEC4 suite of contracts in June 2017, there has been substantial feedback from users and industry experts suggesting how the contracts could be further enhanced. In light of this feedback, NEC has recently published the second […]

Read More