Construction is a complex process that requires care not only at the actual time of building but at all stages of financing, developing, and planning, and beyond in the use and management of the property. We have extensive experience and expertise in the legal issues that arise during all stages of the construction process.
- Finance and Development
- Project development, building rights, brokerage contracts
- Purchase or sale of property
- Financing, collateralization, mortgages and guarantees
- Construction contracts
- Drafting and negotiation of construction-related contracts, including architectural and engineering contracts (geological surveys, structural engineering, building automation, power, heating, ventilation, plumbing)
- Domestic and international contracts
- General contractor agreements
- Subcontracting arrangements
- Consortium agreements
- Compliance with national or international public procurement law
- Construction
No construction project goes as planned. The reasons are manifold. Plans may turn out to be technically or financially impossible. The building owner may change its mind. The intended tenant may fall through. The new tenant may have different requirements.
Such changes are typical but demands significant legal advice. The same applies in the event of building defects. At critical points they can compromise the entire construction project or at least its economic success.
We have extensive experience and a large repertoire of strategies for dealing with these situations. Proper positioning and approach with an eye on our clients’ goals are among our core competencies.
- Litigation
When argument and negotiation does not resolve disagreements, a dispute is often unavoidable whether before arbitral bodies or courts. In both areas, we have extensive expertise in the many facets of such conflicts.
During the litigation clarification of technical issues stands paramount. Here, the request for a proceeding to take evidence is often the method of choice. Depending on the interests of the client, other methods may be desired. We determine the interests of the client in advance and then clarify the pros and cons to each possible approach.
Technical issues are usually resolved by court-appointed experts. It is not often sufficient to simply rebut the technical conclusions of the reply. We will work with a network of recognized experts who render statements or opinions if necessary. Here, the close coordination between technical and legal issues is essential for the success of enforcement claims.
As such procedures typically involve a large number of participants and may be unusually long in duration, proper document management is essential. We consistently use electronic tools for this purpose since 2007. Our clients benefit from significant advantages in swiftness during data retrieval and the structuring of the required information.