Practical Law

One of the major changes to the regulation of the design and construction of “higher-risk buildings” is the introduction of the gateway regime. This regime comprises a series of “hard stops” that a construction project will need to pass through in order to proceed to construction, completion and then occupation. The gateways are: Gateway 1 … Continue reading Building safety gateway regime – frequently asked questions →

Imagine… you own a site. You give an option to a developer to buy that site subject to obtaining planning permission. It gets the planning permission, using planning drawings prepared by a firm of architects that it engages, but the option to buy the site lapses. You sell the site (which now comes with planning … Continue reading A refresher on copyright – Lennox Estates v S&W Ventures →

If the Brexit deal, ongoing Covid-19 developments and updates on the Building Safety Bill and the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act isn’t enough to keep those in the construction industry on their toes, the latest guidance from HMRC is that the VAT reverse charge on construction services will commence from 1 March 2021. In our … Continue reading The VAT reverse charge is coming soon. So what else is new? →

We have explored various topics as part of our intellectual property in construction series. To continue our discussion, we delve into some further thoughts on other common queries that we receive. In this article we will look at: Should a copyright licence be subject to the payment of fees? What happens to a copyright licence … Continue reading BIM-used copyright: Dealing with emerging technologies in construction →

Question: What do the Oslo Picasso murals “The Seagull” and the “The Fishermen” and the Dutch De View Jaargetijden have in common? Answer: They both have been subject to recent high cost, high profile litigation that dragged on for years and which concerned moral rights. Yes “moral rights” caused all the trouble for these projects … Continue reading Moral rights: why should developers care? →

Questions about intellectual property rights routinely arise during construction contract negotiations and serve as a refreshing reminder that COVID-19 issues are not the sole focus of negotiations at the moment. Copyright is one type of intellectual property right and is the area where we tend to encounter the most queries. This blog, the first in … Continue reading Copyright in construction: some common queries →

With the much-anticipated draft withdrawal agreement being revealed last week, I thought it was an opportune time to reflect on the impact of Brexit on the construction industry, and in particular, what effect it is having on parties entering into construction contracts in the current market.