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Construction

Construction

Every construction project is unique. We will work with you, providing clear and comprehensive advice, to ensure that your project will be delivered successfully. When instructing Forsters, you benefit from leading expertise in real estate development and a passionate team capable of guiding projects seamlessly from inception to completion.

We deliver high quality, commercial advice tailored to your specific needs. Our deep understanding of the market and close collaboration with our award-winning Real Estate practice enable us to anticipate and fulfil the requirements of your funders and end users when drafting and negotiating construction documents.

How we can support you

Development Projects:

Your complex and high value development schemes are in expert hands, including:

  • Commercial, retail, sports, and mixed use developments
  • Town centre and out-of-town regeneration    
  • Living sector schemes, including hotels, later living, student accommodation and BTR
  • Logistics projects
  • Film studios
  • Private residences

Pre-Construction Services: You will benefit from our proactive advice on letters of intent, pre-construction services agreements, and other contractual arrangements, ensuring a smooth start to projects. 

Procurement: Providing strategic advice to you, and your professional teams, on the most appropriate form of procurement for the development.

Construction documentation: Every successful project requires commercial and pragmatic advice and skilful negotiation in relation to building contracts (including industry standard forms such as the JCT, FIDIC, NEC and MF/1), appointments, warranties, forms of security and other ancillary construction documents. We are adept at anticipating the requirements of third-party stakeholders, and in ensuring that these requirements are reflected in the construction package.

Pragmatic problem-solving and dispute resolution: Throughout the construction process, you will receive practical, pragmatic advice to resolve any issues (including those related to quality and time) before they escalate. We are also experienced in guiding you through the insolvency of their main contractor and getting projects back up and running. Our specialist Construction Disputes team can deal with claims arising out of insolvencies (for example, claims on bonds and guarantees) and handles a full spectrum of construction claims, providing you with representation in mediation, adjudication, litigation, arbitration, and other dispute resolution procedures.  

Whether you are a developer, fund, institutional investor, occupier, contractor, consultant or high net worth individual, our expertise is at your service.

Key experience

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority

Forsters acted for Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (which oversees the 26-mile long, 10,000 acre park) in relation to the design and construction of the new Lee Valley Ice Centre with two Olympic-sized ice rinks, a gym and exercise studios, café and significant landscape enhancements.  The scheme aims to be one of the most sustainable ice rinks in the UK, with industry leading sustainability features such as the ice melt being recycled and re-used rather than discharged as sewerage. As part of our work, we have also supported the client through the contractor’s insolvency.

Wrenbridge and Fiera Real Estate

We continue to act for longstanding construction and real estate client Fiera Real Estate and Wrenbridge, in relation to their extremely active industrial and logistics development portfolio in London and the South East. Recent notable instructions include: Spark (Bishop’s Stortford), a 12 unit development close to Stansted airport comprising 12 units over 190,000 sq ft, and the site of the largest letting in the South East in 2024 to Delta Group; Boxyard (Hayes), a 4 unit scheme close to Heathrow airport providing nearly 84,000 sq ft of warehouse space; and Sonar (Portsmouth), a 7 unit development in a prime South Coast location offering over 110,000 sq ft of warehouse space. All the developments have outstanding credentials, including EPC A+ and BREEAM excellent ratings.

Student accommodation

Building on Forsters’ specialism in student accommodation developments, the Construction team advised a client on two forward-funded projects for new 300+ bed purpose-built student accommodation schemes. We advised on the building contracts and consultant appointments for both schemes, ensuring that all requirements of the funders under both development funding agreements (DFAs) were dealt with in the construction documentation. We negotiated the construction provisions of the DFAs, and in respect of the delivery of all collateral warranties required under the DFAs.

High net worth residence

Forsters is advising an international client in relation to a residential development, which will involve a full refurbishment including minor layout amendments, provision of new finishes and the construction of a new single basement level for additional family leisure space with a swimming pool, gym and other amenities. For programming reasons, multiple contracts are required with later contracts subsuming earlier contracts for works.

Acting for contractors

We are legal advisors to a rapidly growing contractor in the logistics sector. We provide advice at main contract and sub-contract level including drafting and negotiation of main contract and sub-contract documentation (both NEC and JCT) and security documents. We also support our client on contentious matters including the insolvency of sub-contractors, delay claims, loss and expense claims, debt claims and adjudications.

Tribeca

We continue to advise long standing client British Airways Pension Fund (BAPF) on construction projects undertaken direct by BAPF and through various SPV vehicles. The team are currently advising BAPF on all construction documentation for Tribeca, a development at London King’s Cross which will deliver a significant mixed use scheme comprising 1 million square feet of space, including laboratory, office, residential, retail and restaurant elements.

Greenwich Peninsula, Knight Dragon

Forsters is the principal advisor to Knight Dragon in relation to its comprehensive redevelopment and regeneration of Greenwich Peninsula.

When complete, the £8.4 billion scheme will provide 15,750 residential units alongside 23,000 sq m of retail and restaurants, nearly 60,000 sq m of offices, 36,000 sq m of hotel space and 38,000 sq m of education facilities. Forsters has been working with Knight Dragon on the 150-acre site since 2012 and has provided advice across the spectrum of real estate services including development, construction, planning, financing, corporate/commercial, residential sales and tax matters.

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