Our Sevices Include:
- Secondment of commercial staff including project specific quantity surveyors for short, medium or long term
- Assistant with preparation, negotiation and settlement of variation and final accounts
- Preparation of claims for extension of time and loss and expense
- Dispute avoidance and resolution advice (one hour’s consultation is offered free of charge to clients who consider they are in dispute)
- Preparation of referral and defence documentation in respect of adjudication
- In-house training
Negotiation, Risk and Contract Documentation
The importance of negotiating the right terms of a contract at the outset of each project is paramount, ensuring that the best possible commercial benefits are gained, not lost, during this phase. Our consultants are dual-qualified in quantity surveying and project management and law, giving our clients the advantage of having professionals with hands-on experience in a wide range of construction and engineering projects from inception to completion. We set out to ensure that our clients have the right contract documentation for the specific needs of the project, that contractual risks are appropriately apportioned, that design and systems and processes for efficient programme delivery are in place, and that staff are trained and mentored to use it correctly in order to protect and enhance their commercial position.
Our consultants are fully conversant with most forms of contract, including NEC, FIDIC, NZ3910 and other current forms. We also have global experience with PPP and PFI projects, which are becoming more popular here in New Zealand. Our knowledge and expertise ensure that the most suitable form of contract is applied to each particular project. This is necessary to ensure that our client obtains the best value for each project and programme and financial risks are minimised.
Our consultants understand that each client demands a different approach depending on some factors, including:
- Funding body constraints and limitations
- Political and socio-economic factors
- Environmental constraints
- Third party requirements
- Individual project requirements
In some cases, it is necessary to draft bespoke documentation which deals with all the parameters and deliverables of each project. Our experienced individuals can recognise these and adopt a format that is all encompassing and meets the needs of the client and the end user. We realise that it is not always appropriate to use standard forms and produce a schedule of special conditions – our experience is that this more often leads to ambiguity and confusion.
Past and current clients include:
- Auckland City Council
- Vero Insurance
- NZTA
- Network Rail UK
- London Underground UK
- Department of Transport UK
- Auckland CGB
- Contractors NZ and UK
Transportation projects include:
- Network Rail UK
- Christchurch Recovery and Rebuild programmes
- Auckland CBD Shared Space Streetscape Development
- Central Connector Project