In a nutshell
Like shipping, construction is a well-defined subsection of the Commercial Bar. At a basic level cases relate to the law of contracts and tort, but this area is very much defined by its subject matter rather than any specific legal niceties. Disputes can occur over anything from outdoor pools and office buildings to power stations and airports. The parties involved include builders' firms, contractors, engineers, architects, government departments and financiers.
Major cases are heard in the Technology and Construction Court (TCC) and occasionally in the Companies Court, while lower-value proceedings may occur in the County Court. The TCC deals with around 450 to 500 cases and 50 trials each year. At the same time, the duration and cost of taking matters to court means arbitration is commonly pursued, especially if a matter spans multiple jurisdictions.
The realities of the job
- Construction cases are notoriously paper-heavy – probably more so than those in any other area of law – and can drag on for years. Hearings can last for weeks. A sterling ability to master and marshal facts and documents is required.
- Barristers are not in court ever day, and often not even every week. The size of cases means that oral advocacy is not what matters first and foremost. Construction barristers prefer to hone their skills on paper. Pleadings can be 800 or 1,000 pages long.
- Baby juniors cut their teeth on disputes related to the home – extensions, basements, swimming pools – as well as things like debt claims related to damages to telecoms cables.
- Young barristers often act as first or second junior on larger cases. The biggest relate to the construction of major projects like Wembley Stadium, the Olympic Park and the yet-to-be-completed skyscraper at 22 Bishopsgate in the City (formerly the Pinnacle).
- There is an obvious overlap with property law, but perhaps less obviously also with areas like technology, energy, professional negligence and international finance.
- Personality matters a lot in the construction industry. Barristers need to have an easy facility with everyone from builders, foremen and contractors to bankers, accountants and the CEOs of major corporations.
- You may think of construction as a very masculine industry, but at the Bar this is a misguided perception. Yes, construction is male-heavy, but no more so than commercial or Chancery practice, and there are many successful female practitioners.
Some tips
- Prior knowledge or experience of the construction industry is relatively rare for those entering the profession. Commercial experience and interests are more common. A passion for contracts and torts is a must.
- It's easy to tell which are the leading construction sets. The London market is dominated by a duumvirate of specialist sets: Atkin and Keating.