Full Profile
Steffan’s non-contentious work primarily involves acting for developers and JVs in relation to major UK projects, which includes drafting and negotiating building contracts (typically based on the JCT standard forms), professional appointments and other ancillary documents. He also has experience in relation to financing domestic projects, having advised parties seeking to procure debt/equity funding and organisations providing finance. Steffan also advises professional consultants, principally architects, on the terms of their appointments.
On the contentious side, Steffan has acted for parties using a range of dispute resolution methods, including High Court litigation, international arbitration and adjudication, and has even acted for a client before the Privy Council at the Supreme Court.
Steffan has also gained valuable experience, spending six months on secondment in the legal team of a Tier 1 Contractor, where he was involved in tendering for new projects and in administrating existing projects.
Experience
- Acting for commercial developers in relation to numerous UK mixed-use construction projects, including securing debt funding of circa GBP 400 million for one such project.
- Advising contractors in respect of tendering for projects.
- Acting for an advanced purchaser in respect of a major mixed-use development with a value of well over GBP 100 million.
- Preparing a suite of framework agreements for a national retailer in respect of fit-out works and merchandising services at a number of its stores.
- Advising professional consultants including architects on the terms of their professional appointments.
- Preparing trade contracts on different phases of a high-profile mixed-use London development.
- Drafting bespoke contractual clauses on reducing carbon emissions in construction projects, to be included in a Climate Contract Playbook for use in the JCT suite of contracts.
- Acting for an African governmental authority in an international arbitration.
- Acting for numerous parties ranging from large contractors to small sub-contractors in various adjudications.
- Advising contractors and developers in relation to cladding and fire safety issues at high-rise residential developments in the UK.
- Acting for an international insurer following a claim under a Building Guarantee policy for numerous alleged defects.
