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Caroline Pope

Partner
London
About

Caroline Pope has over 30 years’ experience in litigation, arbitration, adjudication and ADR processes particularly mediation and expert determination. She spends a considerable amount of time providing clients with project advisory and forensic investigation work to help clients avoid the issues arising during projects developing into full scale formal proceedings.

Caroline acts for clients from all sides of the engineering and construction industry, principally in complex technical engineering disputes. She previously spent two and a half years in the Middle East where she established a solid construction and engineering practice in the region.

She has particular experience in handling disputes for utilities (water and electricity), the nuclear industry, tunnelling and pipelines. Caroline has been involved in disputes on many iconic construction projects including major multiparty commercial property, PFI, retail, shopping centres and large office developments. She understands the importance of careful management of experts in defects and prolongation and additional costs claims, to obtain robust technical advice to inform strategic decisions about case management and settlement. Caroline has assist clients in international arbitration under ICC and DIAC rules.

Areas of FocusLitigation, Arbitration and Investigations

EXPERIENCE

  • Advising a major mixed use 150 hectare development, Cambridge in relation to a series of adjudications with its site-wide infrastructure contractor relating to design liability, valuation, value engineering, and sectional completion and adjudications with various different Lot Contractors.
  • Advising a consortium of Middle eastern Contractors on major issues arising out of the USD1.5 billion infrastructure contract for the new International Airport.
  • Advising a Middle Eastern Electricity and Water Company in defending 2 major ICC arbitrations relating to USD100 million plus prolongation and loss and expense claims.
  • Advising solar power facility, Jordan in relation to claims brought by the EPC contractor (USD5 million) regarding the owner’s refusal to issue a Take-Over Certificate, changes to scope, and delay and disruption.
  • Advising UK Atomic Energy Authority on a GBP70 million claim against a consortium of companies engaged to undertake decommissioning works at Sellafield. A complex settlement was reached, which required a thorough understanding of the commercial and technical risks associated with the technical uncertainties surrounding the project.
  • Advising PFI Hospital, Merseyside, a UK contractor, in relation to a potential claim for GBP8 million against its geo-environmental and geotechnical consultants following their failure to accurately anticipate the amount of asbestos on site, resulting in the contractor under-pricing the contract and suffering unexpected delays.
  • Advising a developer in relation to a final account dispute with the contractor appointed to design and build luxury residential accommodation in Chelsea. Work included advising on settlement discussions, defects post-practical completion, release of retention monies and, more generally, how best to prepare for an adjudication.
  • Advising one of the largest UK contractors in relation to a substantial adjudication delay claim (value c. GBP30 million) arising from its role as main contractor on a luxury GBP150 million residential development. The strength of the case in this adjudication ultimately led to the settlement of the wider dispute between the parties on terms favorable to Caroline’s client.
  • Advising a fund based in the Middle East on litigation in the TCC brought by a contractor appointed to carry out refurbishment of a prestigious high-end luxury hotel in London. The claim was for approximately GBP7 million and raised issues of delay and defects, and a challenge to the date practical completion was certified.
  • Advising a Saudi Water Company on a large dispute it had with an international contractor which was designing and constructing a new major desalination plant, built as an extension to an existing facility. The dispute related to allegations of inadequate design development causing significant delays and cost overruns.
Languages
  • English
  • French
Education
  • Sherbourne School for Girls, 1971-78
  • The London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE, Bachelor’s Degree, Economics, 2:1, 1978-1981

Awards

  • Caroline Pope is a “well-known and respected practitioner” who is considered a major figure in the construction disputes arena. - Chambers, 2020
  • Caroline Pope is “class personified.” – Legal 500, 2020
  • Caroline Pope is a top disputes lawyer with an excellent reputation for handling matters on both the purchaser and supplier sides of the construction market. Her excellent domestic capabilities are bolstered by her deep experience acting in the Middle East. One commentator appreciates that “she's extremely bright, has great in-depth knowledge and is not frightened by anything.” - Chambers, 2018

Prior Experience

  • 2001-2020, Partner, London based international law firm
  • 1993-2001, Partner, London based international law firm
  • 1985-1993, Associate, London based international law firm

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Society of Construction Law
  • British Tunnelling Society
  • International Nuclear Law Association
  • British Nuclear Energy Society, TecSA (she is Chairperson)
  • Nuclear Industry Association.

My latest insights

Publication
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Six ways the construction industry is innovating to deliver ESG demands

21 March 2022

Publication
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Construction Adjudication: The emergence of Low Value Dispute Resolution Schemes

2 August 2020 .6 minute read

Connect

Phone

+44 207 796 6150
(Work, London)
+44 777 582 4019
(Work)
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