If you’re looking to resolve your dispute outside of the courts, we can represent you through arbitration proceedings, give you clear, tailored advice throughout and help you achieve a fair outcome.

Arbitration is an alternative approach to settling through the courts. Your dispute is referred to an impartial arbitrator who reviews the evidence and enforces a legally binding resolution.

Our experienced team regularly represent construction companies involved in arbitration process. We understand your industry, your needs and the pressures you’re under, which allows us to shape our advice to suit you.

Key Contacts: Matthew Fletcher, Will Buckenham, Abigail Milner

We offer training and development on the whole breadth of construction law. From formal seminars to in-house, bespoke training, we’ll tailor our approach to suit your particular needs and interests.

We’re an active member in Constructing Excellence – an organisation that drives the change agenda in construction and aims to improve industry performance in order to produce a better built environment.

If you need us to, we can give confidential briefings at your premises. We also offer a retainer-based service, which allows us to delve deeper into your business to help you develop and manage it better.

Our training includes:

• NEC3 in-house seminars
• Record keeping & dispute avoidance
• Construction Act updates

Key Contacts: Matthew Fletcher

Through clear-cut advice, an understanding of your needs and a tailored approach, we’ll draft and negotiate construction documents for you as quickly and hassle-free as possible.

We understand that the most important thing for you is to get the contracts finalised as quickly and painlessly as possible. Our non-contentious team will get to know your needs and your industry, explain the implications of every decision in plain English and give you straightforward advice throughout to make the process as smooth and easy as possible. We know you’re busy, so we won’t involve you with legal matters that are our job to deal with.

As a multi-disciplined team, we can draw expertise from other departments to offer you the full service. We work with specialists in all the core areas, including Property, Company/Corporate and Commercial.

We act for financial institutions, employers, contractors, sub-contractors, property developers and consultants and have extensive experience working on major projects, both locally and nationally.

As well as drafting, negotiating and advising on standard NEC and JCT construction documents, we also have experience in dealing with international FIDIC contracts.

Our team can visit your site to discuss your options and really get to know your project.

Key contacts: Abigail Milner, James Phinn

Our expert lawyers will aim to settle your disagreement without the need to go to court. Where this isn’t possible, we’ll give you the right guidance throughout, fight your corner to resolve your dispute quickly and painlessly, and protect what matters to you.

No one wants to be involved in a long, costly dispute. Our team will help you take the preventative steps needed to avoid prolonging disagreements and put you in the strongest possible position should the dispute go to court.

Through expert advice and a practical, tailored approach, our specialist litigation lawyers will safeguard your best interests and fight to achieve the best outcome for you. We know how draining court proceedings can be on your time and resources. That’s why we always aim to achieve an early resolution, and make the whole process as quick and painless as possible for our clients.

We also educate clients on the measures to take in order to avoid disputes before they happen. Our dispute resolution training will teach you the importance of a preventative approach.

Key Contacts Matthew Fletcher

Our multi-disciplinary team have experience acting for landowners, developers and energy companies. We’ll help you avoid the risks, protect your assets and get the best possible return on your investment.

Why you should instruct a solicitor

Energy, infrastructure and renewables are emerging and complex areas of law with many risks and pitfalls.

You need legal experts that understand the intricacies of your project, and can put in place a framework that protects your interests if anything goes wrong.

How we can help you

Our specialist lawyers advise on a broad range of renewables related issues including:

• Wind turbines
• Solar projects
• Electricity substations and pylons
• Biomass
• Dispute resolution

Because we draw on years of experience from our Construction, Commercial, Property and Litigation teams, we can deal with every aspect of your project.

• We can advise you on options in leases and other property and infrastructure-related matters
• We can negotiate and change standard documents to help you gain a better return on investment
• We can draw up supply, planning and maintenance agreements to protect your interests
• We can guide you through the tax, finance and construction elements of your investment

Key Contact: James Phinn

We’ll help you reach a quick, fair, cost-effective resolution for your dispute without the need to go through the courts.

We know how stressful and costly court proceedings can be. Where it’s appropriate, we’ll aim to resolve your dispute through the amicable approach of mediation.

Instead of handing your dispute over to a third party to decide, mediation allows you to stay in complete control of the process. It can also help to salvage commercial relationships that can otherwise be damaged as a result of going through the courts.

We have strong links with some of the most experienced and respected mediators practising in the UK, and have an excellent success rate with this approach. If court proceedings are unavoidable, our dedicated litigation lawyers will fight to safeguard what matters to you and help you get the outcome you deserve.

Key Contact: Matthew Fletcher

Through straightforward advice and a tailored approach, we’ll protect your best interests throughout and help you get the compensation you deserve.

We understand the strains you can be put under when you’ve been let down by a construction professional. Our expert team are here to protect, support and advise you throughout the process, and help you recover the financial losses you’ve suffered.

Professional negligence claims are handled by large insurance companies who use specialist law firms, so it’s crucial that you’re represented by a lawyer who understands your industry and this complex field of law.

Our Construction team are members of the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association, and we regularly bring claims against architects, engineers, surveyors and solicitors.

We pursue claims on a no win, no fee basis, so you won’t pay any legal fees whether you win or lose your case.

Key Contact: Matthew Fletcher

Our specialist lawyers have strong links with leading construction law barristers. We’ll guide you every step of the way, give you the very best representation before the court, and fight for the fairest outcome.

We regularly act on behalf of claimants and defendants in the Technology and Construction Court, including enforcing adjudication decisions and representing clients involved in court proceedings.

With strong links to leading barristers and a dedicated team of experienced lawyers, we’ll help you get the result you deserve.

Key Contact: Matthew Fletcher

Read about what the leading independent guides to the legal profession have to say about our construction team:

Chambers & Partners (2020 edition)

What the team is known for: Maintains a solid presence in the Humber region, advising on both contentious and non-contentious matters. Clients include employers, contractors and developers. Notable expertise in construction disputes concerning the energy and rail sectors. Frequently handles major disputes in connection with professional negligence and defective works claims.

Strengths: A client view "confident in the ability of every member of the construction team to give the sound and honest advice that we are after."

Interviewees remark appreciatively on the "degree of precision and focused service" that the firm provides.

Sources say: "The team is very proactive and provides very sound advice."

Notable practitioners: Matthew Fletcher "provides excellent and practical advice on all matters relating to construction contracts, obligations and dispute resolution," according to clients. He frequently assists with professional negligence claims and disputes relating to electricity wayleaves.

Legal 500 (2019 edition)

With one of the largest teams in East Yorkshire, Gosschalks acts for local construction companies and also has substantial expertise in the renewable energy and rail infrastructure sectors. On the contentious side, the team primarily represents contractor clients, and mainly handles non-contentious issues for developer clients.

"Gosschalks is very commercial with great knowledge and a focus on what the client needs to achieve".

"The team at Gosschalks is exceptional. It gives one-to-one service which surpasses others. It consistently demonstrates a genuine expertise in construction law and, coupled with its professional and friendly attitude, it provides clear, sound and honest legal advice to the highest standard".

"Lead partner Matthew Fletcher provides no-nonsense advice and Will Buckenham offers friendly, helpful and professional advice".