Adjudication
Harris Consulting's extensive experience of adjudication includes not only acting on behalf of referring and responding parties, but also acting as the adjudicator; Malcolm Harris (RICS, AICA) and Michael Harris (RICS) are both registered adjudicators.
Sometimes disputes are unavoidable but using authoritative and proven analytical skills, we detail clients' cases in a manner that expedites outcomes that help safeguard our clients’ financial and contractual interests.
Malcolm Harris has adjudicated on more than 100 disputes between parties. Over two thirds of these required a written decision and the remaining were settled by agreement of the parties. In addition, Harris Consulting employs self-motivated individuals who have undertaken specialist professional training in the area of adjudication.
Adjudication as a means of resolving disputes quickly, and in most cases, finally, is the most frequently used dispute resolution process in construction. However, in the last decade, adjudication has advanced from a rudimentary dispute resolution process to a more complex one since its statutory inclusion in most construction contracts from 1998 under the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act.
Adjudication provides plenty of pitfalls for the unwary and those who fail to keep abreast of such developments. Staying at the leading edge of adjudication involves regular appraisal of changes in the law and continued professional development in what is a very specialist and rapidly evolving field.
However we do believe that adjudication is no exception to the general rule that, whether claiming or defending, there is no substitute for knowing and understanding the case and presenting it in clear and precise terms to the tribunal.
Harris Consulting strives at all times to achieve this objective and has experienced a level of success matched only by the best practitioners operating in this specialist field.