Construction and development In the COVID-19 era: Lessons Learned And How To Use Them

Richard Saxon is a client and business adviser at Consultancy for the Built Environment. He is also Chairman of JCT Ltd, the contract-writing body and is the author of several publications on Building Information Modelling. Richard has a long history of interest in the future of the construction industry: he has been chairman of international architects BDP, Vice President of the RIBA and co-founder and past president of the British Council for Offices. He was made a CBE in 2001 for services to architecture and construction. www.saxoncbe.com

Recently appointed as Deputy Chair of the Construction Industry Council (CIC), Justin is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with more than 30 years in the construction industry. He is a leading independent expert and has attended numerous mediations, hearings and recently gave evidence in the UK Technology and Construction Court. Justin founded Adair in 1994 and divides his time between running the firm and client work. MEMBERSHIPS: • Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors • A Professional Member of the Expert Witness Institute • Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators • A Member of the Society of Construction Law • Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors. Justin acts as an expert witness for construction claims, adjudications, arbitrations and civil proceedings including those in the Technology and Construction Court within the High Court. He provides expert reports for construction disputes, in particular, those relating to quantum, building defects, contracts, professional negligence, construction costs and fees. Justin has acted as expert and single joint expert on many occasions. He is regularly appointed as a party representative in adjudication proceedings by referring or responding parties and is often instructed by solicitors to support adjudication proceedings for claimants or defendants. RICS duties have included Global and UK Chair of the Quantity Surveying and Construction Professional Group boards, a past member of the International Governing Council and co-author of the RICS New Rules of Measurement 2 (the standard for the detailed measurement of construction work). Justin is Deputy Chair of the Construction Industry Council and Chair of the International Construction Measurement Standards Coalition and past General Secretary for the European Committee of Construction Economists. Justin specialises in project management, quantity surveying and project monitoring for commercial projects and international super-prime residential projects in places such as London, Gibraltar, the Cayman Islands and UAE. He has chaired and spoken at many conferences for the RICS and the CEEC and is skilled at organising and facilitating networking clubs and events.

Graham started at Willmott Dixon as a management trainee nearly twenty years ago and was our Trainee of the Year in 2002. Graham has played in a number of important areas of finance and was behind the Earlypay initiative that allows our cat A supply chain partners to be paid within 14 days of their invoices being validated. Promoted to the main board in 2018 as our Chief Financial Officer, Graham is an example of our ethos of developing and promoting our people so that they can enjoy a 'career of a lifetime' at Willmott Dixon, equipping them with the opportunity of reaching their full potential with us.

Karen is an Executive Director with over 30 years’ experience in Human Resources in both the public and private sectors, supporting businesses in the consultancy, construction, retail and sales + marketing industries. She has led and successfully implemented major business change programmes focussed on creating long term sustainable value through engagement and empowerment of employees and teams. Deploying teams in some unusual, diverse and hazardous locations across the globe, she has gained invaluable experience in ensuring their safety and security in such locations as Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia and Nigeria, whilst ensuring project delivery for the client. Karen is currently working as a Board Director with the construction company Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd, responsible for People and Infrastructure, including People, Property & Facilities Management, Business Systems and Compliance & Security.

David is a construction partner in international law firm Charles Russell Speechlys. He is qualified as both a solicitor and a barrister, and joined legacy firm Charles Russell in 2005 to establish, lead and develop its construction group which he did until 2017. He is now the firm’s co-lead for the construction and infrastructure sectors. He also has a large following on social media, blogging regularly on construction law developments and digital disruption in the construction sector. He is a co-author of Charles Russell Speechlys’ report "The New Real - unlocking gains through smart buildings" and editor of "Partnering & Collaborative Working" (published by Informa Law / Routledge). David specialises in both UK & international construction law, both contentious and non-contentious. He acts for governments, developers, institutions, contractors, sub-contractors, funders, designers and construction consultants. In his international work, David is particularly focussed on the middle east region, and is currently advising a government client on one of the largest infrastructure projects in the region. He also delivers training on FIDIC and IChemE contracts throughout the MENA region, including in Bahrain, UAE, Syria and Oman. Chambers 2020 lists him as a Band 1 "Leader in his Field" and Legal 500 described him as "the kind of litigator you want on your side – good with the law, a fantastic thinker and able to engage in commercial bargaining with the other side".