Introducing Lawbuild Solicitors

Lawbuild is a niche law firm based at Finchley in north London. We specialise in construction agreements and appointments, and other contracts for services.

By getting these contracts right we are helping to deliver legal security to our clients, be they developers, construction companies, colleges, construction professionals, or anyone developing or fitting out property or commissioning services.

We don't do litigation or arbitration, town and country planning, or conveyancing - which means we can focus on our core specialism of non-contentious construction law. But we work closely with commercial property and litigation lawyers. And we can help other solicitors who need advice or help with construction contracts but don't have the necessary in-house expertise.

Our principal, David Lewis, has over 30 years' experience in construction, spanning his eleven years with a City law firm and 20 years in local government.

Our watchwords are security and marketability. In construction, these considerations are especially important when the cost of works runs into six, seven or eight figures.

If you are a designer or contractor, you need the security of a contract which clearly states your monetary entitlement, and which protects you against unfair or excessive claims.

If you are developing or fitting out property, you need the security of knowing you can sue designers and contractors if defects arise which are their fault. And you need the ability to deliver this security to a buyer or tenant, without which you may find it difficult to sell or let the property: marketability, in other words.

Likewise, if you are buying or renting property which has recently been constructed or fitted out, you need that same security of knowing you can sue the designers and contractors for defects which are their responsibility, and the ability to transmit that security to a future buyer or tenant. Just as your conveyancing solicitor will investigate your title to the property, so Lawbuild will check and report on the security and marketability of the construction documents, which can be equally important.

Our main "product" is an agreement, or a set of agreements, which will provide contractual security, and marketability, for the client who is developing or fitting out property (whether on a one-off basis or as part of a business), or who is a construction company or construction professional.

To this end we draft, review, negotiate, report on, and/or finalise appointments, building contracts, performance bonds, guarantees, collateral warranties, novations, and any other construction-related agreement; and most types of contract for services.

Since it takes two (or more) to agree the terms of a contract, security cannot be guaranteed. But where despite all our efforts sufficient security is not available, we will provide the clearest possible report to help the client take the right decision.

We don't make promises we can't keep. So if for any reason we are not confident that we can do your work properly and on time, we won't take it on in the first place.