Tom Weld Director

Tom is a director within the firm’s construction and engineering team. He advises a wide range of public and private sector clients on issues relating to construction and engineering projects and PFI agreements and has particular experience in advising on building safety issues.

Tom specialises in advising on dispute avoidance and, where a dispute is unavoidable, on the resolution of that dispute – whether by way of negotiation, mediation, adjudication, arbitration or litigation.

Prior to qualifying as a solicitor, Tom trained and worked as an architect and has an excellent insight into the specific issues and challenges faced by clients operating within the construction sector.

• Advising a housing association in relation to the replacement of the combustible aluminium cladding installed on a residential tower block and the rectification of additional defects in the design and construction that were discovered during the remedial process.
• Advising a local authority in defending a £4.8 million final account claim arising under a framework agreement for the maintenance and renovation of the authority’s residential housing stock that was settled by way of mediation for circa £860,000. 
• Advising a PFI project company in relation to its alleged liability to rectify construction defects in the fire protection systems and external cladding of a PFI hospital under a PFI sub-contract and/or fire safety regulations.
• Advising an NHS trust in relation to a multi-million pound claim arising as a result of systemic defects in the fire protection systems and electrical systems installed at a PFI hospital. Assisting the Trust in settling the claim by way of targeted adjudication and negotiation including the negotiation of a deed of variation to the PFI agreement to improve the future operation and management of the project.
• Advising a local authority on the termination of a partnering agreement for the provision of ICT, revenue, benefits and facility management services and defending the private sector partner’s £8.3 million claim for compensation that was settled by way of mediation for £950,000.
• Advising an NHS trust in respect of the rectification of latent defects in a new hospital constructed under a LIFT LPA, the continued occupation of the hospital and the Trust’s entitlement to deductions.
• Advising an unincorporated joint venture vehicle appointed as building contractor under a BSF scheme in a series of adjudications to determine the joint venture’s obligations under the CDM regulations and entitlement to compensation in respect of delay, prolongation and additional work.
• Advising a local authority in the resolution of a complex dispute arising out of the delayed completion of new council facilities that risked preventing the commencement of other local regeneration projects. Successfully utilised a targeted adjudication to resolve key elements of the dispute that permitted the negotiated resolution of remaining disputes and the commencement of the regeneration projects.