Led by Esther McDermott, Dentons' practice is known to act for developers, contractors, funders, and asset owners in contentious construction matters. It also has strong expertise advising on building safety claims and representing clients in international arbitrations. McDermott has experience handling Technology and Communication Court litigation, and is further joined by Akin Akinbode, who advises on fire safety and design defect claims. Michael Wright has experience on domestic and international contentious construction matters.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- The team does a great job of simultaneously being very knowledgeable about both the factual and technical details of a case and keeping an eye on the pragmatic commercial elements. They are proactive in forming the best team possible for the benefit of their clients, whether that's with internal colleagues in other sectors, technical experts, or counsel.
- A large and very well-supported team with small and large-scale capabilities.
- Akin Akinbode - great leader, great guy, very knowledgeable and personable. George Harris - destined for big things, great guy, great lawyer and a pleasure to work with. Cheryl Ferguson - great person, hard working and thorough, a pleasure to work with.
Key clients
- Alexander Maltby Limited
- Taylor Wimpey UK Limited
Work highlights
Represent Alexander Maltby Limited, who is a contractor, in a complex, multi-party Technology and Construction Court litigation in relation to works comprised of various alterations at the Employer's property in London.
Act for Taylor Wimpey in a major TCC claim (c. £40m) arising from extensive fire safety and design defects at a London residential development, including pursuit of Building Liability Orders under the Building Safety Act 2022 following the contractor’s administration.
Practice head
Esther McDermott
Other key lawyers
Akin Akinbode; Michael Wright