Christopher Linnett
Construction Industry Adjudicator
and Chartered Arbitrator
Director of Christopher Linnett Ltd
ADJUDICATION
Adjudication, in its current format, was introduced into the UK construction industry by section 108 of the Housing Grants, Construction & Regeneration Act 1996, albeit the Act only came into force two years later, in 1998.
The Act provides that parties to a construction contract (other than 'residential occupiers') must include provision for differences and disputes to be referred to adjudication. If compliant adjudication provisions are not expressly included in the terms, the Act provides that the ‘Scheme for Construction Contracts’ is implied into the contract. The Scheme is a set of adjudication provisions produced by the government.
Adjudication provides for disputes to be decided by an Adjudicator, within 28 days of the date the dispute being referred (albeit this time period may be extended in certain circumstances).
Christopher Linnett received one of the first adjudicator appointments in 1998 and has since acted as Adjudicator in hundreds of cases. He has also acted for parties, as an expert witness or advisor, in many adjudications.
A summary of his experience is provided in his CV and more details can be provided on request.
ARBITRATION
Arbitration has been used by parties to resolve commercial disputes for many centuries. In the UK,the first Arbitration Act was passed in 1698. Arbitration is currently governed by the Arbitration Act 1996.
Arbitration is private process. The procedure and timetable can be adapted to suit the size and complexity of the dispute. In general, the person appointed as the Arbitrator will have experience and expertise in the subject matter of the dispute.
Christopher Linnett has been appointed as Arbitrator in over two hundred cases (in both construction and package holiday disputes). The construction disputes he has decided have ranged in value from a few thousand pounds to millions of pounds
In the past, he has also acted as an expert witness and given evidence in arbitration hearings.
A summary of his experience is provided in his CV. More details can be provided on request.
TERMS & FEES
A full set of terms of engagement will be provided upon request.
Unless agreed otherwise, time worked following an adjudication or arbitration appointment will be charged at the rate of £300.00 plus VAT per hour.
Time worked will be carefully recorded throughout the day in one-tenths of an hour.
The hourly rate is inclusive of the costs of secretarial and other administrative assistance. Therefore, no additional charge will be made for time spent scanning, photocopying, printing, making travel arrangements, keeping timesheets, preparing and submitting fee summaries / invoices or receptionist / telephonist duties.
The hourly rate does not include disbursements and expenses such as rail fares, car parking fees, taxi fares, couriers, hire of meeting rooms, hotels and (where overnight stays are required to attend meetings or visit sites) or subsistence. These costs will be charged separately (without mark-up).
CV
Christopher
Linnett
Bsc DipArb FRICS FCIArb
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Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators since 1996 (Associate in 1992)
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Diploma in Arbitration awarded in 1996
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Fellow of RICS (the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) since 1996 (Associate in 1987)
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Bachelor of Science in Quantity Surveying awarded in 1982
2. Employment History
Since 2014
Director of Christopher Linnett Ltd, acting mainly as adjudicator and arbitrator on construction disputes in the UK.
2003 to 2014
Sole practitioner acting as adjudicator, arbitrator, expert witness and advisor on construction disputes, mainly in the UK.
1994 to 2003
Director of Harold Crowter Associates Ltd, in charge of the London office from 1997 to 2003 and director of the Hong Kong office from 1997 to 2000. Appointed to act as expert witness, advisor, arbitrator and adjudicator on construction disputes in the UK and occasionally overseas.
1987 to 1994
Senior Quantity Surveyor for building and civil engineering contractors in UK on projects including road and bridge works, sewage plant, housing, industrial units and hotel refurbishment.
1983 to 1987
Project Quantity Surveyor for building and civil engineering contractor in South Africa, on projects including residential and commercial tower blocks, multi-storey car parks, city centre shopping complex and industrial facilities (brick factory and flour mill).
1977 to 1983
Quantity Surveyor for building contractors and developers.
3. Appointments as Adjudicator
Just over four hundred appointments to act as adjudicator since 1998. Registered with the Adjudicator Nominating Bodies of the RICS and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and named in a number of contracts.
Acted as adjudicator in the reported cases of:
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VHE Construction PLC v RBSTB Trust Co Ltd [2000]
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Elanay Contracts Ltd v The Vestry [2000]
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Austin Hall Building Ltd v Buckland Securities Ltd [2001]
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Richard Rogers Partnership v National Assembly for Wales [2002]
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Try Construction Ltd v Eton Town House Group Ltd [2003]
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ART Consultancy Ltd v Navera Trading Ltd [2007]
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Linnett v Halliwells [2009]
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Matthew Harding (t/a M J Harding Contractors) v G Paice & K Springall [2014] TCC and [2015] Court of Appeal – see references to ‘the third adjudication’
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G Paice & K Springall v Matthew Harding (t/a M J Harding Contractors) [2016]
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Christopher Linnett Ltd v Matthew Harding (t/a M J Harding Contractors) [2017]
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Bexheat Ltd v Essex Services Group Ltd [2022] – see references to ‘the third adjudication’
4. Appointments as Arbitrator
Just under two hundred appointments to act as arbitrator on construction disputes (58) and package holiday disputes (138) since 1997.
Experience of documents-only cases and procedures involving preliminary meetings, interlocutory applications, full hearings, at which both sides have been represented by barristers, writing awards and deciding on allocation and assessment of the costs of the arbitration.
Registered on the following panels of arbitrators: (i) Construction and Business (run by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators); (ii) Coal Subsidence Scheme (run by CEDR); (iii) NHBC Home Owners' Scheme; (iv) Construction and Engineering (run by RICS).
5. Appointments as Expert Witness & Party Advisor (1995 to 2020)
Received two hundred and twelve appointments to act as party or jointly appointed expert witness or advisor from 1995 to 2020.
Experience of writing expert reports, attending experts’ meetings, producing joint reports and giving evidence under cross examination, in the County Court, High Court and in arbitration proceedings.
Acted as expert in the reported cases of:
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McGlinn v Waltham Contractors Ltd & Others [2007]
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Goldswain and Hale v Beltec Ltd [2015]
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ICI Ltd v Merit Merrell Technology Ltd [2018]
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Blackpool BC v VolkerFitzpatrick Ltd & Others [2020]
6. Publications
Co-author of About Time: Delay Analysis in Construction, written with Stephen Lowsley, published by RICS Books in April 2006 (no longer in print).
Author of RICS Guidance Notes on Acceleration (published in 2011), Extensions of Time (2014) and Arbitration (2017) and author of a number of articles on dispute resolution, valuing variations, loss and expense, acceleration and extensions of time published in various trade journals.
7. Lecturing
Visiting tutor and examiner on the Post Graduate Diploma in Arbitration at the College of Estate Management, Reading, from 2001 to 2016.
Lecturer and examiner on the RICS Diploma in Adjudication from 2009 to 2019.
Tutor on a number of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators courses on adjudication and arbitration since 2013.
8. Work for Professional Bodies
One of the RICS representatives on JCT Council (from 2008 to 2022). Previously sat on various committees of the RICS and Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
9. Further Information
A number of spreadsheets and other back-up information is maintained to support the information summarised in this CV.
If further information is required, please email.
CONTACT
Office:
Christopher Linnett Limited
7 Bell Yard
London
WC2A 2JR
Registered Office:
Christopher Linnett Limited
30 Main Street
Bisbrooke
Rutland LE15 9EP
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