James Bowling

James represents clients worldwide in all aspects of projects and construction and engineering disputes. He regularly acts in large scale, complex multi-party cases, either alone or heading up a team with the assistance of a junior. He enjoys highly technical cases, especially those involving large teams of experts and is an experienced cross-examiner. He has significant experience of insolvency-related construction disputes as well as those where serious allegations of fraud and dishonesty are being made.

Featured Projects, Construction & Engineering cases

• Urgent without notice injunctive relief to restrain an allegedly fraudulent call on a bond on high profile infrastructure project in Qatar (Qatar International Court).

• A high profile 3-week trial of an alleged dishonest conspiracy between a contractor and project manager, including substantial cross-examination (TCC, London)

• Highly complex multi-million € dispute concerning an international hotel renovation (ICC arbitration).

• Dispute regarding economic duress as a vitiating factor in relation to inter-related plant supply contracts for a major high-profile redevelopment (TCC, London).

• $200m ICC arbitration concerning a major hub airport.

• High value, complex IT installation dispute regarding a new build air port (ICC arbitration).

• £5m multi-party dispute in relation to the redevelopment of a care home (TCC, London).

• Trial concerning an “ambassadorial” status property in central London giving rise to complex issues of termination, extensions of time and prolongation, together with related allegations of professional negligence against the design team.  The trial involved allegations of dishonesty and extensive cross-examination, as well as urgent injunctive relief (TCC, London)

• A large final account dispute concerning a leading London hotel chain involving allegations of multiple design and construction defects (TCC, London).

• 3-week arbitration on termination and final account disputes between a main contractor and a borough council involving allegations of fraud and dishonesty, as well as substantial claims for extensions of time and associated prolongation costs, as well as counterclaims involving allegations of substantial defects and health and safety issues (arbitration, London).

• Disputed termination of a hotel renovation on the French Riveria involving multiple allegations of dishonesty (TCC, London).

• Concurrent arbitrations concerning a World Bank funded road redevelopment scheme in Ethiopia, acting alone against silk (ICC arbitration)

• Arbitration concerning a major Middle East infrastructure project, involving disputes over the duty of good faith, programming and quantum evidence, acceleration and delay issues (ICC arbitration).

• Acting in several large multi-party proceedings for consulting engineers regarding alleged defects in fire strategy and cladding systems, including consideration of the Defective Premises Act 1972 and Building Liability Orders under the Building Safety Act 2022 (TCC, London)