Beale & Co Expands Global Presence with New Office Launch in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

International construction and insurance law firm - and AIA UK sponsor - Beale & Co announced today the opening of a new office in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The office enhances Beale & Co’s wider growth strategy in its key global construction markets, supporting its Canadian and international clients with their construction and infrastructure project needs for contract drafting and negotiation, collaborative contract work, project bid / support work, project advisory work and strategic advice on risk management and disputes.

Beale & Co’s new office in Canada will be led by construction and infrastructure lawyer Andrés Durán, an Ontario and BC qualified lawyer who was formerly SVP Legal Services and General Counsel at one of the largest construction and infrastructure services companies in Canada.

Andrés joins as a Partner with over 15 years’ experience working in the infrastructure sector in Canada, with significant expertise in construction, operations and maintenance, and other general infrastructure matters. He has worked with a wide range of public and private sector companies and agencies in bringing marquee projects to completion and into operation across Canada. He has also overseen and managed complex disputes and insurance litigation during his in-house career.

Andrés strengthens Beale & Co’s international contracts and projects advisory team, led by Will Buckby and comprising over 20 experienced lawyers.

Opening an office in Canada reinforces Beale & Co’s commitment to developing its international platform, which currently includes offices in England, Ireland, Scotland, and the UAE, that collectively work across 60 countries and five continents.

Antony Smith comments: “The construction, energy and infrastructure sector in Canada is booming and the opportunities for contractors and consultants are vast. The Firm is already well connected with many of these firms operating in Canada, either through work on Canadian or on international projects. With our strategy having always been to follow our clients, an office in Toronto is a natural expansion of Beale & Co’s international team and provides an even greater opportunity to support our clients more broadly.”

Andrés Durán, says: “Beale & Co’s expansion to Canada represents a significant opportunity for the construction and infrastructure market here. As something I have been a part of for over 15 years, I know that there is a demand for additional international boutique legal support in this area focussed on the needs, opportunities and challenges faced in the industry.”

Beale & Co has over 60 years’ experience providing specialised expert legal advice to the construction, engineering, infrastructure, and insurance sectors globally, with over 120 lawyers spread across its offices in England, Ireland, Scotland, the UAE and now Canada.

*Beale & Co is an international law firm operating through various separate and distinct legal entities. As such, Beale & Co LLP in Canada is a separate and distinct legal entity from Beale & Company Solicitors LLP in England and Wales, Beale & Co LLP in Ireland, and Beale & Company (Middle East). For further information about these matters please refer to the Legal Notices page of the Beale & Co website here.

For further information, please contact:

Katie Garrett, Head of Business Development

E: k.garrett@beale-law.com

T: +44 (0) 20 7469 0470

Beale & Co Update: Digesting the Grenfell Report – Impact on Product Manufacturers

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry published the highly anticipated Phase 2 Report into the fire at Grenfell Tower in September. At its centre lies the significant human tragedy, as the fire in June 2017 claimed 72 lives, and injuring and impacting many others.

AIA UK sponsor Beale & Co’s latest instalment of the “Digesting the Grenfell Report” series, looks at the Phase 2 of the inquiry, specifically regarding product manufacturers and the insulation products installed on the tower.

Click the button below for the article by Sheena Sood and Joanna Lewis:

GRENFELL TOWER INQUIRY: PHASE 2 REPORT – Summary of main findings

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry published the highly anticipated Phase 2 Report into the fire at Grenfell Tower last week. At its centre lies the significant human tragedy, as the fire in June 2017 claimed 72 lives, and injuring and impacting many others.

The voluminous Phase 2 Report examines detailed evidence on the circumstances surrounding the fire. In this summary article by AIA UK sponsor Beale & Co, the first in our “Digesting the Grenfell Report” series over the coming weeks, Sheena Sood, Joanna Lewis and Michael Salau summarise some of the Panel’s main conclusions and recommendations and contemplate the potential implications of these findings for the wider construction industry and the ambition to build a safer future.

Written by Sheena Sood, Joanna Lewis and Michael Salau

Vote in the 2024 USA Elections

As you know, 2024 is an election year in the USA.  Living in the UK does not affect your right to vote but may take a bit of planning.  If you are already registered to vote in your home state, you need to contact your local election board and ask for an absentee ballot or go to www.fvap.gov to obtain the standard form.  This must be done for each year that you plan to vote.  If you aren’t registered to vote, or you’re not sure, go to www.votefromabroad.org to register and request your ballot for 2024.  As we saw from the last presidential election, every vote counts.  It is important to exercise your right to vote!

Beale & Co News: Courts Enforce an Overriding Duty of Care Clause

An overriding duty of care clause (limiting duties to reasonable skill and care) has in recent years become more common and more desirable to negotiate into contracts involving design. In a key recent decision in which Beale & Company Solicitors LLP acted for AECOM, the successful party, the court upheld the effect and importance of an overriding duty of care clause. 

Written by Andrew Croft, Felicity Hird and Rhia Gould

Beale & Co News: Market Trends in the Construction Industry in 2023 and how to Tackle Them in 2024

As the first two months of 2024 draws to a close, we feel it is an opportune time to reflect on some of the trends we saw in the construction industry in 2023 and hopefully look with some positivity at what is to come in 2024.

2023 was, in lots of ways, a difficult year for the construction industry. It was plagued by inflation, increased cost of materials, skilled labour shortages, a cost-of-living crisis and the ongoing effects of the Russo-Ukrainian war. It was not all doom and gloom though. We saw a real increase in the focus on climate change and decarbonisation in construction projects globally and in the use of digital technologies to improve efficiencies. We also saw the introduction of secondary legislation under the Building Safety Act which reflected a hugely important step towards a safer built environment.

This article will reflect on these important trends.

Market trends in the construction industry in 2023 and how to tackle them in 2024 | Beale & Co (beale-law.com)

Written by Andrew Croft & Ellie Eastwood