Jack Duncanson

Biography

Jack is an Associate specialising in construction law. He advises clients on both transactional and contentious construction law matters.

He advises clients involved in development projects including developers, contractors, sub-contractors, consultants and funders on a wide range of projects across the UK. This involves drafting construction contracts including suites of JCT contract amendments (including, Design & Build, Standard Build, Minor Works and Intermediate forms of contract) and negotiating these with other parties, along with novations, collateral warranties, consultant appointments and other bespoke forms of contract.

Jack also advises clients in relation to disputes and issues arising in connection with construction projects. He acts for clients in formal and informal dispute resolution procedures, including in the courts, adjudication, and alternative dispute resolution such as mediation. Jack also provides advice to clients on avoiding and averting potential disputes and issues arising during construction projects.

Expertise and Past Cases

• One Heritage Tower: One Heritage is a 55-storey development that will be one of the tallest buildings in Greater Manchester. Jack is dealing with all consultant appointments on this project.
• Styles & Wood Limited (in Administration) v G.E C.I.F Trustees Ltd [2020] EWHC 2694 (TCC): Acted on behalf of the claimant in this case to successfully enforce an adjudicator’s decision in favour of a party in liquidation. This was the first case post-Bresco where an insolvent party has been successful in enforcing an adjudicator’s award in the Courts.
• Confidential client: Advising the contractor of a residential apartment building in relation to a dispute over the final account, including a mediation and adjudication process. A substantial adjudicator’s award was secured in our client’s favour.
• Gladman: Preparation and negotiation of construction packages for developments across the North West. This includes building contracts, consultant appointments and bespoke forms of sub-contracts.
• Confidential client: Jack is acting for a freeholder in respect of the remediation of cladding on a high-rise building in Manchester.
• TAD Construction: Advising a contractor on the terms of the construction contract for a 33-house development in Derbyshire.
• Confidential client: Completing due diligence reviews of construction documents in association with wider Real Estate/Finance transactions.
• Confidential client: Representing a main contractor in adjudication proceedings in relation to the refurbishment and extension of a secondary school.

Articles

• Case analysis titled Successful enforcement of an adjudicator’s decision in favour of an insolvent company (Styles & Wood v GE CIF Trustees) published by LexisNexis on 06.10.20.
• Co-authored Thomson Reuters Practical Law – Construction Law Blog: Successful adjudication enforcement in favour of an insolvent company dated 10.20 accessed here.

Jack is also a member of the Society of Construction Law.

Between March 2018 and 2020, Jack completed his training contract with Myerson. During which, he completed seats in Commercial Real Estate, Real Estate Finance, Corporate / Commercial, Commercial Litigation and Construction.

Jack holds a qualifying law degree from the University of Dundee and a postgraduate diploma in legal practice from the University of Law.

Prior to joining Myerson, Jack worked as a Senior Paralegal at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, where he assisted on client mandates from around the globe. In this capacity, Jack worked as a part of high-profile, multi-jurisdictional project teams with a particular emphasis on Corporate, Finance and Antitrust Competition & Trade work.