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Chris Hallam

Partner

Portrait ofChristopher Hallam

Chris Hallam

Partner

Contact
CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
1 The Avenue
Manchester
M3 3AP
United Kingdom
Languages English

Chris specialises in construction, engineering and infrastructure projects and has advised on some of the most high profile projects to have been procured in the UK.

He has particular expertise advising on the construction and engineering aspects of complicated projects including in the PFI and PPP arena. Chris has extensive experience of construction procurement and support businesses with their strategy and contractual approach, to ensure that the best commercial model is adopted. He has extensive experience negotiating and drafting EPC/D&B contracts across various sectors and is fully cognisant of the requirements of the various stakeholders, in particular the project funders. His experience of working with the construction supply chain means he also understands the issues that will be of most concern to them – allowing time to be spent more efficiently and effectively on what really matters.

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"He is really practical, understands client concerns and has a great team under him to support."

Chambers, 2024

"Chris Hallam is responsive, quick to understand issues and provides sound advice dealing with key issues."

Chambers, 2024

"A true professional and expert in his field, Chris is always committed to achieving his client's objectives pragmatically and effectively and is the reason for our continued instruction."

Chambers, 2024

" Incredibly pragmatic and cost effective expertise."

Legal 500, 2024

"Chris Hallam is very approachable and has an excellent level of experience and broad knowledge. He readily gives advice but also listens well."

Chambers, 2023

"Chris has built a good team at CMS and he is working on significant, complex projects."`

Chambers, 2023

"His advice is both legally sound and practical and is well trusted for these qualities."

Chambers, 2023

"Chris Hallam provides a very pragmatic and an excellent client focussed approach."

Legal 500, 2023

"Is 'commercially astute, approachable and diligent. He has a passionate personality and a strong, confident meeting style which is much appreciated by clients'."

Legal 500, 2020

"provides excellent, thorough, highly informed and timely advice"

Chambers, 2019

"provides excellent, thorough, highly informed and timely advice"

Legal 500, 2018

“The “knowledgeable” Chris Hallam is “singled out for praise for [his] broad understanding”

Legal 500

"He is really practical, understands client concerns and has a great team under him to support."

Chambers, 2024

"Chris Hallam is responsive, quick to understand issues and provides sound advice dealing with key issues."

Chambers, 2024

"A true professional and expert in his field, Chris is always committed to achieving his client's objectives pragmatically and effectively and is the reason for our continued instruction."

Chambers, 2024

" Incredibly pragmatic and cost effective expertise."

Legal 500, 2024

"Chris Hallam is very approachable and has an excellent level of experience and broad knowledge. He readily gives advice but also listens well."

Chambers, 2023

"Chris has built a good team at CMS and he is working on significant, complex projects."`

Chambers, 2023

"His advice is both legally sound and practical and is well trusted for these qualities."

Chambers, 2023

"Chris Hallam provides a very pragmatic and an excellent client focussed approach."

Legal 500, 2023

"Is 'commercially astute, approachable and diligent. He has a passionate personality and a strong, confident meeting style which is much appreciated by clients'."

Legal 500, 2020

"provides excellent, thorough, highly informed and timely advice"

Chambers, 2019

"provides excellent, thorough, highly informed and timely advice"

Legal 500, 2018

“The “knowledgeable” Chris Hallam is “singled out for praise for [his] broad understanding”

Legal 500

Relevant experience

  • Greater Manchester Waste PFI – advising the SPV on the £5bn Greater Manchester waste management PFI project - Europe’s largest municipal waste management/energy from waste project. This deal comprised eight different waste and energy technologies across 48 facilities over 42 sites, debt funded by a club of eight lenders with prudential borrowing, significant EIB funding and the first project to use TIFU funding. Chris led on all the construction arrangements including drafting the EPC contract and related documentation, the interface arrangements between the EPC contractor and the operator, flowing finance agreement requirements into the construction arrangements and (unusually on a PFI arrangement) preparing and ‘feeding up’ construction drafting into the project agreement in order that the construction, commissioning and completion arrangements between the EPC Contract and the project agreement were seamless. Chris continues to advise on this project seven years after financial close.
  • Hinkley Point C new nuclear power station – advising Nuclear New Build Limited, the project developer, on the £16bn new station. Amongst other work streams, Chris led the teams dealing with the mechanical erection, electrical erection and HVAC packages and the highly complicated interface arrangements between these works.
  • Crossrail – advising various contractor clients on TfL’s £15bn Crossrail programme, including several of the tunnelling packages and the station boxes.
  • North Lanarkshire Schools PFI – advising Balfour Beatty on the project comprising the construction and maintenance of 24 brand new schools and community facilities on 17 sites. The project was also the first education PFI project in the UK to be financed by a public bond issue.
  • Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon – advising China Harbour on the £300m marine works package for the new tidal lagoon project at Swansea bay.
  • Enviroparks Hirwuan – advising Zeus Renewables on the development and construction of a new Energy from WEaste facility in South Wales.
  • Wembley Stadium – advising WNSL, the new stadium developer, on the demolition of the old stadium and construction of the new 90,000 seat national stadium at Wembley.
  • Hanhikivi new nuclear power station – advising the development manager in respect of the design and construction of a new nuclear power station at Pyhäjoki in Northern Finland.
  • Ipsen Pharma SA – advising Ipsen on the design and construction of various pharmaceutical laboratory/manufacturing/office facilities in the UK and overseas.
  • Heathrow Airport – advising the owner and operator of the fuel tank and hydrant system on various new developments and ongoing hydrant maintenance.
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Memberships & Roles

  • Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors
  • Society of Construction Law
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Publications

  • Chris writes for a number of industry and national publications - including Construction News and Building Magazine
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Lectures list

  • Chris regularly gives/hosts presentations and conferences on construction law topics, in particular with regard to Building Information Modelling (BIM), Smart Cities, the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ and the use of technology in the construction industry. He is an occasional industry commentator/‘talking head’ on BBC Breakfast, BBC News and BBC Radio 5Live.
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Education

  • 1996 – 1997 - PG Dip Legal Practice, Legal, Distinction - Nottingham Law School
  • 1993 – 1996 – Law (LL.B Hons), Legal, 2:1 – The Nottingham Trent University
  • 1990 – 1992 – St Thomas Aquinas College
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Expertise

Feed

04/09/2023
The new IChemE Blue Book for EPCM contracting
Earlier this year, the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) added a standard form Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) Contract, the Blue Book, to their suite. This is the...
Law-Now Real Estate
02/03/2023
New NEC4 amendments published: with sustainability and new working practices...
NEC has issued a third set of amendments for its NEC4 suite of contracts. The latest amendments take account of user feedback, the drive for sustainability, and changes to working practices following...
Law-Now Real Estate
27/06/2022
Court of Appeal solves collateral warranty adjudication riddle
A Court of Appeal decision last week has overturned a TCC decision concerning the right to adjudicate under collateral warranties. The Court’s decision confirms the potential for collateral warranties...
Law-Now Real Estate
13/04/2022
The NEC unveils new climate change clause 
Issues relating to climate change and the push to net, or absolute zero, are now part of our daily news and discourse and industries across the globe are considering how they can adapt to the new reality...
Law-Now Real Estate
25/02/2021
Playing by the rules: introducing the Construction Playbook
The UK Government published its first National Infrastructure Strategy in November 2020 setting out plans for an “in­fra­struc­ture revolution” with spending of £600bn over 5 years and a focus on innovation...
Law-Now Real Estate
06/11/2020
New NEC4 amendments published: with Triple Point and Rochford in mind
On 30 October 2020 NEC issued its second set of amendments for its NEC4 suite of contracts. The latest amendments take account of user feedback and recent legal developments. In this Law-Now, we outline...
Law-Now Real Estate
21/07/2020
Building law and regulation in the UK during Covid-19
1. Is there con­struc­tion-rel­ev­ant COVID-19 regulation? The Coronavirus Act 2020 became law on 26th March 2020. This legislation provides the UK government with wide ranging powers to make orders in order...
Expert Guide Real Estate
18/06/2020
Coronavirus and the Construction Industry: Cabinet Office Issues further...
Correct as at 16 June 2020. This article is not being maintained. Last Week the Cabinet Office released a Procurement Policy Note on ‘Recovery and Transition from COVID-19’ (“PPN 04/20”). This...
Law-Now Coronavirus (COVID-19)
24/03/2020
Coronavirus and the Construction Industry: Cabinet Office Issues Guidance...
Correct as of 3pm on 24 March 2020. This article is not being maintained. Late last week the Cabinet Office released a Procurement Policy Note on Supplier Relief due to COVID-19 (“PPN 02/20”) which...
Law-Now Coronavirus (COVID-19)
17/03/2020
Coronavirus and the construction industry: how the standard forms respond 
As the situation with Covid-19 worsens, there is a real prospect that construction operations on live sites will be prevented from proceeding, either because of force majeure or because of directly imposed...
Law-Now Coronavirus (COVID-19)
28/03/2019
Connected Future - Manchester
In partnership with Place North West, this event will explore the technology revolutionising infrastructure in our cities, and how you can best take advantage of these opportunities. Tech­no­logy-driv­en...
Event Legal
18/03/2019
How to sign an English Law Deed
This short, animated film below explains how you correctly sign a legal deed that is written in accordance with English Law
Guide
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