Building Safety Act

Expert speakers

Topic 1: The regulations 

Lukas Rootman: Lukas Rootman is a Partner in our Health & Safety team with particular expertise in regulatory matters covering incidents and advisory work.

He has extensive experience and has represented leading companies in relation to the full spectrum of regulatory matters, including health and safety, fire and building safety and environmental matters.  Lukas regularly assist clients from the start of an incident, advising on internal investigations; engagement with the Police, regulators and coroners; representation during PACE interviews; advising on appeals against enforcement notices; inquests; and representation during prosecutions.

Mark Davies: Mark is a barrister at 6 Pump Court who has considerable experience in the background to the Building Safety Act 2022.

He was (and remains) instructed by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in its response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and has advised on both historic and current issues arising from matters of building safety.

Topic 2: What impact is the BSA having in practice? 

Helen E Johnson: Helen is a Partner in the firm’s construction practice, specialising in providing strategic procurement advice for major multi-phase developments, as well as drafting, reviewing and negotiating contracts on a broad range of complex residential, office, retail and leisure projects.

Helen assists clients in navigating the requirements of the Building Safety Act 2022 and its secondary legislation in relation to new and ongoing projects, as well as drafting appropriate contractual frameworks to allow for the new regulatory regime.  

Ross Annable: Ross is deputy legal director at Bouygues UK.

Ross has been with Bouygues UK since 2010, having moved from Dentons where he was a Senior Associate. Ross leads the pre-construction team within the Legal Department and more recent experience includes the UCLH Grafton Way Building and Proton Beam Therapy Centre, the Ray Dolby Centre at the University of Cambridge and the new Moorfields Eye Hospital at St Pancras.

Becky Rowell: Becky is head of legal at Multiplex.

As Head of Legal, Becky has legal oversight over all of Multiplex’s UK portfolio of construction projects.  She takes a hands-on role for the full lifecycle of those projects and her experience includes projects like 100 Bishopsgate, 22 Bishopsgate and Chelsea Barracks.  Becky also co-leads Multiplex’s Building Safety Working Group which is shaping how the company responds to the building safety legislation, together with its clients and supply chain.

Dave Savage: Dave is board director at Whittam Cox Architects.

Dave, a chartered architect, has overall management responsibility for Design and Implementation teams, working in numerous sectors in large-scale commercial projects across all work stages.

His commercial and managerial attributes are underpinned by a strong personal commitment to ensure that a project is undertaken with integrity, competence, and efficiency, to the exacting standards of the brief and the expectations of our clients.

Mick Cahill: Mick is director for major projects at Socotec

With more than three decades in Building Control, Mick Cahill's proficiency spans diverse project categories. As the Director of Major Projects, Mick has extensive expertise in complex mixed-use projects where a clear understanding of fire engineering and intricate fire strategies is required. Mick excels in providing pragmatic and precise advice to clients navigating building regulations.

Topic 3: How are the courts applying the legislation?

Catherine Gelder: Catherine is a Partner and specialises in construction and engineering claims and disputes.

Catherine is the lead lawyer for CMS advising on construction claims arising from safety issues.  She has extensive experience in dealing with fire safety, cladding and structural safety claims.  Over her 20 years of practice, she has advised on all aspects of these claims in all forums, including more recently advising developers in relation to their obligations under the Government’s Self Remediation Terms.  She is also acting for URS in the upcoming Supreme Court hearing of URS v BDW, which will be the first occasion that the Supreme Court will consider the Defective Premises Act and the Building Safety Act.

Lucinda Barker: Lucy is a Senior Associate in the Infrastructure, Construction and Energy Disputes team and is based in London.

Lucy has over 10 years of experience in big-ticket litigation, arbitration, adjudication and ADR processes and also regularly provides live project advice to help clients effectively manage risk on their projects. Lucy acts for clients from all sides of the industry and on all aspects of construction claims. Lucy has a particular interest in acting for Developer and Landlord clients in technically complex high value disputes including fire safety issues. Lucy is also part of the team at CMS advising URS in the ongoing litigation with BDW.

Sarah Pope: Sarah is Of Counsel in the Real Estate Disputes team and is based in the Sheffield office.

Sarah has over 12 years of experience at the firm acting for both landlord and tenant clients in the private and public sector. This experience covers a full range of real estate disputes including business lease renewals and terminations, service charge disputes, rent review, dilapidations, possession claims against trespassers and tenants, advising on applications for consent to assign/sub-let, vacant possession strategies and landlord and tenant insolvency. Sarah also has a particular interest in residential/mixed-use buildings, including real estate issues arising out of the Building Safety Act 2022.

Sarah Collins: Sarah is a Senior Associate in the Real Estate Disputes team and is based in London.

Sarah specialises in all aspects of residential disputes, with expertise in enfranchisement and right to manage claims, the regulation of residential service charges and disposals under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 (tenants’ rights of first refusal). Sarah acts for a range of landlord clients and has developed a particular interest in advising on the landlord and tenant implications of the Building Safety Act 2022.