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Development Work

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Whether your development is commercial, residential, mixed use or of a regeneration nature, we are involved in some of the most significant projects across the world. We act for the full range of clients including owners, developers, funders, institutional investors, forward funding purchasers and tenants as well as the full array of construction industry players.

A core part of our real estate development and regeneration team that includes experts in the fields of planning, sustainability, environmental law, development finance, insurance, tax, facilities management and dispute resolution, we deliver a cradle to grave sector-based seamless service throughout and beyond the development lifecycle from planning and procurement to operation and maintenance.

Our lawyers sit on key industry committees that include the Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) and Scottish Building Contracts Committee (SBCC) drafting committees and the Construction Industry Council Liability Panel. We regularly speak at conferences across the globe on International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) contracts.

We understand the requirements of the built environment – not just in terms of the construction ‘musts’ concerning time, money and quality of delivery but also the opportunities and challenges the increasing globalisation of the rapidly evolving investment market brings.

We focus on the issues our clients face on a day-to-day basis. Our sector approach gives us unparalleled expertise in our specialist areas: commercial property; urban regeneration; hospitality and leisure; retirement accommodation; education and student accommodation; research laboratories and facilities; information technology datacentres; and production, distribution and logistics.

10/11/2023
Driving sustainability in real estate and construction
Contributing to the fight against climate change and creating social value are now priorities for the real estate and construction sectors.   The long-term nature of the built environment means that resilience and sustainability should be considered at every stage if buildings are to be environmentally and socially responsible. This brings both opportunities and challenges for the businesses that create, own or maintain it. They must consider the evolving technical, regulatory and market landscape, to ensure that their investments are future-proofed commercially, as well as environmentally and socially.This section of Bandwidth looks at some of the ESG issues that confront developers and property owners, and how they can incorporate practical solutions into their businesses.
Publication
Law-Now: Construction & Engineering
Visit Law-Now for legal know-how and commentary
Advising the Board

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01/11/2023
COP28
COP28 will take stock of the progress on the Paris Agreement, set at COP21 in 2015. CMS is contributing to the conversations at, and around, COP28 by hosting a series of events to collaborate, debate and look forward. Our specialists will publish soundbites and commentary here, on our COP28 hub, to share their perspectives on the impacts of the announcements and agreements. 
Publication
11/04/2023
Rebuilding Confidence: CMS International Construction Study 2023
Introduction In this era of low economic growth and high inflation, it is no surprise that the construction industry is facing a brutally challenging period. Rocketing interest rates, escalating material and labour costs, and growing pessimism, are heaping pressure on the sector. Across the construction supply chain, insolvencies have been rampant in many countries.This unforgiving climate and gloomy outlook is delaying or deferring spending and investment, but it is also creating concern, tension and discord in existing construction projects. These difficulties must be worked through by project stakeholders to stave off full-scale disputes, yet dispute resolution proceedings, such as arbitration, frequently occur across the industry.The bleak backdrop forms the foundation of the CMS International Construction Study 2023, which draws on extensive responses collected in late 2022 from industry experts and targeted interviews with selected senior professionals. The report outlines the difficult circumstances that the sector faces, but highlights the measures that can be taken to limit or prevent the fallout.
Publication
07/03/2023
Construction Focus 2023
The CMS Construction team invites you to Construction Focus 2023, our annual construction law review.We will discuss recent developments in case law and key legal themes we are coming across in­clud­ing: fire...
Event Webinar
15/06/2022
Construction Focus On: Developers
Join us for a session looking at essential construction issues for developers, employers and owners in Scotland. We’ll be discussing how building contracts are reacting to world events and current market...
Event Webinar
11/10/2021
Readjusting Risks: CMS International Construction Survey 2021
Introduction The COVID-19 crisis is an extreme example of the many unexpected incidents that impact construction projects, resulting in heightened tensions and disputes amongst stakeholders. The pandemic has accentuated many of the typical frictions that occur in the construction industry, as well as highlight new challenges. No matter how experienced or astute the parties to a project are, when negotiating and concluding contracts, there is always the potential for an unforeseen event to cause major disruption, resulting in commercial pressures and financial losses.Re­ad­just­ing Risks, the latest CMS International Construction Survey for 2021, is available to download now. This year's report examined more than 50 responses from senior members of the industry and conducted interviews with leading figures that have key responsibilities for construction contracts, projects and the resolution of disputes. The survey drew in responses from across the world, especially Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin Amer­ica.    The report showcases the primary trends in the market, from the increasing enthusiasm for arbitration as a preferred form of dispute resolution, along with mounting preferences for mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), to industry-wide recognition that keeping better records and managing change more effectively are vital to minimising tensions and potential disputes. It also reviews the additional strain of COVID-19 on the industry.
Publication
09/09/2021
Construction Focus On: Insurance
The CMS Construction team invites you to Construction Focus On: Insurance.The Scottish construction industry has seen a tightening in the insurance market with the increasing cost of premiums and limitations...
Event Webinar
14/06/2018
Annual Review of English Construction Law Developments 2018
Welcome to the 2018 edition of our internationally focused Annual Review of English Construction Law De­vel­op­ments.2017 has been another busy year for the development of English construction law. This...
Guide
05/06/2017
Annual Review of English Construction Law Disputes
Welcome to the 2017 edition of our internationally focused Annual Review of English Construction Law De­vel­op­ments.2016 has been a busy year for the development of English construction law, making this...
Publication
24/05/2016
CMS UK launches Brexit checklists
With only a month to go until the referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU, the political debate is intensifying as both the remain and leave groups put forward their cases.Today, we are launching...
News