Lisa Machin
Godalming,Surrey
Summary
Experienced and enthusiastic solicitor with strong organisational and prioritisation skills. Adept at multi-tasking, managing and delegating high volumes of work. Motivated to achieve outstanding success through prompt communication and helpful approach. Offers excellent communication skills, good judgment and uses extensive varied legal experience to effectively meet business needs.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work history
In-house Counsel
WSP UK Limited
Guildford, Surrey
04.2022 - Current
- Head of Local Government and Transport legal matters at WSP, a leading design consultancy with over 9,000 UK employees and 56,000+ employees worldwide
- Interacting daily with internal clients at all levels of the business, as well as interacting with external clients in the negotiation of contracts
- Managing a small team consisting of 2 paralegals and a solicitor
- Responsibility for the allocation of legal work between the team and a number of commercial support colleagues
- Reviewing and advising on large complex multi-million-pound outsourcing contracts and other commercial agreements
- A large proportion of my work is focused on the supply of services under long term frameworks with public sector clients
- Drafting and negotiating NEC contracts, JCT contracts, bespoke sub-contracts, joint venture agreements, non-disclosure Agreements, data sharing agreements, parent company guarantees, licences, letters of intent, letters of reliance, collateral warranties, teaming/partnering agreements, Memorandum of Understanding, professional appointments
- Providing daily support to bid teams by advising on contractual risks and how to negotiate improved terms
- Ensuring internal Governance processes are followed e.g
- Advising on internal Governance requirements, supporting the commercial teams in obtaining internal approvals, checking all of the necessary approvals are in place before checking and signing documents on behalf of the business (under my power of attorney) or organising for others to sign.
Senior Associate
KT Construction Law
Guildford
06.2018 - 03.2022
- Advising clients at all levels of the supply chain on the drafting and negotiation of bespoke and amended standard form construction and engineering contracts (mainly JCT with some FIDIC and NEC), professional consultant appointments, joint venture agreements, sub-contracts, bonds, parent company guarantees, letters of intent, collateral warranties and other ancillary documentation
- Dispute resolution work including professional negligence claims and final account disputes in the Technology & Construction Court, adjudication and arbitration
- Providing in-house support to the construction/engineering and procurement teams at a major UK airport
- Advising on NEC contracts, collateral warranties, updating airport standard terms and conditions and giving ad hoc advice regarding the day to day running of projects
- Advising the airport on non-disclosure/confidentiality agreements, and occasional involvement in the negotiation of contracts for the supply of IT services
- Acting as a consultant to several law firms (without construction departments) providing day-to-day assistance with development work including negotiating JCT contracts, bespoke agreements, professional appointments, parent company guarantees and collateral warranties
- Acting for an employer negotiating the construction aspects of a forward funding agreement and agreement for lease for the design and construction of a care home
- Negotiating the full package of construction documentation including a JCT D&B Schedule of Amendments, performance bond, professional appointments, letters of reliance and collateral warranties
- Representing the Claimant in successfully enforcing an adjudication decision in a case where jurisdictional challenges were raised
- Reported case: Prater Ltd v John Sisk & Son (Holdings) Ltd [2021] EWHC 1113 (TCC) (30 April 2021) Acting for a sub-contractor based in Trinidad in an ICC arbitration
- Final account dispute arising following works carried out to a methanol and dimethyl ether plant (diesel substitute)
- Instructing and managing delay and quantum experts, instructing a QC and two junior barristers and managing the client team
- A complex NEC3 Subcontract “final account” dispute (a detailed final account procedure had been added to the NEC3 via a Z clause)
- Providing strategic advice to a sub-contractor in the pre-action/issue phase so as to avoid being time-barred from litigating a final account dispute
- Drafting bespoke terms and conditions for professional consultants, contractors and large sub-contractors
- Negotiating professional appointments and collateral warranties on behalf of employers, contractors and consultants
- Advising contractors on terms proposed by their employers
- Typically this involved carrying out a detailed review of a JCT Schedule of Amendments or an NEC contract and producing a “traffic light” review (Red: must not be agreed, Amber: agree providing risks are understood, Green: low risk)
- Giving ad hoc advice to a contractor relating to what must be done to comply with a Joint Venture agreement
- Advising the same contractor in relation to day-to-day issues arising on multiple sites.
Associate
Brecher LLP
London
01.2016 - 05.2018
- Drafting and negotiating the construction documentation for commercial and residential developments
- Being part of a multi-disciplinary team negotiating and advising on the acquisition of a £500m+ company owning serviced offices
- Reviewing all building contracts entered into by the target company (JCT contracts, professional appointments, guarantees and collateral warranties) and reporting on significant commercial issues which might have affected the buyer
- Acting for a developer procuring £200m+ residential developments including luxury high rise apartment blocks in Canary Wharf and the South Bank
- Due diligence reviews of construction documentation for various banks/private investors
- Acting on behalf of developers and commercial tenants to obtain funder/landlord approval to construction documentation.
Associate
Taylor Wessing LLP
London
06.2015 - 12.2015
- Acting for a car manufacturer in connection with the refurbishment of 40+ UK car showrooms, leading on the negotiation of all professional appointments
- Acting for a tenant in the negotiation of construction documentation relating to a 95,000 ft new build office development
- Negotiating the construction aspects of the agreement for lease including early access provisions for the tenant to complete its CAT A and CAT B works
- Advising a tenant in connection with the construction issues associated with the purchase of a long lease of a hotel
- Pre-action advice in respect of professional negligence disputes
- Assisting with adjudications.
Associate
Stevens & Bolton LLP
Guildford
07.2007 - 05.2015
- Joined Stevens & Bolton as a paralegal in July 2007, qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive in 2010 and went on to qualify as a solicitor specialising in construction in March 2013
- Drafting and negotiating the construction documentation for commercial and residential developments (JCT, professional appointments, funding agreements, construction elements of agreements for lease, collateral warranties etc.) Due diligence reviews for banks and investors
- Pre-action advice, Technology and Construction Court litigation and adjudication.
Education
Solicitors Regulation Authority
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Skills
- Calm under pressure
- Communication skills
- Leadership
- Problem-solving
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
In-house Counsel
WSP UK Limited
04.2022 - Current
Senior Associate
KT Construction Law
06.2018 - 03.2022
Associate
Brecher LLP
01.2016 - 05.2018
Associate
Taylor Wessing LLP
06.2015 - 12.2015
Associate
Stevens & Bolton LLP
07.2007 - 05.2015
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Solicitors Regulation Authority
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