Ella Kirkland

About

Ella is a senior associate in the firm’s Construction and Engineering team, specialising in contentious construction and engineering matters.

She advises developers, employers, contractors, consultants and public sector bodies on resolving complex disputes across the construction, infrastructure and real estate sectors. Her experience includes disputes concerning defective design and construction, building safety, payment, professional appointments, project delivery and other contractual issues.

Ella helps clients to evaluate claims, manage risk and develop commercially focused strategies to avoid disputes where possible and resolve them efficiently when they arise. She has experience advising on high-value and technically complex building safety and construction disputes.

Her practice spans the full range of dispute resolution processes, including pre-action negotiations, adjudication, adjudication enforcement proceedings, arbitration, litigation and commercial settlement negotiations. She has significant experience under the Pre-Action Protocol for Construction and Engineering Disputes and advising on claims involving consultants and construction professionals.

Ella advises on a broad range of standard form and bespoke construction contracts, including JCT and NEC forms.

Experience

• Residential Developer: Advising on a significant building safety remediation project involving external wall defects, expert investigations, funding arrangements and complex contractual recovery issues.
• Mixed-Use Development Owner: Advising in relation to fire safety and construction defects identified at a high-rise residential scheme, including dispute strategy, technical investigations and stakeholder management.
• Commercial Property Owner: Advising on remedies arising from alleged design and construction defects, including contractual interpretation, limitation issues and strategic dispute resolution options.
• Public and Private Sector Clients: Advising on adjudications concerning payment, delay and defective works, managing proceedings from referral through to enforcement and settlement.

Credentials

• Admitted as a solicitor: England & Wales (2017)