Construction, Infrastructure & Projects

We provide a wide array of legal services for all fields of the industry relating to construction, infrastructure, engineering and projects. We are well-equipped to safeguard and buttress your rights at all stages of a project, from providing procurement-related advice, reviewing of tender documentation and drafting of contracts at the genesis of a project, to advising on and resolving contentious issues that arise at its conclusion. We have a deep knowledge of standard form contracts such as SIA, REDAS, PSSCOC, FIDIC, JCT and NEC forms and are adept at drafting bespoke clauses and contracts specifically suited to each client’s needs.

Our team is armed with formidable experience in advising and representing clients in all types of projects, ranging from residential properties to commercial, high-value and complex projects such as industrial projects, hospitals, data centres and waste-to-energy plants, both in Singapore and internationally. Our experience extends as far as Malaysia, Thailand, Dubai, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, Indonesia, China, Maldives and South Africa.

Well-versed in adjudications under the Building and Construction Security of Payment Industry Act 2004 (the "SOP Act”), our team regularly represents developers, contractors and consultants as claimants and respondents in multimillion-dollar adjudications. Our team members have a proven track record of successfully defending substantial claims in adjudications and are undeterred by fast-paced timelines.

Members of our team are Accredited Specialists in Building and Construction Law under the Singapore Academy of Law's Specialist Accreditation Scheme. Our managing director, Christopher Chuah, is part of the inaugural and select batch of Senior Accredited Specialists under this scheme, which cements him as a market leader at the forefront of the industry.

Individually passionate and committed to imparting our knowledge while sharpening our own, our team members are engaged as lecturers to teach at local universities for Building and Construction modules, and speak at seminars for professional bodies.

Key Cases

Our team’s notable experience in Front-End Documentation and Advisory include:

Acting for a Statutory Board, in numerous construction projects across Singapore relating to the provision of medical facilities.
Acting for Penta–Ocean Construction Co., Ltd., a leading contractor:

o As member of a joint venture who was awarded the main contract for the construction of port facilities for Nacala Port development in Mozambique; and

o In securing a contract as a specialist subcontractor with a Japanese consortium acting as the EPC Contractor for the construction of a power plant and port facility in Bangladesh.

Acting for Pontiac Land Group in its development of the Rah Falhu Huraa Islands in the Maldives. The Project included the reclamation of four separate islands as well as the construction of three luxury hotels and a staff campus on those islands.
Acting for Singapore Institute of Technology in the development of the proposed erection of the Singapore Institute of Technology Campus at Punggol North, including the review of the consultancy agreements, main contract and nominated subcontract tender documentation. The project comprises two major development packages with an estimated site area inclusive of open spaces and a community park of 11 hectares.
Acting for a developer on various front-end documentation (including main contract based on the FIDIC standard form, direct subcontracts as well as multiple bond and guarantee documents) in relation to a mixed development project in Batam, Indonesia.
Acting for a major contractor who was one of three members within a joint venture consortium which was awarded the main contract of approximately S$1.5 billion in respect of the development and construction of the Integrated Waste Management Facility by the National Environment Agency in Singapore including review of the contract agreements and advice on contractual claims. The client was engaged to carry out project management as well as civil, structural and landscaping works in the project.
Acting for a private education institution in providing advisory works (including risk mitigation measures) and reviewing contractual and tender documents in respect of its S$400 million campus upgrading project.
Acting for a major main contractor in providing advisory works in respect of its main contract to carry out works for a data centre project valued at around S$1.3 billion.

Our team’s notable experience in Dispute Resolution include:

Aoki Corporation v Lippoland (S) Pte Ltd [1995] 2 SLR 609: High Court decision on extensions of time clauses and delay certificates under the SIA Form of Contract.
San International Pte Ltd v Keppel Engineering Pte Ltd [1998] 3 SLR (R) 447: Court of Appeal decision on repudiation under common law in building contracts.
Lian Soon Construction Pte Ltd v Guan Qian Realty Pte Ltd [1999] 3 SLR(R) 518: High Court decision on extension of time clauses, role of Architect in dealing with extensions of time and delay certificates under the SIA Form of Contract.
Eltraco International Pte Ltd v CGH Development Pte Ltd [2000] 2 SLR(R) 180 and [2000] 3 SLR(R) 198: Court of Appeal decision on injunction restraining call on an unconditional performance bond and when partial restraint may be ordered.
Panorama Development Pte Ltd (in liquidation) v Fitzroya Investments Pte Ltd [2003] 1 SLR (R) 93 [reviewed in (2000) SAL Ann Rev at pages 218 to 221]: High Court decision allowing for set-off of liquidated damages against instalments due.
Schindler Lifts (Singapore) Pte Ltd v Paya Ubi Industrial Park Pte Ltd [2004] SGHC 34 [discussed in 5 SAL Ann Rev at pages 80 to 81]: High Court decision on whether failure to comply with contractual specifications amounted to “defective work”.
Management Corporation Strata Title Plan No 2297 v Seasons Park Ltd [2005] 2 SLR(R) [discussed in 5 SAL Ann Rev at page 86]: Court of Appeal decision affirming the applicability of the “independent contractor” defence in a claim in tort of negligence by the MCST against the Developer in respect of defects.
Jurong Town Corporation v Wishing Star Ltd [2005] 3 SLR (R) 283 and [2005] 1 SLR (R) 339 [discussed in 5 SAL Ann Rev at pages 79 to 80]: Court of Appeal decision on misrepresentation and right to rescind contract for misrepresentation.
CKR Contract Services Pte Ltd v Asplenium Pte Ltd and another [2015] 1 SLR 987: High Court decision on restraining calls on performance bonds on the grounds of unconscionability.
CKR Contract Services Pte Ltd v Asplenium Land Pte Ltd and another and another appeal and another matter [2015] 3 SLR 1041: Court of Appeal decision on whether clause in underlying contract preventing contractor from restraining call on performance bond on ground of unconscionability was void and unenforceable because it was contrary to public policy as ouster of jurisdiction of court.
Asplenium Land Pte Ltd v CKR Contract Services Pte Ltd [2016] 3 SLR 1061: High Court decision on repeated claims that are prohibited under the SOP Act and whether the invalidity of a repeat claim went to the jurisdiction of the adjudicator.
Management Corporation Strata Title Plan No. 3322 v Mer Vue Developments Pte Ltd and others (King Wan Construction Pte Ltd and others, third parties) [2016] 2 SLR 793: High Court decision that provided for the Developer, Architect and Main Contractor’s right to rely on the “independent contractor” defence in a claim in tort against them for building defects.
Ang Cheng Guan Construction Pte Ltd v Corporate Residence Pte Ltd [2017] 3 SLR 988: High Court decision on whether a review adjudicator is entitled to review issues beyond what has been raised by the respondent.
Far East Square Pe Ltd v Yau Lee Construction (Singapore) Pte Ltd [2019] 2 SLR 189: Court of Appeal decision on right to present a payment claim post-issuance of the Final Certificate and whether there was a duty to raise any objections in the payment response.
Orion-One Development Pte Ltd (in Liquidation) v Management Corporation Strata Title Plan No. 3556 (suing on behalf of itself and all subsidiary proprietors of Northstart @ AMK) [2019] 2 SLR 793: Court of Appeal decision clarifying whether a developer owes a duty in respect of design under the sale and purchase agreement with buyers.
Builders Hub Pte Ltd v JP Nelson Equipment Pte Ltd [2023] SGHC 120: High Court decision on whether a contractor can lose his right to adjudicate notwithstanding that he is entitled to present a payment claim and the effect of section 4(2) (c) of the SOP Act.
JP Nelson Equipment Pte Ltd v Builders Hub Pte Ltd [2023] SGHC 186: High Court decision on setting aside an adjudication determination on the ground of fraud.