BARRY HEMBLING IS A PARTNER IN THE REAL ESTATE GROUP.

Barry is a legal directories recommended construction expert who helps manage risks so clients can meet their cost and time objectives. He has 23+ years in-house and private practice experience of acting on domestic and international construction projects, including in the hotel, real estate, energy and transport sectors. He also acts for funders on the construction aspects of UK real estate development finance transactions.

He has an established record of offering contentious and non-contentious legal support throughout a project’s lifecycle from initial contract advice and negotiations, advice on live projects and dispute avoidance.

He is regarded as “particularly well organised, reliable, knowledgeable and always willing to analyse issues in detail”, “very honest and open on the best way forward – he deals with technical issues very efficiently and handles negotiations extremely well” and an “incisive adviser” by impressed sources quoted in legal directories. Barry has a reputation for commercial acumen, building long-term global client relationships and offering cost effective commercial solutions that minimise risks and help teams meet their completion dates and budgets.

Barry is experienced in prosecuting and defending all types of construction claims, particularly complex, high value construction disputes, which include 15 reported UK High Court and Court of Appeal judgments.

He often acts for clients on global projects and has advised on iconic schemes including the Aquatics Centre at the 2012 Olympics, the City of London Lloyd’s Building, the London Eye and the Sydney Tower.

Barry is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and has been a Constructing Excellence Awards panel judge. He is a construction law thought leader, has presented at Chatham House, at Oxford and Cambridge Universities, at the Houses of Parliament, at the Third UK-China Rule of Law Roundtable in China, at the Architects’ Journal Conference and at the Construction Law Summer School.  His articles are regularly published, including in The Times and the Estates Gazette. Barry has been a legal directories recommended lawyer for many years, most recently in the 2022 edition of the Legal 500 in multiple categories.

Show related areas

Show related areas

  • Acting for the successful tenant and appellant in UK Court of Appeal proceedings to establish that statutory adjudication rights apply to collateral warranty claims.
  • Acting as construction law adviser to a firm of well-known architects on a global portfolio of construction projects, including projects in China, Japan, Russia and Middle East in addition to the UK.
  • Acting for a developer on the construction aspects of an acquisition and subsequent redevelopment of an existing building into a new 145 key "Moxy" branded hotel in central Manchester.
  • Acting on the construction aspects of a £76m redevelopment of a 500k sq. ft. site in the City of London involving the extension and conversion of an existing office building to create a new hotel plus the construction of 87 new homes and a public space.
  • Acting for a UK contractor in a termination of contract claim against a well-known housing association on a project for the construction of a £10m mixed use development scheme.

Education

  1. 1993-1996 Anglia Law School, Law
  2. 1989-1993 King’s College, University of London:Masters of Arts (MA), Associate of King’s College, London

Memberships and Associations

  1. • Technology and Construction Solicitors’ Association
  2. • Society of Construction Law
  3. • Solicitors Regulation Authority