Alex Barker

Alex is a Legal Director in the Construction Disputes team in the Real Estate department. He is an experienced practitioner with a busy practice, skilled in providing strategic advice at all stages of a dispute.

Alex regularly deals with the resolution of construction disputes through the courts (including the Technology and Construction Court), adjudication, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution including mediation. His clients operate in various sectors and include developers, owners, institutional investors, contractors and consultants. He also has a history of acting for homeowners in residential disputes.

Clients value Alex's ability to explain complex legal issues and procedures in plain English, and to understand their true objectives. He received personal recognition in the 2020 edition of the Legal 500 rankings, which described him as being "very astute".

In recent years Alex has frequently advised on building safety issues, advising on the new building safety regime and its associated legislation. He is well-versed in disputes concerning fire safety, external wall systems and structural issues.

Alex is a member of the Society of Construction Law and has been published in the industry journal Construction Law Quarterly.

Key Experience

• Acting for the owner of a mixed-use city centre development in successfully defending a final account claim by a contractor and succeeding with a counterclaim in adjudication for over £1.4m in delay losses.
• Advising the owners of a large property portfolio regarding the pursuit of several claims concerning fire safety and defective cladding.
• Acting for a PLC housing contractor in both adjudication and High Court litigation against a housing association.
• Advising a start-up fitness enterprise in a professional negligence action against their project manager/contract administrator.
• Acting for a prime central London building contractor in claims relating to a West End hotel and a high-end residence in North London.
• Negotiating the settlement of a claim under a performance bond for the owners of a City of London hotel pursuing their fit-out contractor for damages arising out of defects and delay.
• Acting for a luxury interior design company at both adjudication and mediation against their clients concerning non-payment of fees.
• Acting in a successful mediation for an individual homeowner against his architect in a claim for damages arising out of defective design.
• Advising a high net-worth individual in arbitration against a contractor over serious defective works to his home.
• Acting for an international hotel investment trust in dispute with their contractor.

Career History

Legal Director, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Managing Associate, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Solicitor, Goodman Derrick LLP
Trainee Solicitor, Goodman Derrick LLP
Queen Mary University of London, Politics