Chris Hallam

Practice Areas

Chris specialises in construction, engineering and infrastructure projects and has advised on some of the most high profile projects to have been procured in the UK.

He has particular expertise advising on the construction and engineering aspects of complicated projects including in the PFI and PPP arena. Chris has extensive experience of construction procurement and support businesses with their strategy and contractual approach, to ensure that the best commercial model is adopted. He has extensive experience negotiating and drafting EPC/D&B contracts across various sectors and is fully cognisant of the requirements of the various stakeholders, in particular the project funders. His experience of working with the construction supply chain means he also understands the issues that will be of most concern to them – allowing time to be spent more efficiently and effectively on what really matters.

Professional Memberships

Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors

Society of Construction Law

Work Highlights

Greater Manchester Waste PFI – advising the SPV on the £5bn Greater Manchester waste management PFI project - Europe’s largest municipal waste management/energy from waste project. This deal comprised eight different waste and energy technologies across 48 facilities over 42 sites, debt funded by a club of eight lenders with prudential borrowing, significant EIB funding and the first project to use TIFU funding. Chris led on all the construction arrangements including drafting the EPC contract and related documentation, the interface arrangements between the EPC contractor and the operator, flowing finance agreement requirements into the construction arrangements and (unusually on a PFI arrangement) preparing and ‘feeding up’ construction drafting into the project agreement in order that the construction, commissioning and completion arrangements between the EPC Contract and the project agreement were seamless. Chris continues to advise on this project seven years after financial close.

Hinkley Point C new nuclear power station – advising Nuclear New Build Limited, the project developer, on the £16bn new station. Amongst other work streams, Chris led the teams dealing with the mechanical erection, electrical erection and HVAC packages and the highly complicated interface arrangements between these works.

Crossrail – advising various contractor clients on TfL’s £15bn Crossrail programme, including several of the tunnelling packages and the station boxes.

North Lanarkshire Schools PFI – advising Balfour Beatty on the project comprising the construction and maintenance of 24 brand new schools and community facilities on 17 sites. The project was also the first education PFI project in the UK to be financed by a public bond issue.

Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon – advising China Harbour on the £300m marine works package for the new tidal lagoon project at Swansea bay.

Enviroparks Hirwuan – advising Zeus Renewables on the development and construction of a new Energy from WEaste facility in South Wales.

Wembley Stadium – advising WNSL, the new stadium developer, on the demolition of the old stadium and construction of the new 90,000 seat national stadium at Wembley.

Hanhikivi new nuclear power station – advising the development manager in respect of the design and construction of a new nuclear power station at Pyhäjoki in Northern Finland.

Ipsen Pharma SA – advising Ipsen on the design and construction of various pharmaceutical laboratory/manufacturing/office facilities in the UK and overseas.

Heathrow Airport – advising the owner and operator of the fuel tank and hydrant system on various new developments and ongoing hydrant maintenance.

Education