Lena Barnes

Lena acts for Hexagon Housing in the ongoing dispute between it and Providence Building Services Limited.  The dispute has focused on the proper construction of the termination provisions under a JCT Design and Build Contract 2016.  Having been successful in an adjudication and in front of the Technology and Construction Court, the Supreme Court has, in January 2026, unanimously overturned the Court of Appeal and found for Hexagon ([2026] UKSC 1).  This case is not only of great importance for the construction industry but provides a helpful clarification of the law on the interpretation of contractual terms in standard form contracts.

Lena has recently acted for a Local Authority employer on an ongoing construction project when it was faced with four adjudications in four months.  The combined efforts of the team saw our client victorious in three of the four adjudications; with the fourth being withdrawn by the contractor. 

Lena acted for an international contractor in a dispute against its sub-contractor in a circa £1.4m dispute under a bespoke NEC 3 ECC sub-contractor.  She was part of the team that, within an exceptional tight timeframe, drafted, issued and served the Claim Form and Particulars of Claim. Following the CMC and a hearing to decide disclosure requirements, a stay was agreed to facilitate mediation. A negotiated settlement in favour of the contractor was agreed shortly thereafter.

Has acted for a contractor, on a joint retainer with their insurers, on a Defective Premises Act claim – circa £1.3m.  Following the CMC, mediation was attempted and was unsuccessful.  As the disclosure process commenced, a settlement was brokered, and the claim settled. 

Lena has acted for a well-known developer and provided it with ongoing support on a couple of distressed projects.  She assisted with the termination of its contractor’s employment under three building contracts, payment advice and instigated the return of goods it had paid for that had been unlawfully removed from site.  Post termination, the contractor launched two adjudications which led to a decision in her client’s favour and an abandoned adjudication.  Without prejudice negotiations led to a complex settlement and she drafted the agreement which covered four parties, seven contracts over six projects, the associated retentions, three debts and multiple claims and counterclaims.