Catherine Welch

Catherine handles non-contentious Construction & Engineering matters. She has extensive experience advising on all forms of construction and engineering contracts, particularly the JCT and NEC. She drafts and negotiates contracts along the supply chain, including those based on NEC, JCT, FIDIC and IChemE standard forms and involving framework agreements, professional appointments, bonds and guarantees, project bank accounts, latent defects insurance, letters of intent, novations, collateral warranties and third party rights. Catherine also works with our Real Estate team advising on the construction aspects of development agreements and agreements for lease. She advises different project stakeholders on procurement strategies for all types of commercial, infrastructure and renewable energy development projects, where she has worked with leading contractors, consultants, investors and developers. She is a member of our Energy & Environment team. Before joining Temple Bright in 2024, Catherine worked at Osborne Clarke and Ashfords and was a partner at RWK Goodman. She has also worked on secondment as part of the in-house legal team of an international energy and oil company. Catherine has been ranked by Chambers UK as a leading individual for Construction in the South West, and described there as follows: “very pragmatic and looks for solutions rather than trying to push through an agreement that won’t work for both parties”; “meticulous and leaves no stone unturned”; “always helpful, calm and concise and her legal advice is excellent”; “presents options and scenarios which might develop in a format that a lay person can understand; it’s very impressive”.

Catherine has written articles for leading construction and engineering industry publications, including Construction News (e.g. Construction management: worth another look?, 3 May 2023) and Building Magazine (e.g. The dangers of letters of intent, 9 September 2022).

Experience

Relevant experience at Temple Bright and previous firms includes:

• Advising one of the leading water and sewage companies on its template works and consultancy contracts based on the NEC4 for its future capital investment projects.
• Advising on a successful funding application and cladding remediation project for a high rise development in the South East under the government’s Building Safety Fund (BSF).
• Advising leading UK and global manufacturing companies on the implementation and delivery of their relocated UK factories and office headquarters.
• Advising the land owner of an iconic Grade II listed building in the North on its procurement strategy for the design, construction and completion of significant fit-out works to repurpose the building.
• Advising a large civil engineering contractor on its framework contracts and supply chain contracts under NEC4, including relating to National Highways’ Scheme Delivery Framework.
• Advising an electrical equipment engineering and manufacturing company on their contracts for various projects, including battery storage, and on various contract forms, including JCT, NEC, MF/1 and bespoke.
• Advising a specialist consultant engaged in nuclear projects in the UK on their supply chain contracts based on NEC3.
• Advising a commercial developer on the redevelopment and fit-out works at several mixed-use projects involving hotels.
• Advising a leading regional contractor on contracts for its various projects, including for student accommodation.
• Advising an established multi-discipline contractor carrying out specialist joinery, interior fit-out and M&E services on various projects, including for high-end retail at airports and in London.
• Advising a developer on the construction contracts for the implementation and delivery of anaerobic digestion plants in the South West.