Meet the Trainers

Find out more about our panel of JCT training experts and their specialist areas by clicking on their profiles below.

• Peter Barnes

  Peter Barnes is a Director of Blue Sky ADR Ltd, and has been actively involved in the Construction Industry for over 40 years. Following a contracting background, in his consultancy work, Peter specialises in quantum and planning claims, contract and commercial advice, management of projects, and dispute avoidance and resolution in relation to the construction industry. Peter frequently gives seminars on contracts and commercial issues and also evaluates contracts and sub-contracts for construction works. Peter acts as an Adjudicator, as an Arbitrator and as a Mediator, and is a former Council Member of the JCT.

  Peter has had many books and articles published. Recent publications include The JCT 2011 Building Sub-Contracts, BIM in Principle and in Practice. 2nd Edition, and Delay and Disruption Claims in Construction, 3rd Edition.

• John Littler

  

  John’s experience in the construction industry has spanned over 30 years, originally working for a Main Contractor and now as a Consultant. In his contracting days he spent time within a specialist Sub-contract division, gaining an understanding of the industry from differing perspectives.

  Since his first steps as a trainee QS John has been involved predominantly in JCT contracts, operating under its main contract forms and administering its sub-contract forms. His interest in contracts led him to his current role as a consultant, providing construction contract advice and in dispute resolution.

  In his practice, Q-Consult based in the North West, John undertakes work for employers, advising on, then preparing, forms of main contract. He works for contractors and specialist subcontractors, advising them on contract terms under which they are asked to work and on the risks inherent in them. John provides dispute support to his clients, preparing entitlements, seeking resolution and, where necessary, leading them through the process of mediation or adjudication.

  He also provides commercial and contract awareness training for his clients, including an appointment to train almost 200 staff nationally for a specialist sub-contractor.

  John is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with dual designation as a Chartered Project Management Surveyor. He is one of three RICS members on JCT Council and is a former member of the RICS Contracts Steering Group.

• Victoria Peckett

  Victoria Peckett is a Partner in CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP and co-heads the UK Construction Team. She has over 20 years’ experience advising clients on all aspects of construction.

  She advises a wide variety of clients on the drafting and negotiation of contracts for a broad range of projects both international and domestic. She has extensive experience of all the major forms of standard contract and on preparing bespoke forms of contract when appropriate. She also has extensive experience of assisting clients with the resolution of disputes (both before and after the commencement of proceedings), including through adjudication, arbitration and mediation. She chairs the drafting committee for the JCT, is a member of the British Council of Offices Environmental Social and Governance Group and of the City of London Law Society’s Construction Law Committee and is recommended in the legal directories Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners with comments such as “she is extremely experienced and knowledgeable” and “a leader in the field”.

  Victoria is chair of the JCT Drafting Sub-Committee.

• John Riches

  John is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and Chartered Builder with more than 40 years’ experience in the construction industry and dispute resolution. He formed and owns Henry Cooper Consultants with a wide remit of consultancy services to the construction industry.

  Presently he acts as Arbitrator, Mediator and Adjudicator. He is an Arbitrator on the RICS Arbitration Panel acting both in the UK and overseas.  

  He has carried out approximately 550 Adjudications, ranging from £5000 to £32m and covering value, liability, loss and/or expense, damages and quality. He acts as tutor and assessor for Adjudicators on the RICS TeCSA and CIOB Panels. He is also qualified as a tutor for the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators on their Adjudication courses and acts as assessor for the RICS Arbitration Panel.

  John lectures regularly on dispute resolution and contract topics and has acted as in-house trainer for several national contractors and trainer for professional institutions. He has lectured on dispute resolution as far afield as Canada, Malaysia and Barbados.

  He is the author, with Chris Dancaster, of Construction Adjudication - A Practical Guide  (edition 1) published by LLP and Construction Adjudication - A Practical Guide  (edition 2) published by Blackwell Publishing. 

  He is a member of the JCT Board and Council, and vice-chair of the JCT Drafting Sub-Committee. He chaired the Payment Review Working Group.

• Matthew Davies

  Matthew is a Director of Blue Sky ADR Ltd. His qualifications include Bsc (Hons) Quantity Surveying, LLB (Hons), LPC (Commendation), DipAdj, and Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

  Matthew has over 25 years' experience in the construction industry and now specialises in providing legal, commercial and contractual management, construction claims, and dispute resolution services to the construction industry, including representing organisations in adjudication and other dispute forums. He drafts and reviews contracts, sub-contracts, and collateral warranties, and advises on a variety of contentious and non-contentious construction matters. He undertakes and assists with the preparation and resolution of complex final accounts and other quantity surveying matters. He also provides both public and in-house seminars on contractual and legal issues. Matthew is on the RICS Panel of Adjudicators. Matthew is the joint author of the book "Subcontracting under the JCT2005 forms".