Richard Hutchings.
Richard is a construction lawyer who works both ends of a project: front-end contract drafting and negotiation, and back-end claims, disputes and arbitration. He acts for developers, builders, contractors, subcontractors and owners, and has spent time in-house with a government urban renewal authority and on the insurer side, so he knows what every seat at the table actually needs.
About Richard.
Richard's practice spans the whole construction dispute spectrum: payment claims for claimants and respondents, defect and warranty claims, claims arising from latent site conditions, termination fights and construction insurance and indemnity disputes, run through courts, tribunals and private arbitration. On the front end he drafts and negotiates building contracts, subcontracts and consultancy agreements for principals, contractors and consultants.
At Neo Legal he anchors the firm's construction practice: reviewing and negotiating FIDIC and bespoke contracts against the UAE Civil Code's muqawala rules, running variation, extension-of-time and prolongation claims to the discipline the notice time-bars demand, advising on decennial liability and defect exposure, handling performance bond calls in both directions, and taking disputes through DIAC and ICC arbitration with the record built to win.
His approach is unapologetically commercial. Construction disputes are won on documents and lost on delay, and Richard's first advice on any project, in any jurisdiction, is the same: get the contract right before the ground breaks, and keep the record straight after it does.
Frequently asked.
What does Richard Hutchings advise on in the UAE?
Richard anchors Neo Legal's UAE construction practice: FIDIC and bespoke contract drafting against the Civil Code's muqawala rules, variation and extension-of-time claims, decennial liability, performance bond calls in both directions, and disputes through DIAC and ICC arbitration.
Does Richard act for contractors or employers?
Both — deliberately. He has acted for developers, main contractors, subcontractors, owners and consultants, spent time in-house with a government urban renewal authority, and worked on the insurer side. Having sat in every seat means his advice anticipates what the other side of the table will actually do.
When should you involve a construction lawyer on a UAE project?
Before signing, not after the dispute. UAE construction contracts carry mandatory Civil Code rules — decennial liability, adjustable delay damages, strict notice time-bars — that reshape the printed form. Richard's consistent advice: get the contract right before ground breaks, and keep the claims record straight from day one.
Work directly with Richard.
Neo Legal engagements are partner- and counsel-led from day one. Tell us about your matter and the right member of the team will respond directly.
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