By Julia Court, Paul Starr, Richard Lyons and Suraj Sajnani King and Wood Mallesons
The NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract (“NEC3”) is on a mission to reconstruct the way in which engineering and construction contracts are carried out. From its novel approach to language to the spirit of collaboration which is embedded throughout the contract – the NEC3 takes great leaps away from the adversarial culture of traditional contracts, such as the JCT or FIDIC suite of contracts and the standard forms typically used in Hong Kong in the public and private sectors.
One such leap is the effect that the NEC3 has on disputes arising out of the contract. Proponents of the NEC3 state that its anti-dispute nature is a large reason for its popularity, and point to the limited pool of relevant case law as support for the position that the NEC set of contracts discourage litigation.
Continue Reading The New Engineering Contract – Antidote to arbitration?