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After 29 years as a Partner leading the construction litigation department at Walker Morris, he joined us here at Milners as a senior consultant in May 2023. Martin specializes in complex High Court construction and engineering disputes, as well as Arbitrations and Adjudications. He has been endorsed by ‘The Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom’ directory for Construction Law and is ranked as a leading individual in Chambers & Partners. He has extensive experience in complex commercial litigation, including professional negligence, contractual disputes, directors’ fraud and aviation cases. He has been heavily engaged over the last 5 years in numerous claims relating to defective cladding, defects and fire protection. Outside the office, Martin is a father to six children and has a passion for aviation.

Martin is a successful trial lawyer and has been involved in many high profile cases including:

•         Zagora Management Limited & Others v Zurich Insurance Plc & Others, which related to claims made by the freeholder and leaseholder under the Zurich new home warranty and claims against the building inspector (also Zurich) in fraudulent misrepresentation in respect of their certification of the development as compliant with Building Regulations.

•         Manchikalipati & Others v Zurich Insurance Plc and Others v Zurich Insurance Plc (T/A Zurich Building Guarantee & Zurich Municipal) & Others [2019], which determined the extent of the warranty providers coverage.

•         Rendlesham Estates Plc & Others-v- Barr Limited. Successfully acting for over 100 Claimants in a multi-party action against a building contractor under the Defective Premises Act 1972. In addition, bringing professional negligence claims against the respective conveyancing solicitors.

•         Fanmail and Paul Burtenshaw v MCashback and others and successfully defended on appeal (beneficial ownership of shares and directors’ breaches of fiduciary duties).

•         Geoffrey day v Austen Tasker, Multifight Limited and Anthony Kennett (representing an engineer in a case involving unexplained helicopter engine failure).

•         Multiplex Construction UK Limited v Cleveland Bridge (UK) Limited (repudiatory breach issues arising from the construction of bowl and iconic arch at Wembley National Stadium).

•         Aldi Stores Limited v Holmes Building Plc (multi-party dispute relating to engineers’ negligence).

•         Trac Time Controls Limited v Moss Plastic Parts Limited and Others (product liability)

•         L Brown and Sons Limited v Crosby Homes North West Limited (enforcement of an adjudicator’s decision relating to the scope of amendments to the JCT Design and Build contract)

•         Hamlin Contracts Limited v HBG (enforcement of an adjudicator’s decision referring party in liquidation)

•         Rainford House Limited (in Administrative Receivership) v Cadogan Limited (enforcement of an adjudicator’s decision where company in administrative receivership).

•         Kenburgh Investments Limited v David Yablon Minton Ellis (solicitors’ negligence) and CA judgement (preliminary issue re a previous settlement with directors and whether this prevented a liquidator from pursuing proceedings relating out of the same contractual transaction against the company’s solicitors).

•         Northern Foods Plc v Focal Foods Limited (preliminary issue terms of the contract for the supply of onions successful in the CA)

•         Cleveland Bridge UK Limited v Yarm Road Limited v Hewden Tower Cranes Limited[16] (preliminary issue relating to the interpretation of the Model Conditions of the Construction Plant-hire Association)

•         R v Yorkshire Sheeting and Insulation Limited (fine for health and safety at work related offences on appeal).

•         Northern Foods plc trading as Fox’s Biscuits v Caddick Construction Limited (concrete floor)

•         Tate & Lyle v YSIS and others (multi-party arbitration relating to a defective warehouse roof).

•         Castlebay Limited v Asquith Properties Limited (after CA judgement negotiation of a substantial settlement with the solicitors who drafted the planning option agreement).