Louis Zvesper

Areas of expertise

• Construction & engineering
  • Adjudication

    Adjudication

    Louis has extensive adjudication experience, acting for both referring and responding parties in a wide variety of disputes, from payment notice disputes and true value adjudications, to defects, delay and disruption, and professional negligence claims.

    Louis is frequently instructed on adjudication enforcements in the TCC, and has experience dealing with jurisdictional and natural justice challenges, stays, and competing Part 8 claims.

    His recent adjudications include:

    • Instructions from GSC Solicitors to act for the responding party in a £30m loss and expense claim relating to M&E works at a complex central London development, led by Catherine Piercy KC.
    • Instructions from DACB to act for the responding party in a £17m claim for structural engineering negligence and associated delay, led by Catherine Piercy KC.
    • Instructions from Keoghs to act for the responding party in a £5.5m architect’s negligence claim regarding cladding and fire safety defects on high rise student accommodation, led by Michael Wheater KC.
  • Construction & engineering

    Construction & engineering

    Louis has extensive experience of a wide range of construction disputes, acting for various different roles, on everything from relatively modest residential matters to multi-billion pound international arbitrations.

    Louis has experience at every stage of a dispute, from early pre-action through to trial and beyond, and in all forms of dispute, from professional negligence to loss and expense, defects, final accounts, property damage, nuisance, etc.

    Louis is also regularly instructed to act on construction insurance coverage issues, including complex Construction All Risks, contractors’ insurance and professional indemnity insurance policies.

    Louis’ recent highlights in this area include:

    • Instructions from Keoghs to act for architects in the £50m leading cladding and fire safety defects claim of Shepherd Construction, one of The Lawyer magazine’s top 20 cases of 2024, led by Michael Wheater KC.
    • Instructions from Stewarts to act for developers on a £100m cladding and fire safety defects claim relating to a number of high rise residential developments, involving both professional indemnity insurance and third party claims, led by David Pleiner KC.
    • Instructions from Keoghs to act for architects in a £50m multi party dispute relating to cladding and fire safety defects at a high rise residential development in Cardiff, led by Michael Wheater KC.
    • Instructions from Fieldfisher to act for a property developer in a £7m claim under a CAR policy for water damage to a luxury apartment development in London, led by David Pleiner KC.
    • Instructions from CMS as sole counsel to act for an energy distributor in a £2.5m claim for defective connection works for a substation and PV generating station.
    • Instructions from Richard Nelson as sole counsel in a £1.5m claim relating to negligent over-specification of concrete reinforcement by a structural engineer in two residential developments.
    • Instructions from Kennedys as sole counsel on a multiparty £650k claim for defective groundworks.
  • Property damage

    Property damage

    Louis has experience acting for clients in relation to property damage, including cases concerning the Party Wall Act 1996. Louis’ recent instructions in this area include instructions to act as junior counsel (led by Michael Wheater) in relation to a claim by a restaurant against the National trust for fire damage and consequential loss.

  • Construction arbitration

    Construction arbitration

    Louis has experience acting in domestic construction arbitrations under a number of different model rules, including CIMAR and ARIAS, as well as ad hoc and international arbitrations.

    Louis’ recent highlights in this area include:

    • Instructions from Kennedys in a £9 million pound ARIAS arbitration concerning structural engineers’ negligence and significant structural damage to a care home, led by Michael Wheater KC.
    • Instructions from Herbert Smith Freehills in a multimillion-pound ARIAS arbitration concerning the meaning of professional services in an insurance policy within the context of marine piling, led by Nigel Jones KC.
    • Instructions in relation to a multi-million pound arbitration with Paul Reed KC in Peru concerning, among other things, the application of the LEG3 exclusion where the shaft of a hydroelectric plant had cracked.
    • Instructions as sole counsel from Acuity Law in a £600,000 CIMAR arbitration concerning a final account dispute relating to the construction of a retail development.
    • Instructions as sole counsel from Trowers & Hamlins in a £500,000 new-build defects claim.
  • Professional liability construction professionals

    Professional liability construction professionals

    Louis is regularly instructed in cases concerning the liability of construction professionals, acting both for and against professionals such as architects, structural engineers, project managers etc. He is ranked as a leading junior by Chambers and Partners in construction professional negligence, and by The Legal 500 in professional negligence.

    Louis’ recent highlights in this area include:

    • Instructions from Keoghs to act for architects in the £50m leading cladding and fire safety defects claim of Shepherd Construction, one of The Lawyer magazine’s top 20 cases of 2024, led by Michael Wheater KC.
    • Instructions from Keoghs to act for architects in a £50m multi-party dispute relating to cladding and fire safety defects at a high rise residential development in Cardiff, led by Michael Wheater KC.
    • Instructions from DACB to act for the responding party in a £17m adjudication for structural engineering negligence and associated delay, led by Catherine Piercy KC.
    • Instructions from Keoghs to act for the responding party in a £5.5m architect’s negligence adjudication regarding cladding and fire safety defects on high rise student accommodation, led by Michael Wheater KC.
    • Instructions as sole counsel from Lester Aldridge to act for a care home provider in a series of claim relating to an employer’s agent and architectural negligence at three care homes, resulting in render and fire safety defects, with a combined value of £8.5m.
    • Instructions as sole counsel from Richard Nelson LLP in a £1.5m claim relating to negligent overspecification of concrete reinforcement by a structural engineer in two apartment blocks.
  • Construction insurance

    Construction insurance

    Louis has experience acting in relation to complex Construction All Risks, contractor’s insurance, and PII policies including on the meaning of damage and defects, fortuity, notification, co-insurance, and the construction of a range of bespoke, standard and amended exclusion clauses, such as the DE and LEG clauses. He is ranked as a “rising star” by The Legal 500 in insurance & reinsurance, and in construction.

    Louis’ recent instructions in this area include:

    • Instructions from Fieldfisher to act for a property developer in a £7m claim under a CAR policy for water damage to a luxury apartment development in London, led by David Pleiner KC.
    • Instructions as sole counsel from Fenchurch Law to act for a contractor in relation to a £800,000 coverage dispute relating to water damage to wooden floor cassettes.
    • Instructions as sole counsel from Collyer Bristow in relation to a £1 million claim for insured losses under a Construction All Risks policy, and for uninsured losses against a contractor, in connection with a development of luxury apartments in London.
    • Instructions in relation to a multi-million pound arbitration with Paul Reed KC in Peru concerning, among other things, the application of the LEG3 exclusion where the shaft of a hydroelectric plant had cracked.

    Louis is a contributor to Construction All Risks Insurance 3^rd edition (Sweet & Maxwell).

• Professional indemnity insurance

  Professional indemnity insurance

  Louis has experience acting in relation to professional indemnity insurance coverage issues. He is ranked as a “rising star” by The Legal 500 in insurance & reinsurance.

  Louis’ recent instructions in this area include:

  • Instructions from Herbert Smith Freehills in a multimillion-pound ARIAS arbitration concerning the meaning of professional services in an insurance policy within the context of marine piling, led by Nigel Jones KC, Chambers Bar Awards Commercial Litigation Silk of the Year for 2022.

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  Louis is a contributor to Construction Professional Indemnity Insurance (Sweet & Maxwell).

• Insurance coverage

  Insurance coverage

  Louis has experience acting in relation to complex insurance coverage matters – in particular business interruption, professional indemnity, property damage, liability and Construction All Risks insurance – involving issues of fortuity, damage and defects, professional services, notification, co-insurance, aggregation, AICW, res inter alia, and the interpretation of a range of bespoke, standard and amended exclusion clauses, such as the DE and LEG clauses. He is ranked as a leading junior in insurance by both Chambers and Partners and Legal 500.

  Louis’ recent highlights in this area include:

  • Instructions from Fenchurch Law to act for Stonegate Pub Company Ltd in Stonegate v MS Amlin & Ors. Louis was being led by Ben Lynch KC, Adam Kramer KC, and David Pleiner KC. The case was listed as one of The Lawyer magazine’s top 20 cases of 2022. It concerned a £1 billion claim for business interruption losses due to COVID-19, and is a market leading case addressing issues arising from COVID-19 in relation to aggregation, post-policy period causation, treatment of furlough and government support, and AICW.
  • Instructions from Stewarts to act for a developer seeking recovery under professional indemnity insurance for £100m of losses resulting from fire safety defects, led by David Pleiner KC.
  • Instructions from Burges Salmon to act for a UK café chain in a £17m business interruption insurance claim, led by David Pleiner KC.
  • Instructions from Fieldfisher to act for a property developer in a £7m claim under a CAR policy for water damage to a luxury apartment development in London, led by David Pliener KC.
  • Instructions as sole counsel Lester Aldridge to act for a care home provider pursuing insurers under the Third Parties (Rights Against Insurers) Act 2010 for cover under professional indemnity insurance in a series of claims relating to employer’s agent and architectural negligence at three care homes, resulting in render and fire safety defects, with a combined value of £8.5m.
  • Instructions as sole counsel from Fenchurch Law to act for a contractor in relation to a £800,000 coverage dispute regarding progressive water damage to wooden roof cassettes.
  • Instructions as sole counsel from Kennedys to act for insurers in relation to a £600,000 coverage dispute arising from a burglary at a computer hardware shop.

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  Louis is a contributor to Construction Professional Indemnity Insurance (Sweet & Maxwell), Construction All Risks Insurance 3^rd edition (Sweet & Maxwell), and Insurance Broking Practice and the Law (Informa).

• Commercial dispute resolution

  Commercial dispute resolution

  Louis is regularly instructed as sole and junior counsel to act in relation to complex high value commercial disputes, whether pre-action, in litigation, arbitration, or ADR. He is ranked as “Up and Coming” by Chambers and Partners for CDR. Louis also has extensive experience in insurance coverage and construction disputes, for which see details under relevant headings.

  Louis’ recent instructions in this area include:

  • Instructions from Fenchurch Law to act for Stonegate Pub Company Ltd in Stonegate v MS Amlin & Ors. Louis is being led by Ben Lynch KC, Adam Kramer KC, and David Pliener KC. The case was listed as one of The Lawyer magazine’s top 20 cases of 2022. It concerns a £1 billion claim for business interruption losses due to COVID-19, and is a market leading case addressing issues arising from COVID-19 in relation to aggregation, post-policy period causation, treatment of furlough and government support, and AICW. The Stage 1 Judgment was handed down in October 2022, with an appeal to the Court of Appeal due to be head in November 2023, and a Stage 2 trial thereafter.
  • Instructions from Birketts to act as sole counsel in relation to an £800,000 claim for damage to plant and economic loss resulting from defective components in a steam screw generator supplied by a genset manufacturer.