Julie is an experienced construction and engineering lawyer with a practice that combines contentious and non-contentious work for a range of public and private sector clients. She has particular expertise in advising on procurement strategies and contract preparation, negotiation and administration.
Julie works with clients on a number of different contract structures including traditional, design and build, EPC contracts, construction management, consultants’ appointments, guarantees and bonds. In addition, she has been involved in a number of infrastructure, schools, energy-from-waste and rail projects and commercial schemes including office developments, hotels, retail, distribution centres and urban regeneration.
Julie also advises on dispute resolution across a range of construction and engineering projects, particularly in relation to commercial developments and PFI/PPP projects.
Expertise
- Construction law
- Procurement strategies
- All variations of construction process engineering and rail sector contracts
- Construction documents for commercial development and regeneration scheme
- Collateral warranties, bonds and guarantees
- Professional team appointments
- Engineering and construction disputes
- Adjudication and alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
Experience
General
- Advised a FM consultancy business on issues arising from a public/private partnership delivery project.
- Advised a university client on design and construction of new research, teaching and innovation centre.
- Advised a client on issues re foundation piling in a partially constructed building and negotiated the demolition and reconstruction of the same at no cost to the client.
Property Development
- Advised on construction management agreement and trade contracts for a high-end residential development in London.
- Advising a joint venture developer on a significant commercial and residential development in the North East.
- Advised a contractor on a series of fit-out and new build construction contracts.
- Advised a developer on its mixed-use development in Durham.
- Advised on the construction of a student accommodation scheme and private residential buildings in Edinburgh.
- Advised on the refurbishment and expansion of a hotel and golf resort in Cheshire.
Transport
- Advised a consortium member on one of the early alliancing agreements for a major UK rail infrastructure update project.
- Advised a rail sector client on contracts relating to the manufacture of rail tamper and other machinery.
- Advised a rail sector client on a dispute with Network Rail relating to design responsibility.
- Advised on station development and construction.
- Advised on standard Network Rail asset and other agreements.
Education
- Advised a number of universities on their multi-million-pound capital expenditure programmes.
- Advised a developer on aspects of its student accommodation development programme.
- Advised the University of Sheffield on its award-winning world-leading new Engineering building.
- Advised the University of Sheffield in relation to its new Social Sciences development.
- Advised a university client on the incorporation of renewable energy for its estate.
Energy
- Advised on a series of energy-from-waste contracts.
- Advised on the EPC and other project documents for an international development project.
- Advised an infrastructure contractor on the negotiation of an international supply contract.
- Advised a client on renewable energy contracts.
- Advised a client on the re-negotiation of an energy supply from District Heating Network and issues relating to the maintenance of the same.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised by Chambers UK 2024 for Construction
Acknowledged by Chambers 2025 for frequently advising on both contentious and non-contentious matters, including procurement exercises and challenges. She also assists with the negotiation of building contracts and acts for an array of clients, ranging from leading universities to major developers.
‘Julie Morrissy is thorough, pragmatic, and knows which bits to focus on and which bits not to be troubled by. She’s pretty unflappable.’ Chambers 2024
- Former member of the national executive sub-committee for Business Development of the Prince’s Trust Construction and Business Services Leadership Group
- Teacher on the Institute of Structural Engineers degree course
- Member of the LexisNexis construction panel
- Former Board member of the Board of Governors of Sheffield Hallam University and sits on the Audit Committee
Career
Julie qualified as a solicitor in 1998. Prior to joining Keystone Law, she worked at the following firms:
- Clyde & Co LLP
- DLA Piper LLP
- Irwin Mitchell LLP