Louise Garcia

Louise advises on complex construction and engineering disputes involving defects, delays, payments, and termination. She represents contractors, developers, and consultants in adjudication, arbitration, and litigation, achieving successful outcomes in high-value, multi-party projects.

• Advising a contractor on step-in rights on insolvency and issues of design warranties on a multi-million pound airport project.
• Representing a national contractor on claims and counterclaims relating to the delivery of works on a PFI project including complex concurrency and quantum issues and securing settlement terms.
• Advising a contractor in response to allegations of defects in the design and workmanship on a commercial development including defending substantial claims brought against the contractor for diminution in value and loss of profits.
• Acting for a national M&E contractor on issues concerning a lighting system on a prestigious sustainable commercial development and allegations of defects in the performance of a combined heat and power system, including international issues of subcontractor retention of title.
• Acting for an international contractor on a multi-million pound claim relating to losses sustained on a dredging and reclamation contract for a UK port on issues of design and workmanship, insurance coverage, delay, and disruption.
• Securing an advantageous settlement for a main contractor of a dispute concerning the scope of works on a significant infrastructure project involving complex questions of contractual interpretation and incorporation of terms and documents.
• Represented a college on issues concerning works carried out on a project to design and build a new school and sporting facilities.
• Advising a national contractor on the termination of a framework housing maintenance project to avoid penalties and contra-charges on termination.
• Successfully defending Costain on the reported decision of Tesco Stores Ltd v Costain Construction Ltd and others, on design, workmanship, and limitation issues following a major retail fire.
• Provided behind-the-scenes advice to a construction consultancy on a dispute involving outstanding payments against a Construction company, and issues concerning due notice issue.
• Acted for a development company advising on issues with disputed consultancy services on a major London mixed development site, with circa 700+ units and retail stores.
• Advised a Hertfordshire-based groundworks contractor on a PFI contract dispute, involving a car park for a Hospital, where the client was a subcontractor to a Construction engineering company
• Advised a specialist construction management provider on a payment mechanism for a payment dispute concerning a multi-million-pound development in central London.
• Advised a specialist construction management provider on alleged water ingress issues, and a payment dispute concerning a multi-million-pound development project in London.
• Advised a specialist construction management provider in a dispute with a stonework subcontractor on a multi-million-pound London project, regarding payments and defects.
• Advised a specialist construction management provider on securing development insurance following purported rejection by insurers.
• Advised a specialist construction management provider in a significant dispute with a joinery subcontractor on two major London projects, resulting in multiple adjudications and disputed Part 8 proceedings, involving joinery, programming, and quantum analysis of the effects of alleged extensions of time. Advise was also sought on the interpretation of disputed bespoke provisions, including the advice of King’s Counsel and junior counsel.

Louise advises on debt recovery claims for companies, contractors, and insolvency practitioners. She deals with payment, set-off, and cross-claim issues, insolvency-related recoveries, and enforcement through adjudication, litigation, and negotiation.

• Advising on an international debt recovery claim for an ‘eco’ company including local law issues and advice to avoid pay-when-paid provisions.
• Providing efficient and effective advice in portfolio debt recovery for companies, liquidators, and administrators.
• Advising a major national contractor on a wide range of contentious construction and infrastructure project procurement issues, including subcontractor disputes, disruption, concurrency, and payment issues.
• Advising on disputes with employers, suppliers, and subcontractors, over final accounts, as well as insolvency issues and extensions of time disputes. Working alongside the contractor’s board and senior management to interpret complex contractual issues, providing advice on bespoke payment arrangements.

Louise acts for developers, landowners, and homeowners in property and construction defect disputes. She advises on negligence, breach of contract, performance bond claims, and adjudications involving large residential and mixed-use developments.

• Representing a college on issues concerning works carried out on a project to design and build a new school and sporting facilities, involving claims against numerous defendants and issues of architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical, and general building defects.
• Working on behalf of a land owner and house developer on adjudications concerning the defective performance of various contractors on a project for 40+ properties.
• Acting for home owners in claims against developers and building insurers for defects in their properties.
• Supported a leading provider of housing and construction services in the UK on a dispute with a council, the M&E consultant and contractor, regarding issues with the heating and water supplies on a large London authority housing development, and losses incurred as a consequence, which involved advice on negligence and breach, as well as on a claim against a council for failure to release a performance bond.
• Advised a UK Property developer on issues concerning a multi-million-pound housing development, in circumstances where the contractor had financial issues that affected the delivery of the project, and resulted in the termination of the contractor and a call on the Bond, which was disputed.

Louise advises contractors and developers on complex road and rail projects, including NEC3 amendments, compensation events, and design obligations. She handles disputes and contract interpretation issues involving Network Rail, local authorities, and major infrastructure works.

• Advising on upstream and downstream contractual issues concerning delivery and client obligations on major national and international tunnelling projects including the analysis of complex Z-clause amendments to the NEC3, early warning notices and compensation events.
• Working with a national contractor on various projects in the rail, road, and housing sectors to avoid and resolve disputes through advice on rights, obligations, and tactics appropriate to the issues and the commercial necessities.
• Supported a leading provider of housing and construction services in the UK, in a complex dispute with a City Council and its consultants concerning alleged issues with the design and construction of the City Bus Terminal, including advice on technical issues, limit of design obligations, and co-defendant issues.
• Advising major infrastructure contractor on complex interpretation issues on rail and road projects, involving Network Rail and local authorities on heavily amended standard form, and bespoke contracts
• Advised the new management team of a large Construction company on complex acquisition matters and contractual disputes, including behind-the-scenes dispute avoidance advice in regard to an ongoing dispute with a British train operating company, on a multi-million-pound station railway project.

Louise advises on insolvency and insurance-related construction matters, including claims involving liquidators, latent defects policies, and contractor insolvency. She handles disputes over wrongful termination, delay, and disruption, providing strategic advice through adjudication and court proceedings.

• Advising the liquidator of a company on the strength of a significant claim brought against the company and providing a report to permit final distribution.
• Advised on the issues arising following the cancellation the Premier Guarantee latent defects insurance policy.
• Advised a specialist contractor on numerous contentious construction and general commercial matters, including claims concerning wrongful termination and issues of delay, disruption, quantum disputes, and insurance issues involving detailed correspondence with various opposition and their legal teams, numerous adjudications and court proceedings.

Louise advises hotel groups, developers, and operators on construction and project disputes, including delays, defects, and insolvency issues. She acts in claims against contractors, consultants, and landlords on new build and refurbishment projects.

• Representing hospital trusts on claims arising from the procurement and delivery of projects including project time and cost overruns, performance of the consultant team, and actions against the contractors for delays in completion and defective performance.
• Advising a national hotel group on issues arising on new build and refurbishment projects involving claims made against contractors and consultants.
• Provided advice on various property and construction aspects to the parent company of a chain of restaurants regarding a potential dispute with developers and landlords at a new site with a high-value lease.
• Advised a property developer on issues relating to the project fallout following the main contractor’s insolvency on a large hotel and restaurant project, including dealing with termination as well as Bond, consultancy issues, and damages.
• Advising a consultancy company on a dispute with complex design and installation issues, affecting a development at a Hotel in Cornwall with possible claims against a sub-contractor/sub-consultant.

Recognised in Chambers UK for Construction 2015–2026

Acknowledged by Chambers 2025 for routinely advising contractors, developers and engineering companies on both contentious and non-contentious aspects of construction projects. She assists with projects of all sizes and has particular strength in matters concerning transport and infrastructure.

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Intellectual Property: Trademarks 2026

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Construction: Contentious 2025–2026

Recognised by The Legal 500 for South West: Construction as a Leading Individual 2020–2024

Recommended by Lexology Index: Hospitality 2023

Recommended by Lexology Index: Global Leader in Hospitality 2022

Recognised by The Legal 500 for South West: Construction 2016 – 2018

Before joining Keystone, Louise was Head of the Construction Team at her previous firm in Bath. Chambers UK 2013 rated her as a Band 1 adviser in Construction and Engineering, noting that she was “cutting to the chase” and “negotiating well.”

Fellow of Forum for Built Environment and Great Western Branch Committee member

Member of the Society of Construction Law

Member of the Adjudication Society SW

Member and current Bristol Chair of Interact

Member of Constructing Excellence Southwest