Ruth Griffin Partner

Ruth Griffin

Ruth Griffin is a partner specialising in construction and engineering transactional work. Ruth acts for all parties involved in such transactions – those procuring works, the parties carrying out the works and providing construction services, as well as purchasers, occupiers, tenants, funders and investors. She advises her clients on how they can most effectively manage the varied risks arising from the carrying out of construction and engineering projects by reviewing, drafting and negotiating the multitude of documents involved in order to reflect her clients' interests and objectives.

One of Ruth's key strengths is her ability to collaborate with clients, colleagues and other advisers, which is key to the success of any C&E transactional work. , for example, as part of a client's project team for a long term expansion projects; quickly constructively engaging with in-house lawyers unfamiliar with construction and engineering law in order to guide them through one-off capital expenditure projects; and building long term relationships with contractors and fund-managers to ensure that they can most effectively manage risk within their businesses.

Ruth is very 'down to earth' and practically minded, allowing her to build long-term relationships with clients and other stakeholders across the sectors she works in. She has a keen interest in how the C&E sector can bring long-term social benefits to the whole of the UK. She is an active member of Constructing Excellence and leads the firm's B2022 Legacy Team focusing on maximising the long-term benefits arising from the firm's sponsorship of and role as Official Legal Advisers for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Ruth has also published series of articles on the Cabinet Office's Construction Playbook, which focus on making works projects "better, faster, safer, and greener".

Ruth specialises in:

• advising a variety of Central Government and local government bodies on construction & engineering projects;
• supporting corporates with the management of and investment in their property assets, including one-off, capital expenditure projects, and long-term expansion programmes: Ruth's clients include an number of leading 'names' in the retail and leisure sector as well as the food and beverage market, utilising her 360 degree experience of the construction and engineering sector to guide clients through what is often unfamiliar territory;
• property asset and portfolio management work, enabling clients to manage their real estate assets in a streamlined and effective fashion in order to cultivate income and ensure returns on their investments, working in collaboration with asset managers;
• new asset classes, such as data centres, life sciences and senior living, working closely with teams across the firm to provide seamless service to clients;
• acting for contractors and consultants throughout the construction & engineering supply chain, being a trusted adviser to a number of national and international construction and engineering firms, working closely with their in-house lawyers and contract managers.

Experience

• As part of the firm's appointment as Official Legal Advisers for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Ruth was a member of the firm's executive team for B2022, working closely with Birmingham 2022's Chief Legal Officer, Caroline McGrory, and her team, to help deliver a successful Games 'on time, and on budget'. Ruth's continuing role includes ensuring the legacy of the Games - to make a positive impact on the wider community - 'lives on' within the firm and through is engagement with clients and organisations it works with. For her work on the Games, Ruth was shortlisted for the Partner of the Year at the Birmingham Society's Legal Awards 2023, and the firm won Law Firm of the Year (National). The firm was also shortlisted for Law Firm of the Year at the Lexis Nexis Legal Awards 2023;
• advisor to key central government public sector bodies on a variety of accommodation projects and transition from NEC3 to NEC4, working with them to manage and develop their diverse property portfolios;
• supporting Birmingham Airport Limited with its £30m transformation project;
• working in partnership with a major public sector transportation entity on a high-profile London transportation project, as well their projects involving their private developers;
• supporting a public sector stadium operator on its various construction & engineering contracts relating to the operation and maintenance of the stadium;
• working closely with a major housing association in order to comprehensively update its standard form building contract and to draft a bespoke 'arm's length' term maintenance contract with its dedicated supplier, along-side providing its day-to-day construction legal support;
• working as part of the delivery team for a high street bank and a leading high street grocer on each of their rapid expansions in the UK;
• supporting a high-end fashion e-tailer with the expansion of their UK HQ, an innovative furniture retailer in relation to their distribution centre acquisitions and a fit outs , and leading food brands with the upgrade of facilities across the UK;
• supporting client's with the acquisition, fit-out and construction of new offices, including a number of UK head-quarters and facilities to support business growth, such as laboratories for life sciences clients;
• a member of the firm's data centre team and senior living team, advising operators, developers, employers, end-users, funders and contractors on a wide range of major data centre and senior living construction projects, providing specialist advice at every stage of the development process - from project conception and choice of procurement through to the tender process, complex contract negotiations and financing;
• leads the Construction and Engineering Team's non-contentious practice advising UK and Non-UK contractors, consultants, sub-contractors, manufacturers and suppliers working in the UK construction and engineering sector.