Cheryl Cairns

With over 20 years' experience in the construction sector, Cheryl advises clients across the full lifecycle of major construction and infrastructure projects, from procurement, contract structuring and negotiation through project delivery, claims management and dispute resolution. Her practice spans both contentious and non-contentious construction law, enabling her to bring a broader commercial perspective to her advice, informed by an understanding of how decisions made at the outset and during the delivery of a project can ultimately affect the parties' risk exposure and the outcome of disputes.

Cheryl acts for employers, contractors, subcontractors, consultants and suppliers across a range of sectors, including transport and rail, aviation, energy, oil and gas, infrastructure and real estate development. She has extensive experience of complex, high-value disputes and international arbitration, advising clients on dispute strategy and managing proceedings from their early stages through to final resolution. She regularly instructs leading counsel and independent engineering, delay and quantum experts.

Alongside her disputes practice, Cheryl regularly advises on procurement and contracting strategy, risk allocation, amendments to standard forms (particularly FIDIC) bespoke construction contracts, consultancy agreements and ancillary security documents. Her disputes experience brings an important perspective to her advisory work, allowing her to identify potential areas of exposure and help clients manage risk from the outset and throughout project delivery.

Cheryl holds a Master's Degree in Construction Law, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and regularly speaks at construction, infrastructure and dispute resolution events across the region and internationally.