星空传媒

Awarded the outstanding contribution to the industry prize at the award ceremony run by QS News' sister title 星空传媒, Lipton paid tribute to wise legal advice that has helped him side-step disputes over the years. One also could highlight his former firm Stanhope's close collaboration with the industry, which has ensured smooth and efficient projects, as having a significant hand in avoiding court action.

If only Lipton's example was the norm for the rest of the industry. His speech came days after the odds on further damaging legal wrangles surrounding the new Wembley stadium narrowed significantly. The further delay to the opening of the stadium to 2007 is now likely to lead to a dispute between embattled builder Multiplex and the client, Wembley National Stadium Limited, a subsidiary of the Football Association. At least there is more cause for optimism for another firm that has been mired in dispute, contractor Mowlem. The firm's new owner Carillion is intent on settling outstanding claims, such as that surrounding the now nearly complete Bath Spa project.

Disputes are a part of life in construction, despite Lipton's example. And they are also big business, both here in the UK and across the globe.

Witness last week's acquisition of programme management firm Precept for a cool 拢28m, part of a plan by new owner Navigant Consulting to spread its operations across Europe, the Middle East and Far East. The unfortunate truth is that consultants make as much, if not more, money from advising on projects going horribly wrong as they do ensuring projects go to plan. One only hopes that an exception can be made in the case of the upcoming Olympics work in London.