Insights
Perspectives on contracts, claims and commercial risk.
Practical, field-tested commentary on FIDIC, NEC, DIAC arbitration and the commercial mechanics that decide how infrastructure projects actually perform. Written by Craig Hardcastle.
- Commercial strategy • July 2026 • 7 min read
Final account close-out: three patterns that recover materially more
Final account is where contractors quietly lose the value they built up over delivery. Three patterns that consistently recover more: start before practical completion, close items in real time, and present the account as a structured commercial position.
Read article → - NEC • June 2026 • 7 min read
Programme is the contract: why your NEC Accepted Programme decides every claim
Under NEC, the Accepted Programme is a contract document, not a planning artefact. The absence of a current one quietly destroys most contractors’ ability to recover on compensation events, and exposes a quarter of monthly PWDD to retention under clause 50.3.
Read article → - FIDIC • May 2026 • 8 min read
FIDIC Sub-Clause 20.1: the notice that decides every claim
Sub-Clause 20.1 of the FIDIC 2017 forms is the single most consequential clause for contractors. Miss the 28-day window and the entitlement is gone. A field guide to what the clause requires, where contractors fail, and what wins a notice.
Read article → - Arbitration • April 2026 • 6 min read
DIAC 2022 Rules: three commercial implications most contractors miss
The procedural headlines of the 2022 DIAC Rules are well covered. Three commercial implications (seat, consolidation, and expedited procedure) are still routinely overlooked at tender.
Read article → - FIDIC • April 2026 • 7 min read
Red Book vs Emerald: five commercial shifts for underground works
The Emerald Book was written for the risk profile of tunnelling and underground works. Five places contractors get caught when they bring Red Book habits to an Emerald Book project.
Read article → - NEC • April 2026 • 6 min read
Five ways contractors lose money on NEC compensation events (and how to stop)
A practical field guide to the most common commercial mistakes on NEC3 and NEC4 compensation events: notice timing, assessment quotations, programme linkage, and the early-warning trap.
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Short-form analysis of contract mechanics, dispute trends, and commercial risk on Gulf infrastructure. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
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