Liability Panel

Jessica Taylor

Jessica Taylor is a Consultant at Beale & Co and brings a wealth of construction experience to the firm having spent over 30 years advising UK and international clients on all construction and engineering matters and handling both contentious and non-contentious matters over the years.

Her expertise includes working with consultants, property investors, institutional clients, banks and contractors as well as for housing providers and local authorities on a wide range of projects in a number of sectors including the residential sector as well as in the commercial, hotels and leisure and healthcare sectors.

Her work involves the drafting and negotiation of major strategic and operational commercial and construction contracts including advising on standard JCT, PPC, NEC contracts, international forms of contract including FIDIC and bespoke construction contracts, professional team appointments, collateral warranties, agreements for lease, development agreements, construction related elements of funding agreements and joint ventures, drafting and reviewing parent company guarantees, advance payment and performance bonds, framework agreements, consortium agreements, hub contracts, extensive and short form letters of intent, initial contracts and appointments and specialist sub-contracts.

She is former Deputy Director of the Quantity Surveyors Division of the RICS and served on the JCT Drafting Committee. She is a member of the Society of Construction Law and of the Worshipful Company of Constructors.

Jessica is co-founder and Chair of Diversitas, established as an independent umbrella body under the auspices of CIC to promote and encourage a more diverse leadership and increased representation within CIC and the industry from top black construction professionals.

Nasir Khan Managing Director (Advisory and Disputes) at Rimkus

Nasir Khan graduated as a civil engineer and advanced his career in commercial, procurement, construction law claims advisory and dispute resolution. Nasir is experienced in delivering major projects in energy, utilities, commercial property, oil and gas, manufacturing, ports, highways and rail. He has led large and complex procurement programmes, claims and dispute resolution on quantum, delay and engineering issues. He is founding director and vice chair of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Pakistan Branch. He co-founded Muslims in Rail, a community interest company, sits on various charitable advisory boards and was awarded an MBE for services to equality, diversity and inclusion in 2020.

Gina Brill Manager of Legal Affairs, Alan Baxter

Gina became a member of the CIC Liability Panel when she joined Alan Baxter Limited in 2018 after several years in the USA. She advises Alan Baxter Limited on the legal aspects of all areas of their work. In particular, she assists with appointments, collateral warranties, novation agreements, confidentiality agreements, insurance, business continuity and other legal documentation. Gina is also the primary administrator for two associated charities. Gina started her career as an engineer and has worked for several leading multinational engineering consultancies, both in an engineering and in a legal capacity in the UK and USA.

Gina is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, and a graduate of the Chartered Governance Institute. She is a chartered engineer with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and also has an MSc in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution.

David King Technical Director HKA

David practiced as an architect for over 40 years winning numerous design awards across a range of sectors. As a director in the London office of HOK he led the delivery of projects from historic conservation to commercial offices, healthcare and bio medical research laboratories. He moved into dispute resolution in 2018 and has since worked as an expert witness on projects across the UK and Middle East. In addition to the CIC Liability Panel and Digital Forum, he is a Fellow of the RIBA, a member of JCT Council, the Academy of Experts, the Society of Construction Law and the City of London Corporation.

Andrew Croft Partner at Beale & Co

Andrew advises those across the construction industry in relation to contractual and other legal issues arising on projects including significant experience of advising on collaborative forms of contract such as alliancing and partnering. High profile projects he has advised on include Crossrail, HS2, the Collaborative Delivery Framework, the Routes to Market Regional Delivery Partnership and Hinkley Point C.

Andrew has a particular interest in Building Information Modelling (BIM). Andrew contributed to the 2011 Government BIM Strategy Paper, was involved in drafting the CIC BIM Protocol (first and second edition), advised on the legal aspects of ISO 19650, was a co-author of the JCT 2019 BIM Practice Note and co-author of the legal section of the ISO 19650 Guidance Framework.

Harry Pangli Architectural Associate at Expert Architect Ltd

Harry is chartered architectural technologist with over 15 years of experience working on small domestic projects to large residential/commercial/industrial developments in the UK. Since 2018, Harry has developed his career in the construction dispute sector, working for Probyn Miers, HKA and now Expert Architect Limited. Harry is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists, a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and a senior Associate of the Academy of Experts. He also has an MSc in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution and holds a GVC certificate as a commercial drone pilot.

Thomas Alston Client Services Director at Griffiths & Armour

Tom is a Director in the Professional Indemnity (PI) claims team at Griffiths & Armour. He has over 16 years of experience dealing with a wide variety of PI claims against a number of professional organisations ranging from sole practitioners to multinational plcs, both at home and overseas. In addition to his day to day activities supporting clients in the defence and/or settlement of claims, Tom is also a regular contributor to Griffiths & Armour’s risk management publications and is also an adviser to several professional bodies.

Natalia Simon Practice Executive at Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists

As Practice Executive at CIAT, Natalia’s focus is on managing practice services. This includes the conduct and disciplinary process addressing complaints and working with the Conduct Committee to sustain industry standards which assist members in adhering to CIAT's Code of Conduct. She has an architecture background and assists in writing and managing CIAT responses to industry consultations. Natalia also helps to draw up guidance for the wider membership of CIAT to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Natalia is part of the CIC ADR Management Board, CIC Independent Appeals Tribunal and CIC Public Affairs Panel.

Alex Tait

Alex is responsible for best practice standards and member support. His department is responsible for competence requirements and guidance for members on project and practice management. He works closely with experts from across the construction industry on issues ranging from procurement, contracts, insurance, health and safety, building regulations, sustainable development and ethical practice. Alex oversees the RIBA Plan of Work and the RIBA Climate Challenge.

Samantha Peat

Samantha joined the company that manages The Wren Insurance Association Limited ("Wren") and The Griffin Insurance Association Limited ("Griffin") straight out of university in 1994 and, other than a three-year stint in the Complaints Department at Lloyd's of London, spent her entire career as an underwriter for Wren (architects' PI) and Griffin (brokers' e&o). She was the Chief Executive and Chief Underwriting Officer for both mutuals during this time. Samantha retired from her role in April 2024 and since then has taken up a Group Board Advisor role at Vector Insurance Capital (Holdings) Limited, which owns Meridian Risk Solutions Limited (a Lloyd's Broker) and Acies (an MGU).

Samantha has been Chair of the Construction Leadership Council's Professional Indemnity Insurance Working Group since May 2020, seeking to find solutions to the problems facing construction professionals buying professional indemnity insurance in the commercial market post-Grenfell. Samantha is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute and the Institute of Directors and is a Chartered Director.

Ron Frost

Ron graduated as an Electrical Engineer and subsequently expanded the size and scope of his family's construction, property development, refurbishment, letting and associated consultancy business, in addition to establishing a successful track record as a building pathologist, dispute mediator, expert witness and legislative researcher. He is currently the Chief Executive of the Institute of Specialist Surveyors and Engineers (ISSE) and founded, funded and/or forged strategic partnerships and collaborative working with organisations including the CIC, CLC, BSA, BSI, Geminos AI Software and uniquely the NAC/NHS at Manchester University Hospital.