Dan Preston

I am a construction lawyer specialising in acting for some of the UK's biggest construction companies on their most significant projects and 'bet the company' disputes. I am also head of Fieldfisher's Construction and Projects practice.

I have nearly twenty years of experience advising on contentious and non-contentious issues relating to construction, infrastructure, engineering and facilities management projects. This includes some of UK's most high profile projects such as the award winning 20 year £multi-billion Programme and Projects Partnership at Sellafield. My experience spans the full range of industry standard contracts with particular expertise in NEC and JCT forms, as well as the Network Rail 'NR' suite of contracts.

The contentious side of my practice includes all forms of dispute resolution and ADR. I have conducted in excess of 150 adjudications and have been involved in significant court judgments for the industry including the TCC's first consideration of the JCT assignment provisions in Aviva v Shepherd Construction and the acting for the successful claimant in the leading judgment on nickel sulphide related glazing failures in 125 OBS v Lend Lease Construction. However, in keeping with my approach to matters, the bulk of my work is either dispute avoidance or seeking earlier resolution of disputes for my clients.

I have gained considerable commercial benefit from time spent on secondment in-house with contractor clients, experience which allows me to understand an instruction from the client's perspective. I also contribute regularly to industry publications including Construction Manager and the JCT Newsletter.

I have previously been named as Client Choice Construction Lawyer of the Year and in 2023 I was named in the Lawyer's Hot 100 with the moniker "King of Construction".

Away from work, having played semi-professional football before my legal career, in my spare time I still enjoy watching football as well as playing golf and spending time with my wife and young family.