Surrey: Leading construction partner joins Stevens & Bolton

Guildford-based Stevens & Bolton has hired partner Stephen Rockhill to join its expanding construction and engineering practice. He joins the firm from Charles Russell Speechlys, where he was a partner.

Rockhill began his career as a chartered engineer running his own consultancy before qualifying as a lawyer and joining the legacy City firm Charles Russell. He has worked in contracting and construction in the UK and Canada for over 25 years.

He joins Stevens & Bolton’s highly regarded construction and engineering group, which is headed up by Matthew Needham-Laing, who is also dual-qualified as both a lawyer and architect.

Rockhill is a leading construction lawyer, well known in the market. He is ranked in the top tier of construction lawyers in Chambers UK, where clients praise his "commercial attitude" as well as his “impressive” breadth of knowledge.

His practice covers both contentious and non-contentious construction work across high-value procurement and contractual construction matters. He represents private and public sector clients on a range of issues. His mandates include project rescues for corporate clients, representing ultra-high-net-worth private clients on property acquisitions and high-end fit-outs and acting for developers on large residential schemes.

He also acts for clients on adjudication under housing grants; the Construction & Regeneration Act 1996; the Arbitration Act 1996; contracts; and modifications to standard contract forms.

Rockhill frequently talks on engineering and industry themes and lectures at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Commenting on his arrival Ken Woffenden, managing partner, said: “Stephen is a highly respected construction lawyer and his experience, both during his time in the law and as an engineer, is a significant addition to our construction and engineering practice.  His ability to see projects from both a legal and construction perspective is invaluable in helping clients get things done. We believe it is rare to find a construction and engineering team where both leading practitioners are dual qualified and can really “speak the industry language” as Matthew and Stephen do. This will add real value to our clients.”

Rockhill added: “Stevens & Bolton is an ambitious firm with a thriving engineering and construction practice. I’m looking forward to working with this first-rate team and helping grow the business further.”