ENGLAND – MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING EXPERT WITNESS
THE HAMPDEN CONSULTANCY
Bob Swayne is a qualified building services (M&E) consulting engineer with over 50 years of experience in the design, specification, installation and maintenance of mechanical & electrical engineering services for healthcare, commercial, retail, educational, residential and leisure facilities located both within the UK and the Middle East. Since starting The Hampden Consultancy in 1993 he has been frequently involved in the dispute resolution process, providing technical opinions and preparing expert reports on matters relating to mechanical & electrical engineering services in claims valued between £10,000 and £10 million. As part of his duties he has provided advice to clients and their legal representatives in respect to the technical and/or contractual aspects related to mechanical & electrical engineering services, including issues concerning the maintenance of such installations, as well as issues relating to professional negligence by members of design and/or project management teams.
Bob Swayne Principal Director expert@ thehampdenconsultancy.com 41 High Street Prestwood Buckinghamshire HP16 9EJ Tel: +44 (0) 1494 868868 Fax: +44 (0) 1494 866775 www.thehampdenconsultancy.com
To that end he often acts as an expert adviser in the first instance, preparing reports on issues relating to the failings of installed mechanical & electrical engineering services on behalf of clients and their legal representatives considering possible litigation/adjudication/arbitration proceedings, looking objectively at a dispute from all perspectives and outlining the technical merits or otherwise of the particular claim. He sits on a number of technical committees, helping to prepare technical publications on a number of topics related to mechanical & electrical engineering services, including providing input as a result of his expert witness work. This extensive experience and depth of knowledge means that he is in high demand as an expert witness, using his technical expertise and wide experience to encourage parties to a dispute to seek settlement and agreement in preference to litigation wherever possible. Indeed, in 90% of claims on which he has been appointed, these have settled in his clients’ favour following the issue of an expert report without further recourse to the legal process, be it litigation, arbitration or adjudication. He can act as a party-appointed expert in accordance with either the Civil Procedure Rules or the Criminal Procedure Rules and as such he has given oral evidence in court, both in the Technology & Construction Court and at arbitration and adjudication hearings across the UK, as well as attending mediation meetings.
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