In 1990 I joined the construction group at Speechly Bircham, a big law firm in central London.  This gave me a crash course in the commercial side of construction law, which I learned is not just about protecting the client in the event of disputes, vital though that is; I discovered that the client's main concern is to have a set of construction documentation that will satisfy a lender, buyer or tenant, and I became expert in producing and negotiating construction agreements which did just that.

I also learned to work effectively with property solicitors.  Already familiar (as a former conveyancer) with agreements for sale and agreements for lease, I now mastered the construction aspects of funding agreements and development agreements.

In 2001 I left Speechly Bircham to start my own practice, which I called Lawbuild (or Lawbuild Solicitors).  This was a regulated law firm that served numerous clients between September 2001 and September 2009.  My clients during that period included developers, colleges, construction companies, specialist contractors, construction professionals, homeowners, law firms, and many other businesses and individuals.

I enjoyed running Lawbuild Solicitors, but I began to realise that it didn't make economic sense for a sole practitioner, employing no fee-earning staff, to be set up as a regulated law firm, and that the most sensible course of action was for me to transfer the firm to a successor practice and become a self-employed consultant to law firms (including those for whom I was already a consultant.  I did this with effect from 1 October 2009.  At the same time I became a consultant to the successor practice, a firm owned by a friend and former colleague, and I enjoy an excellent relationship with him and his staff.  I am also a consultant to several other law firms.

In my spare time I read as much as I can, including political biographies, military history, science, fiction, and occasionally science fiction.  I play chess on my computer, where my notional ranking is around 1500.  I'm a volunteer on a local online newspaper, where I proof-read,  manage leafleting campaigns and do the odd restaurant review.  I follow football, supporting Arsenal FC and the England team.  I edit a newsletter which publishes letters and articles about diet and weight loss: a topic on which I have some practical experience, having lost 45 lbs (20 kg) since June 2008 (and kept the weight off).  I'm a frequent contributor to a political newsletter.  I walk two or three miles most days.  I hope to resume playing table tennis and badminton, when time permits and if I can find partners at my own rather average level.