Gateley Vinden, the specialist built environment consultancy arm of professional services group Gateley, has appointed Richard Causer as director and head of its national construction dispute resolution team.

Causer joins the London-based team following senior roles at Turner & Townsend, The Tudor Rose Partnership and HKA.

With more than 25 years' experience in the industry, he began his career as a contractor’s quantity surveyor before moving into dispute resolution 18 years ago. His expertise spans adjudication, mediation, arbitration and litigation, along with quantum disputes, loss and expense claims and expert witness services.

Over the course of his career, he has advised a wide range of UK and international employers, contractors, developers and cost managers. His portfolio also covers cladding, mechanical and electrical, energy, infrastructure and commercial building projects. In addition, he has worked with clients to mitigate risks through dispute avoidance strategies and contract training.

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At Gateley Vinden, Causer will head up dispute resolution services for construction clients while supporting other consultancy areas including cost and project management, fund monitoring, building surveying, surety bond claims, and corporate and insurance services. The team also collaborates with the wider Gateley Group, particularly its construction and international arbitration lawyers.

On his appointment, Causer said: "It's been a turbulent few years which has seen the industry squeezed through pressures including the delivery of large-scale infrastructure projects, the Labour government's 1.5 million new homes target, increasing materials costs and a national skills and resource shortage.

"As a result, it's more important than ever before to provide an offering that truly gets under the skin of construction companies to help them de-risk and have the best chance of success. Gateley Vinden’s dispute resolution team has a wide breadth of experience and, with scope for further growth, it’s a really exciting time to join and spearhead its unique and much-needed proposition within the market."

Gayle Taylor, Managing Director at Gateley Vinden, added: "Dispute resolution is a key service for our business, and Richard has an impressive pedigree which makes him the perfect fit to lead and grow the team. Being part of a professional services company means we are able to seamlessly collaborate with the legal experts within the wider Group and differentiate ourselves within the market by delivering leading solutions which no other consultancy can match. This puts our dispute resolution team at the forefront of the industry and has seen us become the go to consultants within the built environment."