'Magic Circle' law firm sues McAlpine over office job

Sir Robert McAlpine is being sued by a top London law firm, which claims it botched M&E work at its offices that has so far cost £3.5m to put right.

Linklaters, which has filed the claim at the Technology & Construction Court in London, is one of the so-called 'Magic Circle' of leading London-based law firms.

McAlpine originally completed the £43.5m building at Silk Street in Barbican for DS Property Developments back in September 1996.

In the writ, the law firm claims a chilled water pipe sprang a leak in summer 2006, which prompted a detailed survey of the chilled water pipework throughout the whole of the building.

It said that "at numerous locations the pipework surface was discovered to be very wet with condensation".

And it added that of 51 locations inspected by Chapman Bathhurst, the building services consultant it hired to carry out a survey, "only six demonstrated no sign of rust and/or corrosion, with serious rust and/or corrosion being detected at 27 of the 51 locations".

In August 2008, Linklaters drafted in Mace subsidiary Como Interiors to carry out remedial work, which Linklaters says has cost it nearly £3m so far.

It has spent a further £535,000 on professional and other fees, including £207,000 on bringing in Chapman Bathhurst.

But in the writ, it warned: "Como's final account has yet to be agreed and work is still being provided by [other] professional advisers and contractors. The claimant is likely to incur additional costs in connection with the remedial work."

McAlpine declined to comment.