Why did they spend ￡22m on a ￡6m dispute?

摘要

On Monday Multiplex and Cleveland Bridge completed a hard fought match, in which both teams' players earned millions. Like many sporting contests it is subject to appeal. For now, CBUK must repay ￡6m an adjudicator awarded previously (including interest). Unfortunately, the parties spent ￡22m in legal and experts' fees identifying how much this corrective transfer should be. The judgment blames the parties (as the order that CBUK, despite technically losing, should pay only about ￡lm of Multiplex's costs confirms). They, in effect, forced the court to carry out a final account. The judge suggested the parties were made for each other. Multiplex adopted a "ruthless but lawful" policy of issuing negative interim certificates in breach of their contractual duty to consult, while CBUK withheld design information for two months after they left the site - conduct that was "certainly no less deplorable".