Steven Cannon

Full Profile

Steve is a leading expert at resolving disputes in the projects, construction, engineering, infrastructure and energy industries. He is well known for his strategic and commercial acumen and his ability to formulate and lead on strategy, with a “knack of achieving successful results”. He is highly flexible in his approach, is highly alive to both opportunities and managing risk and keeps an constant eye on meaningful objectives. He acts primarily for blue chip contractors, typically on high value and business critical disputes, providing board and shareholder level advice.

Steve has over 25 years’ experience. He has set up thriving and market leading construction practices in Singapore and then the UK, and now heads the UK Projects and Construction department. He is also the Co-head of the UK Energy and Construction Practice Group with experience of working across the globe.

• “Steve is a highly strategic and big-thinking adviser, with the ability to advise on all types of construction matters and a knack of achieving successful results.”  - Chambers 2026
• “He is really commercial, and a great strategist and tactician when it comes to litigation. He is really good at guiding us through issues and gets us to make the right decisions.”  - Chambers 2026
• "Steve brings his years of experience in the industry to provide sharp, focused, commercial and practical advice." - Chambers 2025
• "Steve's advice is very consistent and clear. He has a real gift for communicating technical matters in a straightforward manner. His commercial and strategic advice is of an incredibly high standard." - Chambers 2025
• "He is really commercial and client-focused." - Chambers 2025.
• ‘Steve Cannon gets on top of the detail of every case and is always fully prepared. He has good judgment. He knows which points to concede and which points to stand firm on.’  - Legal 500 – 2026
• ’… [a] deep strategic thinker’ - Legal 500 - 2025
• “He is a brilliant and commercially savvy lawyer.” - Chambers 2022

Experience

• Acting on a number of high value technology disputes, including successfully resisting the purported termination / expropriation of an energy infrastructure project / concession affecting 300 sites across the UK.  He formulated and executed a counter-strategy to pursue a 13 party claim in the High Court with a value of £130m (representing the capital value of the expropriated value of his client’s interests in the project) along with seeking a permanent injunction to prevent the development of competing infrastructure. Against the backdrop of these proceedings, he forced settlement following a series of mediations / early neutral evaluations before an ex-Court of Appeal judge, and recovered a very significant sum for his client.  As the purported termination / expropriation came out of the blue for the client, he developed and led the strategy in real time, working closely with both the UK and Global Boards of the client.  
• Dealing with various disputes regarding renewable energy, including successfully pursuing to a final hearing and award a EUR 35 million arbitration (SIAC, Singapore) arising from a repudiated technology licensing agreement between an US/Austrian wind technology company and an Indian energy company, defeating a EUR 18m cross claim, and recovering an 8 figure sum (in addition to making a 100% recovery on costs).
• Acting in respect of a wide variety of traditional power projects. This includes a £30m dispute regarding a bespoke DBOM contract for a local gas turbine power centre for a combined authority consisting of a major University and a major hospital. This included dealing with claims and cross claims concerning the delivery of the project, the final account, the technical requirements performance specification and output / energy savings. This dispute was resolved in negotiation following the successful defence of an incoming claim in early neutral evaluation.  
• Acting on a variety of process engineering disputes, including in respect of an IChemE EPC contract and 18 year O&M contract arising out of a concession for a steam raising plant for a major chemical facility. This dispute included claims for delay, performance damages, termination, reduction in value of the plant, replacement treated water, with a total claim value exceeding £20m. 
• Acting on several disputes arising out of the water treatment industry including a £25m dispute regarding the termination of an EPC contract for a water treatment facility in the North East of England under a IChemE form, a series of adjudications regarding the installation of a distribution network under NEC3, High Court Proceedings in respect of allegations of defective design of plant installed at 38 separate sites under AMP 5 and a £15m claim for damage regarding the implosion of a vessel under a PFI scheme.
• Acting over the past 20 years on a wide portfolio of distressed PFI schemes across the water, health, waste and education sectors. This involved disputes at the construction phase, including pursuing a £35m claim at a hospital new build project in the West Midlands under PF2 and successfully pursuing to a conclusion a portfolio of hospital and schools PFI disputes in the High Court, which included issues of defects, performance of services, deductions etc worth well in excess of £100m. 
• Successfully pursued to settlement a USD 75 million arbitration (ICC, Singapore) relating to a failed and terminated mining infrastructure project under the FIDIC form in Kalimantan, Indonesia between a US EPC contractor and a Far East mining conglomerate.
• Acting on a wide variety of disputes arising out of transport infrastructure, including securing £20m of value following an adjudication regarding the ‘impossibility’ of the delivery of a design of a road bridge in the Midlands, the final account dispute in respect of a motorway bridge in NW England, a dispute over the proper accounting in a framework agreement regarding road works with a County Council, a dispute regarding the alleged breach of a Development Consent Order in respect of works on a major road bypass, successfully defending a series of adjudications regarding the development of a railway station in Central London, successfully defending a series of 12 adjudications followed by Part 8 proceedings regarding the design, construction and delivery of a new tram system in the UK, and the successful settlement of a £7m dispute regarding a streetlighting replacement and O&M scheme in Yorkshire.
• Acting on a large number of Facilities Management disputes under both PFI and bespoke contracts, including the settlement of a £6.5m final account / clawback dispute over 5,000 line items, which was resolved following an Early Neutral Evaluation, followed by mediation, before an ex-Court of Appeal judge.
• Acting on many high value final account and defects type claims arising out of social infrastructure, particularly cutting edge medical and research facilities, Universities, hospitals, retirement villages and heritage / other public works. This includes the successful recovery of an eight figure sum for a University in respect of a defective building, advising on a £45m defects claim in respect of a retirement village, an as yet unvalued claim for the demolition of a new school due to alleged building defects, a £10m claim in respect of alleged defects as a newly constructed police station, a £7m final account dispute regarding a cutting edge clean room for a materials research facility, the successful resistance of a £16m final account dispute in the High Court regarding the contractual status of a heavily delayed social housing development, and successfully extracting his client from a long running 6 party defects dispute worth around £8m conducted in litigation, adjudication and arbitration over a major distribution facility in NW England.
• Steve has also acted on a very large number of building disputes in the private sector, including covering the full range of issues from termination, suspension, interim and final account disputes, claims for EOT, L&D and damages, issues arising from conclusivity of certificates, defective works, regulatory breaches and stop / remediation orders regarding fire safety / asbestos / contaminated fill / electrical safety regulations etc, claims pursuant to the Defective Premises Act, the Building Safety Act etc.