James Riddoch

Practice Areas

Construction

Career

James is a specialist front end construction lawyer and leads our Christchurch construction team. He has 25 years’ experience in New Zealand and the UK with a particular focus on social infrastructure. Within the wider Greenwood Roche construction team James’s main focus is working client side in the public sector.

Prior to joining Greenwood Roche, James spent 11 years practicing in London where he was recommended for his work in development in the social housing sector. James returned to Christchurch in 2013 to lead the firm’s engagement on Kāinga Ora’s $1.4b Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Programme. Kāinga Ora remains a key client and James continues to provide support for its delivery programme including advising on its major projects, developing and implementing innovative forms of bulk procurement (for suppliers, consultants, and contractors, both new build and retrofit), developing contract tools for its modern methods of construction programme, and working with Kāinga Ora and its build partners on reshaping residential construction through the Housing Delivery System.

James provides contracting and procurement advice for public and private sector projects in a range of sectors. While predominantly acting on the client-side James also acts for a number of contractors. This, in combination with James’s long-standing involvement with Property Council, gives him a deep understanding of the market which enables James to provide clients with balanced, commercial and accessible advice.

Last year James provided guidance to the construction sector, for the Construction Sector Accord, on issues arising from Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland flood events and presented, for the New Zealand Law Society, to construction lawyers on procurement and construction issues.

James is currently the Regional Chair of the South Island Branch of the Property Council and was a director on its National Board to November 2023.

Professional Memberships

Society of Construction Law

Current South Island Chair of Property Council of New Zealand and past director on Property Council’s national board.

Publications

Construction Law – Change and Transformation, New Zealand Law Society CLE, 2023