Youcef Boussabaine

Youcef regularly represents clients in the High Court (TCC), the County Court and in adjudications as junior counsel or in his own right. Recent highlights include acting: 

• for a national housebuilder in c. £53 million TCC proceedings against a structural engineer, its associated companies and the parent companies of a design and build contractor, concerning structural defects in the concrete frame of a large residential development, including claims for building liability orders under the Building Safety Act 2022 (led by Paul Bury);
• for a national housebuilder in an adjudication to recover c. £7.3 million (including interest) paid in settlement of claims for fire safety defects in the external walls of a residential block, in which the client was awarded c. £4.7 million, and in subsequent TCC proceedings for building liability orders against the contractor’s parent companies (led by Paul Bury);
• for a tier-1 contractor and its parent company in c. £9.6 million TCC proceedings concerning alleged cavity barrier and other external wall fire safety defects at a student accommodation development, including claims under the Defective Premises Act 1972 and for a building liability order (led by Tom Lazur);
• for a public authority in a prospective c. £16.6 million claim against a tier-1 contractor and its parent company concerning water ingress, cavity barrier and other defects at a school (led by Tom Coulson);
• for a main contractor in a c. £15 million adjudication concerning its final account, extension of time and loss and expense claims on a mixed-use residential development (led by James Frampton);
• as sole counsel, successfully resisting summary judgment to enforce an adjudicator’s decision obtained by a contractor in administration, on the grounds of its insolvency and the employer’s c. £750k liquidated damages cross-claim, with costs;
• as sole counsel for a national housebuilder in an adjudication concerning the valuation of the omission of c. £1.4 million of fire safety works from a remediation subcontract, obtaining a decision largely in the client’s favour; and
• as sole counsel for a national housebuilder in First-tier Tribunal proceedings for a c. £750k remediation contribution order under the Building Safety Act 2022.

Before coming to the Bar, Youcef studied law at the Queen’s College, Oxford, graduating with a First, and was awarded a number of prizes during his time at Oxford, including the Littleton Chambers Prize in Labour Law for best performance in Finals.

Prior to joining Chambers, Youcef was a non-stipendiary lecturer in Contract and Land Law at Christ Church College, Oxford and the Queen’s College, Oxford, respectively.

Youcef accepts instructions to advise, draft pleadings and represent clients in relation to a broad range of commercial matters, with an emphasis upon construction, engineering, building safety, professional negligence and energy disputes.