About Us | S MAX International Cross-Border Business Development & Consulting

Regulatory, contractual and commercial management of construction and infrastructure projects, for investors, contractors and public clients: administrative procedures and permits, contracting and contract management during execution, public and commercial procurement, company setup and market entry.

Project structuring

Setting up the project before commitments are made: verification of what may be built and under which conditions, selection of the delivery model and the entity carrying the project, the sequence of procedures and the contract map, and assessment of the costs and risks the project carries in that structure.

Regulatory & Procedural Compliance
Administrative procedures, permits and aprovals.

Management of the project through administrative procedures: planning the sequence of procedures and running the entire process before public authorities, from location conditions to the occupancy permit. Coordination of all parties involved and follow-through on each case until the final decision.

Stalled procedures: identifying the cause of the delay, correcting the file, and restarting the process through to a decision.

Permits and administrative procedures

Legal management of proceedings before the competent authorities, from location conditions to the occupancy permit: procedural correctness and completeness of the file, response to authority requests, removal of grounds for rejection, and use of legal remedies if required.

Construction compliance with the permit

Management of the project through the construction phase: notification of works and of foundations, amendments to the building permit where deviations occur, and control that execution remains within the scope of the issued act. Conduct of inspection proceedings and removal of grounds for suspension of works.

Development fee and missing infrastructurey connections

Conduct of proceedings before local authorities and utility operators: verification of the development fee assessment and grounds for reduction, joint construction agreements for missing infrastructure and recognition of the investment, through to the transfer of infrastructure into public ownership.

Formal legal acts, legal remedies and representation are carried out by partner law firms, in accordance with the applicable regulations of each jurisdiction.

Property and title regulation

Review of land title, encumbrances and co-ownership, and regulation of the rights required for construction, including easements and rights of way.

Expropriation

Acquisition of land for public purposes and conduct of proceedings before the competent authorities, through a partner law firm with long-standing practice in this field.

Legalisation and cadastral registration

Legalisation proceedings, alignment with the geodetic survey report, and registration of the building and its individual units.

Contract drafting

Structuring the contract around the client's interests and risks: allocation of risk between the parties, pricing and payment mechanisms, security instruments and guarantees, deadlines and consequences of non-performance. Preparation of drafts, review of contracts prepared by the other side, and conduct of negotiations through to signature.

Contract implementation

Management of the contractual relationship through execution: qualification of variations and additional works under the contract, control of the payment schedule and conditions for release of retention, management of security instruments, and contractual correspondence. Preparation and settlement of claims before escalation.

Valuation and payment control

Review of interim and final payment certificates against agreed unit rates and payment terms, verification of measured quantities and grounds for payment, and reconciliation of valuations with the contract documentation.

Public Procurement Management

Contracting authority side:

Management of the procurement procedure from planning to contract signature, with responsibility for the legality and defensibility of the process: procurement plan and selection of the procedure type, tender documentation, qualification requirements and award criteria, technical specifications in cooperation with the relevant departments, contract model and security instruments, clarifications and amendments during the procedure, evaluation of bids and the procurement report, handling of requests for protection of rights, contract signature and monitoring of performance.

Tenderer side:

Preparation and submission of bids: review of the tender documentation and qualification requirements, preparation of the bid and supporting evidence, clarification requests and requests for amendment of the documentation, assessment of risk in the contract model, and requests for protection of rights where required.

Procurement process optimisation and construction materials sourcing

Setting up and running the procurement function for contractors and investors: analysis of the cost structure, packaging of procurement, and identification of the categories where direct supply has the greatest impact on price and schedule.

What is purchased and how

Analysis of project costs and packaging of procurement. Determining what is worth buying directly and what is left to the contractor.

Finding suppliers and contracting

Identifying and verifying suppliers, collecting and comparing offers, negotiating prices and terms, and concluding contracts.

Import of materials and equipment

Sourcing from international markets: manufacturer verification, delivery and payment terms, and tracking goods through to the site.

Company setup and licensing

Establishing a company domestically or abroad and registering construction activity, up to the point where the company can operate and carry out works: registration, operating licences, posting of workers, and the tax and legal framework of doing business.