Christmas is an easy time for things to get missed or to end up late as the deadlines of various...
Roythornes combines in‑house legal expertise with decades of experience supporting materials handling systems integrators. We advise on all legal aspects of design, supply, installation, commissioning and ongoing support of advanced automation solutions.
We have advised on contracts in a wide range of sectors including large scale grocery and clothing order fulfilment. Because of the nature of our clients, the projects often involve non-UK based sites including those in Europe and the USA.
Our Core Expertise
- Large‑Scale Automation & Robotics — Contract negotiation, implementation and lifecycle maintenance under IMechE (MF/1), Fidic, IChemE and bespoke frameworks
- Equipment Installation & Support Agreements — Clear drafting of warranties, service‑level agreements, hotline and maintenance obligations
- IT Systems Integration & Licensing — Software, WMS, WCS, PLC controls, SCADA, automation interfaces and data frameworks
- Construction & Engineering Contracts — JCT, NEC, supply‑and‑install, design‑and‑build and bespoke project agreements
Examples of our work
Conveyor Network Deployment for a Major Online Retailer
Advising on contracting for design, supply and commissioning of tote conveyor systems across multiple international sites for one of the UK’s largest online supermarkets.
Multi‑Party Robotics Integration Contract:
Structuring risk allocation and SLA frameworks between a supermarket, systems integrator and robotics subcontractor.
Vertical Farming Control System Procurement:
Guiding procurement of plant, control software and support services under IChemE Red Book principles.
High‑Capacity Grain Processing Facility:
Negotiating JCT DB 2016 contracts for Europe’s most modern oat‑processing plant, including multi‑site coordination.
Our approach
We blend technical insight from our materials handling sector experience with rigorous legal analysis and commercial advice. We aim to mitigate risk across construction, software integration, hardware delivery and provide long‑term support.
Key Services
- Tailored risk assessment & allocation for complex systems
- Precise scope and specification management
- Comprehensive warranty, support & upgrade structures
- Cross‑jurisdictional compliance for global rollouts
