Coverage By Practice AreaLondon Bar

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Construction

1
Atkin Chambers
Keating Chambers
2
39 Essex Chambers
4 Pump Court
3
4 New Square
Crown Office Chambers
Gatehouse Chambers

Leading Silks

1
Stephanie Barwise QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ The gold standard in counsel: excellent advice at all times but perfectly tailored for the client and always reliable. ’
Sean Brannigan QC - 4 Pump Court ‘ Sean is always my first choice of counsel - watching him on his feet is like watching a virtuoso performance. Unlike many advocates, he genuinely listens to the answers of a witness or the questions of the tribunal and adapts his argument to make it doubly effective.. He combines a fantastic strategic brain with a willingness do the work. ’
Stuart Catchpole QC  – Atkin Chambers ‘Stuart is a phenomenally skilful barrister, with an exceptional ability both to seize the high-level points in a given dispute and to capture the most granular details in issue. He is relentlessly commercial in his approach, combined with a remarkable ability to persuade, at both the level of the client and the tribunal. He is one of the finest barristers of his generation.’
Adam Constable QC - Keating Chambers ‘ Adam is outstanding because he is so user-friendly and commercial. He is willing to read the papers and have a chat to discuss his views, which is invaluable. ’
Anneliese Day QC - Fountain Court Chambers ‘ Anneliese is always very open-minded, ready to explore different approaches and find the best way to address the matter considering interests of a client and opinion of other lawyers working on a matter. She has also proved herself as a truly effective advocate. ’
Simon Lofthouse QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ Bright, hardworking, prodigious memory, has mental agility in hearings, tactical nous, commercial, pleasant, and a team player. Simon consistently outclasses opposing silks, because he works harder and has a passion for the case that means he doesn't just walk the extra mile, he thoroughly maps it. ’
Manus McMullan QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ Manus always has a problem solving attitude which is very helpful in an environment when different interests are at stake. He is a brilliant cross-examiner. ’
Alexander Nissen QC - Keating Chambers ‘ Alexander is a compelling advocate, who is extremely approachable and responsive. A leader in the field. ’
Paul Reed QC - Gatehouse Chambers ‘ Deserving of his stellar reputation, Paul is the complete authority in this area. He gives clear, strategic advice drawing on a level of experience in the field that none can match. ’
Andrew Rigney QC - Crown Office Chambers ‘ Andrew is exceptionally intelligent, extremely hard-working, impeccably mannered, invariably charming, a brilliant advocate, a wise strategist, and a thoroughly decent human being to boot. ’
Fiona Sinclair QC - 4 Pump Court ‘ Fiona is a responsive, thorough and persuasive QC, who has a reassuring and approachable manner with clients. She has a great attention to detail without losing the bigger picture. ’
Roger Stewart QC - 4 New Square ‘ Very strong leading counsel, confident and knowledgeable, highly impressive in cross-examination, read the mind-set of the tribunal very well. Roger is able to make the most difficult things and concepts easy to understand. He is commercially astute and makes a great impression on both clients and experts. Great pleasure to work with. ’
David Streatfeild-James QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ David is a highly experienced construction and international arbitration specialist. He understands the construction industry well, and he is able to listen carefully to the client’s needs and then get to the heart of the matter. ’
Marcus Taverner QC - Keating Chambers ‘ Very bright and extremely attentive to detail. ’
David Thomas QC - Keating Chambers ‘ David is poised and cerebral in his approach to advocacy. A less is more approach to cross-examination that inevitably pays dividends. He prepares meticulously and expects a high standard of those he works with. ’
Andrew White QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ Andrew is a leading light at the construction Bar and an absolute delight to work with. He has massive gravitas but at the same time is humble and approachable. A real heavyweight who understands the industry and provides exceptional client service. ’
Richard Wilmot-Smith QC - 39 Essex Chambers
2
Rachel Ansell QC - 4 Pump Court ‘ Rachel is a phenomenal advocate whose work ethic knows no bounds and is a force to be reckoned with. ’
Nicholas Baatz QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ Highly skilled at grasping the key issues and advising clearly in easy to understand language and concepts. My clients are always impressed by Nick and his approach. ’
Paul Darling QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ Extraordinarily able. Highly pragmatic. Encyclopaedic knowledge of his sector and the legal profession in general. A clever strategic thinker, able to get inside judges' minds. He is clear in his analysis and firm in his advice. ’
Stephen Dennison QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ He is excellent, thorough and calm under pressure. He is an absolute joy to work with and a true team player. ’
Chantal-Aimee Doerries QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ Clearly an expert in her field, with the ability to provide strong technical and commercial advice in a complex area of law that the client was able to understand and appreciate. ’
Roger ter Haar QC - Crown Office Chambers ‘ His key strength is his eagle-eye attention to detail, packaged with his extensive years of experience that elevates him to a status of a true specialist in his field. Arbitrators and judges listen attentively when he speaks. ’
Richard Harding QC - Keating Chambers ‘ Richard is formidably bright, works very quickly, and is able quickly to get to the heart of the matter. Firm in views. Excellent written and oral skills. A real star. ’
Simon Hughes QC - Keating Chambers ‘ A superb advocate with innovative ideas in case presentation and good client care skills. ’
Jeremy Nicholson QC - 4 Pump Court ‘ Jeremy is very thorough and knowledgeable. He is easy to work with and has extensive experience of arbitration. ’
Marion Smith QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ Very experienced and respected, even by opponents. She has a very pleasant and calm disposition, even in the most pressured of situations. ’
Adrian Williamson QC - Keating Chambers ‘ His technical knowledge is second to none. Good skills with clients probably outside those who normally instruct him. He is diplomatic when dealing with a large team structure. ’
3
Martin Bowdery QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ A well-spoken advocate who is thoroughly prepared and quick on his feet. His case law knowledge is detailed and thorough. ’
Jonathan Acton Davis QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ He is immensely charming, which he uses to great effect on his feet. He's done it all before, which gives clients enormous confidence in him. ’
Nicholas Dennys QC - Atkin Chambers
Andrew Goddard QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ Thorough and decisive with a good eye for detail. A good strategist. ’
Simon Hargreaves QC - Keating Chambers ‘ Clear and robust opinions, and absolutely brilliant on his feet. ’
Adrian Hughes QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ Adrian displays outstanding understanding of commercial realities and he is adept at working with international clients and tribunals. He is highly experienced as an arbitrator and is well-connected to work in Asia. He is responsive, quick on his feet and a great problem-solver. ’
Riaz Hussain QC –Atkin Chambers ‘Riaz is very personable and user friendly, and he goes the extra mile. He is tenacious and leaves no stone unturned.’
Duncan McCall QC - 4 Pump Court ‘ Duncan immediately builds rapport with clients, quickly gets to the heart of the issues and never shies away from giving a clear view and valuable guidance on pre-action strategy. He is extremely easy to work with and is very collaborative. ’
Fiona Parkin QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ She is excellent. Tenacious, an effective advocate, thorough, clever and with good judgement. A pleasure to work with. ’
Ben Patten QC - 4 New Square ‘ Ben is very client-friendly and can distil complex issues into an easy to understand opinion, which makes clients use him time and time again. He is very commercial in his approach. He knows this area inside and out and he is one of our go to Silks for this type of work. ’
Benjamin Pilling QC - 4 Pump Court ‘ Ben is brilliant at what he does. He gets across new issues at lightning speed, and then is able to provide insightful guidance almost immediately. In terms of his advocacy skills, he is an exceptionally good cross-examiner. ’
Ben Quiney QC - Crown Office Chambers ‘ Utterly unflappable. Ask any question, no matter how complex or involved, and he will give a wholly considered covers-all-the-bases answer that gets to the real heart of the issue. Also very good at understanding how to get through opponents arguments. ’
Dominique Rawley QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ An expert on PPP/PFI projects and clearly has an in-depth knowledge of where arguments are likely to have merit which is invaluable when strategically assessing the strength of a client's position. ’
Piers Stansfield QC - Keating Chambers ‘ Ultra-reliable with very sound judgment. He has the ear of the court and is very experienced. Painstaking prepared, and a good listener. ’
Steven Walker QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ His great skill is making the complicated appear simple, and communicating that clearly to clients and the courts. ’
4
Philip Boulding QC - Keating Chambers ‘ A wealth of experience in complex disputes in Hong Kong and around Asia. He is accessible, user-friendly and finds clever and simple solutions for difficult tactical and legal issues. ’
Veronique Buehrlen QC - Keating Chambers ‘ She gets on top of complex cases in an incredibly short time. She takes a very hands-on approach and gets into the details of complex questions and facts of the case without losing overview of the case. ’
Michael Curtis QC - Crown Office Chambers ‘ Michael is highly intelligent, and has an encyclopedic legal knowledge. ’
Justin Fenwick QC - 4 New Square ‘ He has a wealth of experience almost unmatched at the Bar. Anything Justin does not know, is not worth knowing. He can see three or four moves ahead to outwit his opponents. ’
Lucy Garrett QC - Keating Chambers ‘ She combines an incredible work ethic, an amiable personality, intellectual strength and an understanding of the commercial realities of the construction industry. ’
Karim Ghaly QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ Karim is a joy to work with: able to cut straight to the key issues and distill these down for any arbitral tribunal. He works well as part of a team with partners and junior solicitors equally and is always available. Karim is simply an outstanding barrister in the construction sector. ’
Sarah Hannaford QC - Keating Chambers ‘ Extremely knowledgeable and very good at thinking on her feet. Communicates in a very effective way which distills complicated issues into very digestible and understandable way. ’
James Howells QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ A highly intelligent and hard-working QC who is always a pleasure to deal with. His legal and strategic analysis is excellent. ’
Nigel Jones QC - Gatehouse Chambers ‘ Nigel is fantastic - he has the unique combination of intellect and pragmatism and is always commercial. He answers the questions that solicitors have yet to even identify. ’
Vincent Moran QC - Keating Chambers ‘ A first-class silk - authoritative in approach without sacrificing the ability to clearly explain complex legal analyses with clients and not lose sight of the end goal. Always willing to work as part of a team. A go-to silk. ’
Justin Mort QC - Keating Chambers ‘ Justin's grasp of the detail is excellent but, in addition to that, he understands the commercial context of the issue, which helps clients find a commercial solution. ’
Adam Robb QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ Adam is exceptional. He is able to distil vast amounts of complex information and make it clear and concise. Adam is a very modern silk, a pleasure to work with and clients really like him. ’
Marc Rowlands QC - Keating Chambers ‘ The pre-eminent silk in rail disputes. He has incredible knowledge of the industry and infrastructure. Absolutely wows insurers and insureds in conference. ’
Nicholas Vineall QC - 4 Pump Court ‘ Nicolas is very charming and disarming in his presentation at court. He is realistic and efficient. ’
Sean Wilken QC - Keating Chambers ‘ Sean offers an excellent balance between encyclopedic knowledge of the law and commercially-focused strategic advice. A world-class silk. ’
5
Serena Cheng QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ Serena is obviously a very skilled and effective counsel with a good understanding of how to persuade a technical tribunal. ’
James Cross QC - 4 Pump Court ‘ His strengths are considerable. He is charming and ruthless in equal measure. His understanding of the interaction between the construction and insurance markets is unrivalled. ’
Kate Grange QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ Balanced, sensible and extremely capable opponent, with a strong sense of fairness. ’
Alexander Hickey QC - 4 Pump Court ‘ Alex balances his in-depth legal knowledge with sound commercial strategy. Alex adopts a genuine team attitude when working with instructing solicitors and clients. ’
Isabel Hitching QC - Crown Office Chambers ‘ She is industrious, meticulous and convincing. ’
James Leabeater QC - 4 Pump Court ‘ James is a superb barrister, a real fighter who you want in your corner. He is also a deep strategic thinker - he identifies and deals with the other sides best points before they have thought of them. ’
Krista Lee QC - Keating Chambers ‘ Krista is a streetwise counsel, and has always impressed all in the litigation team with her grasp of complex legal and project-specific issues. Her ability to identify the core issues, and plot a course that all can follow. She is a born advocate. ’
Christopher Lewis QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ Very thorough and efficient, but humble and easy to work with ’
Lynne McCafferty QC - 4 Pump Court ‘ Lynne is definitely one to watch - she is reasonable, sensible and charming; but also deadly. A clear thinker and an effective advocate. ’
Fionnuala McCredie QC - Keating Chambers ‘ Fionnuala really listens and seeks to understand clients objectives to ensure that context of the matter is understood as well as the technical. She builds positive relationships with all of those contributing to a matter whilst retaining the role as team leader. ’
Siân Mirchandani QC - 4 New Square ‘ Siân is a highly persuasive advocate with a keen intellect and a remarkable eye to detail. She can articulate complex legal issues in a simple way to help clients to understand the technical arguments and can flex her presentation style to the audience to ensure her message is understood. ’
Tom Montagu-Smith QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Tom is very efficient and responsive. He is able to work under time pressure without compromising the quality of his work. He is one of the premier barristers in the UAE jurisdiction. ’
Lindy Patterson QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ She has excellent black-letter law expertise and international experience. A good listener and a careful lawyer and thinker. Good in complex disputes. ’
Jonathan Selby QC - Keating Chambers ‘ Jonathan is spot-on with his advice. But Jonathan doesn't limit himself to advising on the legal outcomes - he effectively transposes that into how this advice can be used to resolve the dispute out of court. Furthermore, Jonathan's demeanour with clients and his presence in the court room are evident. ’
Jessica Stephens QC - 4 Pump Court ‘ Jessica is a joy to work with. She anticipates problems before they arrive, gives clear and concise advice and is a highly able advocate. She is also easy to work with and beloved by clients. ’
David Brynmor Thomas QC - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ David is very strong construction lawyer with excellent cross examination skills and can come up to speed in very short time. His ability to identify flaws in other side case is marvelous. ’

2020 Silks

Richard Liddell QC - 4 New Square ‘ Rick has made the transition to QC seamlessly, building an impressively busy practice. He has a lovely manner in submissions: clear and lacking in rhetoric. He is a pleasure to deal with and clearly very hardworking. ’

2021 Silks

Mark Chennells QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ Mark is able to absorb a considerable amount of information, and also is able to get to the core of the problem and identify the key issues. He is hardworking and focuses on the detail. ’
Claire Packman QC - 4 Pump Court ‘ Claire is a razor-sharp advocate and excellent on pleadings and submissions. She works extremely hard and leaves no stone unturned. She is an advocate you want in your corner. ’
Samuel Townend QC - Keating Chambers ‘ Extremely capable, and effective, and a pleasure to work with. He will become a sought after silk. ’
Crispin Winser QC - Crown Office Chambers ‘ Crispin is frighteningly bright. He has a forensic mind which allows him to see through the chaff and get to the nub of any issue quickly. His advocacy style is calm, measured but insistent. Very effective. ’

2022 Silks

Rupert Choat QC - Atkin Chambers ‘ Rupert is extremely focused and detailed orientated. He gets thoroughly involved in all aspects of the case, giving you confidence he has grasped all issues fully and comprehensively. ’
Calum Lamont QC - Keating Chambers ‘ Calum is the outstanding junior construction barristers in the market. He is head and shoulders above his competition, and most silks. His work rate is second to none. Furthermore, his intellect and ability to turn out first-class work is nothing short of astonishing. ’

Leading Juniors

1
James Bowling - 4 Pump Court ‘ James is a very strong advocate: he understands the matters he works on in incredible detail and has the advocacy skills to back that up. He impresses in front of arbitrators and holds attention in a manner I would expect of a QC. ’
Patrick Clarke - Atkin Chambers ‘ Extremely bright and is always cool, calm and collected under pressure. He has a wonderful advocacy style which commands respect and is a fantastic team player. ’
Richard Coplin - Keating Chambers ‘ One of the best. Engages with issues and clients to provide clear robust advice on complex issues. Not afraid to speak his mind. ’
Simon Henderson - 4 Pump Court ‘ Simon provides strong and clear advice on complex matters. ’
Anna Laney - Crown Office Chambers ‘ Highly competent, capable, dependable and fantastic to work with. QC quality work and knowledge. Tougher than the rest. ’
Tom Owen - Keating Chambers ‘ The ability to combine a fastidious attention to detail and prodigious memory for every fact combined with a genuine team spirit and client-friendly approach to the role. His tenacious ability to deal with difficult cross-examinations and the talent of having just about every single fact to hand. Whilst very polite and easy to get on with, a real steel fist in a velvet glove ’
David Pliener - Gatehouse Chambers ‘ David is a QC in every respect and all but name. He is at the top of his game in terms of the calibre of his drafting, his advice, his strategic input and his tenacious advocacy. Approachable and hard working, he always delivers ’
2
Paul Buckingham - Keating Chambers ‘ Paul is very considered and with very good legal knowledge and analysis. His background also gives him good practical insight, especially in cases with engineering elements. ’
Cyril Chern - 4 New Square ‘ Cyril's strengths are rigorous attention to detail and vast comprehensive knowledge of both construction law and the practical aspects of actual construction - having a dual qualification is evidence of this. ’
Robert Clay - Atkin Chambers ‘ He gets to grip with the key issues quickly and is a well-spoken advocate who is well-prepared. ’
Nicholas Collings - Atkin Chambers ‘ A strong team player who is great with clients. Rolls sleeves up and gets into the detail - he is able to assimilate a lot of information quickly. Very reliable. ’
Jane Davies Evans - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘ Excellent specialist counsel in international construction arbitrations,with a great understanding of the nuances of overseas parties and cultures. ’
Jonathan Lewis - 4 Pump Court ‘ Jonathan is simply the best junior at the construction Bar in my opinion. A brilliant thinker and a highly experienced advocate who has just about the best cross-examination style I have ever seen. ’
Kate Livesey - 4 Pump Court ‘ Kate is exceptionally bright, a superb lawyer, immensely hard-working, brilliant with clients - simply outstanding. ’
Catherine Piercy - Gatehouse Chambers ‘ Catherine is an excellent junior. Her written work is first class, her analysis is always spot on and she is an excellent advocate. One of the best juniors around. ’
William Webb - Keating Chambers ‘ Will is fantastic. A really excellent legal mind, with the ability to distil detail and convey complex arguments accessibly and compellingly. He provides good commercial advice - and does not shy away from taking a stance on big points. He inspires confidence. ’
Michael Wheater - Gatehouse Chambers ‘ Michael is a fantastic barrister and a Silk in the making. Tactically superb, a great advocate and provides robust but commercial advice. ’
Luke Wygas - 4 Pump Court ‘ Luke is a pleasure to work with - very user-friendly and hugely responsive. He is unflappable under pressure. His engineering background is a real benefit in technical cases. ’
3
Ebony Alleyne - Gatehouse Chambers ‘ Ebony is a rising star and very much one to watch. Talented beyond her years, she combines incisive legal analysis with forensic attention to detail. Fearless in pursuit of the answer, she is persistent and rigorous in her questioning, and meticulous in her drafting. ’
Alexandra Bodnar - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ Alex provides a first-class service. She gets into the trenches on claims - work is always turned round promptly and is of real quality. She is an excellent advocate. ’
Lucie Briggs - Atkin Chambers ‘ Lucie is very clear and concise in her dealings with us. She is able to explain matters in a way that is easy to understand and is also commercially aware in her approach ’
Jess Connors - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ Jess has unrivalled attention to detail, incredible work ethic and a very helpful, approachable always available attitude. Jess is razor sharp of mind and often spots and solves issues before others in the room have even noticed them. A brilliant lawyer. ’
Paul Cowan - 4 New Square ‘ Robust, clear and strategic - a real fighter who loves to get into the detail and argue a point convincingly. ’
Thomas Crangle - 4 Pump Court ‘ Clearly one of the top juniors around in this area - a silk in all but name. Excellent cross-examiner and understands exactly how to pitch it to an arbitrator. ’
Omar Eljadi - Atkin Chambers ‘ He contributes deep knowledge and expertise in construction arbitration and that is always portrayed in his work. ’
Andrew Fenn - Atkin Chambers ‘ Andrew has a first-class brain and his ability to guide clients through an international arbitration inspires great respect and gratitude. ’
Karen Gough - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ Karen is tenacious, accomplished, thorough and constructively fierce when required. One of the best barristers we have worked with. ’
Simon Hale - 4 Pump Court ‘ Fantastically intellect and superbly attentive to detail. My first choice barrister. Prepared to challenge clients to get to the root of the facts. Extremely good working within a team and a brilliant and determined advocate. ’
Abdul Jinadu - Keating Chambers ‘ Abdul is a doyen of construction law. However, he is not only highly experienced and extremely knowledgeable, but commercially astute – his tactics are effective and decisive. ’
David Johnson - Atkin Chambers ‘ One of the best barristers I've worked with. Amazing work ethic and consistently produces the highest quality work ’
Jennifer Jones - Atkin Chambers ‘ Jennifer is one of the team and rolls up her sleeves up and gets on with the work. Her advice is always clear and straightforward and she is extremely engaging with clients. She is a true trusted advisor. ’
Samar Abbas Kazmi - Atkin Chambers ‘ Samar has a first-class brain, a commercial mindset and an unparalleled work ethic. Clients love him, as do judges and tribunals. ’
Shourav Lahiri - Atkin Chambers ‘ Shourav is one of the finest construction lawyers with very good technical appetite. His understanding of technical aspects of the disputes is very strong, which is essential in winning construction disputes ’
Sarah McCann - Gatehouse Chambers ‘ Sarah has very strong technical expertise, and is incredibly hard working. Sarah inspires confidence in clients, who trust her judgement. " ’
George McDonald - 4 New Square ‘ A brilliant lawyer and a match for many QCs in his written submissions. He has extensive knowledge of the law and understands the technical issues as well as the experts. A go to. ’
James Medd - Crown Office Chambers ‘ Extremely knowledgeable. You always have confidence that James has read the papers and has considered them in detail. That said, he can see the wood for the trees and provides sensible pragmatic advice for clients. ’
Rachael O'Hagan - Keating Chambers ‘ Rachael has an affable character and a very sharp mind. She is both able to integrate into the solicitor team and lead on complex technical and legal matters. She is highly recommended. ’
Sanjay Patel - 4 Pump Court ‘ Sanjay is one of the most user-friendly, commercially minded and legally astute barristers on the market. His drafting is nothing short of fantastic and his advocacy first-rate. ’
Sebastian Pigott - Atkin Chambers ‘ He is excellent at digesting complex issues and explaining it in a straightforward way to clients. He has a very reassuring style. ’
Ben Sareen - Keating Chambers ‘ Ben is first-class. He is technically excellent, very responsive and easy to work with. Ben always provides clear, focused and on point advice on the relevant law, procedure, tactics and overall strategy; and the same can be said of his statements of case and submissions. ’
Melissa Shipley - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ Melissa is an excellent junior, who is comfortable leading cases or working with QCs. Her detailed understanding of the technical and factual issues quickly earn her the respect and confidence of clients. ’
Camille Slow - Atkin Chambers ‘ Camille is exceptional and is extremely easy to work with whilst providing insightful and concise advice on strategy and legal issues. She is always on top of papers, practical, commercial and among the best cross-examiners I have seen. ’
Matthew Thorne - 4 Pump Court ‘ Matthew is very bright. His written work is first-class, and his advocacy style is highly effective. He is also very user-friendly and easy to work with, and a good team-player. ’
Jennie Wild - Keating Chambers ‘ Very user-friendly and down-to-earth. She rolls her sleeves up and gets involved with you when needed. Very good written product and clear commercial advice. ’
4
Helena White   - Gatehouse Chambers 'Helena is able to grapple with the detail of the case swiftly and provide detailed advice as to the best strategic way forward. She is able to drill down on the specific issues in dispute and avoid getting drawn into unneeded battles. Her advocacy is strong and coherent, and she takes her time, considers each submission and delivers a compelling argument.'
Mischa Balen - Atkin Chambers ‘ Very bright, ferociously efficient and able to see straight to the key issues. ’
Peter Brogden - Keating Chambers ‘ A fantastic barrister - sensible, hard-working, and smart. A very good eye for detail, and he understands the underlying technical aspects. A real pleasure to work with. ’
Paul Bury - Keating Chambers ‘ Paul is razor-sharp and exceptionally responsive - you can always rely on him to get the job done to a first-class standard. Paul has an impressive grasp of the technical detail of a case. A future star of the construction Bar. ’
Gaynor Chambers - Keating Chambers ‘ Strong and decisive, mixed with practical commercialism. ’
Timothy Chelmick - 4 New Square ‘ Tim is a very thorough and skilful barrister who is able to provide clear and pragmatic advice in relation to the dispute subject matter. ’
Mathias Cheung - Atkin Chambers ‘ Mathias is top notch. He assimilates information at record pace and quickly gets to grips with the issues. He is great with clients - approachable, dependable, nothing is too much trouble. ’
Ivor Collett - Crown Office Chambers ‘ He is a calm and confident advocate who can deal well with difficult cases. He will do what he can for his client no matter how difficult their position. ’
Lucy Colter - 4 New Square ‘ She has incredible work ethic, forensic attention to detail, excellent responsiveness, and is a team player. ’
Brenna Conroy –Keating Chambers ‘Brenna is super-bright, quick to assimilate complex issues and detailed points. Unlike some barristers, Brenna is equally enthusiastic and able when dealing with the high level strategic points as well as the heavy, detailed work which is often required on high-value construction disputes.’
Simon Crawshaw - Atkin Chambers ‘ Simon is very thorough, professional, hard working and responsive. ’
Laura Crowley - 4 Pump Court ‘ Laura is an excellent construction barrister. She is an expert in all things construction-related, masters detail incredibly well and is a real fighter. ’
Rebecca Drake - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ Brilliant with clients - she always makes them feel confident and capable of understanding what is going on. Great in conferences and strong in written advice. Her advice is particularly connercuak - sometimes all you get from other barristers is straight legal advice on a document and or facts, and what you need is that applied to the actual situation and options available. Rebecca is really strong in this aspect. ’
Felicity Dynes - Atkin Chambers ‘ A very measured and well prepared advocate, who takes any last minute instructions and variations in her stride. ’
Anthony Edwards - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ Unflappable and relaxed, both in hearings and in conference with clients. ’
Matthew Finn - Keating Chambers ‘ Extremely intelligent, with mature judgement. He is accessible and very articulate. ’
Paul Fisher - 4 New Square ‘ An excellent construction lawyer, with first class legal skills and the ability to work as part of a team. ’
Jennie Gillies - 4 Pump Court ‘ Jennie is very quick to grasp technical details. Jennie is happy to test and challenges the client and is able to deliver robust advice to the client. She is both creative and commercial when it comes to advising on strategy. ’
Christopher Greenwood - 4 New Square ‘ High quality, very detailed work. A real team player and a pleasure to work with, which is a view shared by others working with him. ’
Michele de Gregorio - Crown Office Chambers ‘ Michele is an extremely bright lawyer, he is always fully engaged on the matter, very responsive and very easy to work with, and a great ‘team player’ – a real pleasure to work with. ’
Rónán Hanna – Atkin Chambers ‘Very precise, he focuses on the key issues.’
Emma Healiss - Keating Chambers ‘ Emma is a terrific junior and an invaluable member of any legal team. She is able to think on her feet and cut through the complex issues easily, providing commercial and measured advice to the client. ’
Patrick Hennessey - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ Patrick is a talented and hard-working barrister, with a sharp mind, and ability to pick up the key issues rapidly. He is also a skilled advocate and is constantly improving. In addition to his technical skills, he is accessible and easy to work with. ’
Gideon Scott Holland - Keating Chambers ‘ He always has a very quick grasp of matters and a good understanding of the key issues involved. He is very approachable and a very good communicator. ’
Ed Jones - 4 Pump Court ‘ Ed is the perfect junior - a safe pair of hands, with great knowledge of the law and gravitas beyond his years, which goes down well with judges. ’
Saleem Khalid - 1 Chancery Lane ‘ He is quietly understated, extremely thorough in his preparation and is perceptive about strengths and weaknesses of a case, anticipating the latter and dealing with them. ’
Zulfikar Khayum - Atkin Chambers ‘ Zulf is absolutely reliable and works like no one I have ever dealt with. Zulf leaves no stone unturned and where the devil is in the detail in construction cases, he hunts that devil down. ’
Thomas Lazur - Keating Chambers ‘ Extremely responsive and energetic, he is very user friendly and a good communicator. He also has a top rate command of dense detail. ’
Katie Lee - Gatehouse Chambers ‘ Katie is intelligent, quick to get to the issue and entirely dedicated. Easy to communicate with and very quick to understand client concerns. An excellent advocate destined for great things! ’
Marc Lixenberg - Atkin Chambers ‘ Marc is extremely approachable and accessible. Very user friendly. I liked his presentation of the arguments by way of our submissions. He also provided clear advice throughout. ’
Caroline McColgan - Crown Office Chambers ‘ Caroline is very bright, a superb lawyer, immensely hard-working and dedicated, fantastic with clients, has great judgement and is an absolute pleasure to work with ’
Edmund Neuberger - Atkin Chambers ‘ A quick and thorough mind able to work well with clients and solicitors. Easy to use and very helpful. ’
Thomas Ogden - 4 New Square ‘ Thomas is a class act. Intellectual but cool, calm and collected. A natural advocate with a charming courtroom manner. A true team player. ’
Richard Osborne - 4 Pump Court ‘ Richard is diligent and extremely clever. A good draftsman, a team player and able to read the client, the tribunal and the other side. ’
Charles Pimlott - Crown Office Chambers ‘ Charles is excellent at providing pragmatic, sensible and commercial advice that the clients easily understand. He is always willing and able to go the extra mile for clients and gets to the heart of a client's concerns. ’
Katie Powell - Atkin Chambers ‘ Katie is quick to grasp the facts of a case, extremely pleasant to work with, hard-working and very bright. ’
Richard Sage - Crown Office Chambers ‘ Richard is a class act and very knowledgeable. His key strengths from an international perspective are his ability to work as part of a team and his excellent tactical acumen. His advice is clear, concise, and commercially-minded. ’
Hugh Saunders - 4 New Square ‘ Hugh is an intellectual powerhouse, exceptional advocate and superb draftsperson. He is hard-working, straight-talking and clients love him. He is a star of the Construction Bar. ’
David Sawtell - 39 Essex Chambers ‘ David has the ability to get to the heart of a dispute with impressive speed. His written advice is clear and focused. As an advocate, David is firm whilst remaining calm. If you want counsel on your side who is a fighter then David is my first choice for all property and construction matters. ’
Gideon Shirazi - 4 Pump Court ‘ Easy to work with and very good under pressure, Gideon is also an absolutely outstanding courtroom performer. He is at consummate ease dealing with complex technical information. ’
Carlo Taczalski - Crown Office Chambers ‘ I have instructed Carlo for a number of years and he has always seemed more senior than his call indicates. He is robust and user friendly, whilst also clearly being incredibly bright. ’
Charlie Thompson - Keating Chambers ‘ Charlie is an excellent junior barrister, hard working, intelligent and personable. ’
James Thompson - Keating Chambers ‘ James is very responsive and user-friendly. He is prepared to roll up his sleeves and put in the hard yards when necessary. He is incredibly perceptive when it comes to the client's needs. His case analysis is a particular strength. ’
Sarah Williams - Keating Chambers ‘ Sarah has a good grasp of technical detail and understanding. She is able to assimilate technical issues quickly, and get to the nub of the issue. ’
Dermot Woolgar - Crown Office Chambers ‘ Dermot is very personable, breeds confidence in all who instruct him and clients alike. When sat behind him in court you nearly always think you have instructed the superior counsel. ’

Rising Stars

Lauren Adams - Atkin Chambers ‘ Succinct, tenacious, she sees through the smoke and mirrors very quickly. Easy to work with and a great team player. ’
George Eyre - Gatehouse Chambers ‘ His key strength is attention to detail - he has an impressive ability to absorb large quantities of information and papers and produce incisive accurate drafting and advice. I would recommend him for trials without hesitation. ’
James Frampton - Keating Chambers ‘ James is superb. The quality of his work is astonishingly good; far beyond his year of call. He is always proactive, his turnaround times are excellent and his manner with all clients has been exceptional. ’
Max Kasriel - Fountain Court Chambers ‘ Max has a first-rate mind: he is able to process large amounts of information and complicated problems and produce clear, concise, accurate legal and practical advice quickly. His drafting is superb: it is to the point, persuasive and forceful. ’
Dr Nicholas Maciolek - Atkin Chambers ‘ He is incredibly bright and his drafting is very clear and persuasive. I have found him a pleasure to work with. ’
Christopher Reid - Atkin Chambers ‘ Christopher is very hard working, and thorough in his approach and at the same time very efficient. Very good in cross-examination. ’
Harry Smith - Keating Chambers ‘ He has developed specialist knowledge in this field and is able to work to extremely tight timescales. ’
Louis Zvesper - Gatehouse Chambers ‘ A very capable junior destined for big things. ’

Construction in London Bar

Atkin Chambers

Known for their exceptional work both domestically and abroad, the barristers at Atkin Chambers have continued to lead the construction legal market. Stephanie Barwise QC and Omar Eljadi have been acting on behalf of the largest group of victims in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and in addition, barristers who have a significant practice handling PFI disputes have been instructed on fire safety defect-related cases, including Serena Cheng QC, Dominique Rawley QC and Steven Walker QC. In the TCC, Stephen Dennison QC led Mathias Cheung and Felicity Dynes in Energy Works (Hull) Ltd v MW High Tech Projects UK Ltd & Others, a dispute relating to the termination of construction work on a waste to energy plant. Away from the London courts, members continue to be instructed in arbitrations concerning the UK’s and world’s key infrastructure projects.

Testimonials

Set

‘A very strong set for construction work. Would not use any other. The depth of knowledge, even for younger members of the set is impressive.’

‘A top set of chambers for construction law, good choice of excellent barristers.’

‘Atkins are an excellent set of construction specialist counsel with a good range of junior to senior counsel. They are a go-to chambers for construction sector advice. They are pragmatic and approachable for clients; willing to provide a commercial view as well as excellent advice.’

Clerks

‘The clerks are great. Always helpful and swift to respond – even during the Covid issues. I have found all clerks who I have dealt with similarly professional and helpful. They all know to manage the fee estimate aspects and this is a great relief.’

‘Excellent clerking – the best in this area. Justin Wilson and David Barnes are peerless.’

‘Clerks always helpful and efficient. Particularly Andy Burrows whose understanding of your needs and matching them to the specialisms of the barristers is always spot on.’

‘The immaculate and quite brilliant David Barnes understands the legal process second to none. Always there to help.’

Keating Chambers

Keating Chambers is known as ‘one of the go-to sets’ within the construction industry, its barristers acting on a number of the industry’s largest cases. Court of appeal cases include David Thomas QC and Matthew Finn acting on Walter Lilly v Clin, which may set major precedent for planning and construction law relating to building demolition, and new head of chambers Alexander Nissen QC facing Simon Hargreaves QC in C Spencer Ltd v MW High Tech Projects Ltd, relating to payment notice provisions in hybrid contacts as they relate to the Housing Grants Act. On the arbitration side, its barristers have advised both contractors and public authorities on rail disputes, and advised on key energy project disputes worldwide. Silks and juniors in chambers have continued their involvement in phase two of the Grenfell inquiry.

Testimonials

Set

‘Keating Chambers is one of the go-to sets for construction/arbitration barristers. They have an in-depth knowledge of construction and have a wide range of available barristers at different levels of seniority. Keating Chambers  hold regular seminars on various construction issues.’

‘Keating Chambers are active in the construction space and often arrange for their barristers to give lectures on topical issues facing the industry.’

‘Construction focused, consistently high performing chambers packed with talent.’

‘They have an excellent selection of dual-qualified barristers, mediators and a very good clerking and administrative team who I have always found very accommodating and easy to deal with. I would have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending their use when it is needed.’

Clerks

‘The clerking team at Chambers are responsive and pragmatic – they are fully appreciative of the ebbs and flows of matters and the logistical/administrative challenges this can sometimes involve.’

‘The Keating clerks are the best in the sector. They are friendly, approachable and commercial. They have a real understanding of their barristers’ sectors and practices and that allows them to provide a better service. They are actively involved in organising and attending BD events which allows us to build relationships with them which is important. The stability and low turnover of clerks is also important and this is indicative of the general positive culture that comes across from the clerks at Keating.’

‘Declan Redmond is an excellent advocate for Keating.’

‘The clerks at Keating Chambers are second to none. They are friendly, professional, responsive, and always deliver what is needed. In particular, Sarah Walker epitomizes all these qualities. She is a pleasure to deal with, and a real asset to clerking team at Keating.’

‘Will Shrubsall is the go-to person for juniors. He is always easy to get hold of, effortlessly efficient and a pleasure to deal with.’

‘Jade Clark and Amy Barrie are the clerks I deal with the most. I am always pleased with the service they provide and how willing they are to assist us.’

‘Holly Gavaghan is a particular star. Always informative, understands the market and makes things happen.’

39 Essex Chambers

39 Essex Chambers offers ‘great strength in depth,’ with experience and top quality services across the silk and junior level. At the highest level, Paul Darling QC has been involved with the PTT vs Triplepoint Supreme Court case, concerning an employer is entitled to liquidated damages if the employer terminates the contract before completion, and “negligence” in a limitation of liability clause carries the same meaning as in tort or not. Across chambers, 25 barristers have been involved with phase two of the Grenfell inquiry, with Kate Grange QC in of particular visibility as part of the counsel to the inquiry team. Its barristers also work internationally, with arbitration matters worldwide and the set having a strong presence in Asia, including offices in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Testimonials

Set

’39 Essex Chambers is an excellent, all-round commercial set. I have worked with a number of their barristers, primarily in relation to construction, adjudication, and international arbitration. I have also had some dealings with them in relation to commercial matters. I think they offer a great service in all of these areas.’

‘Large and wide-ranging chambers but for construction an excellent place for QC and junior support.’

‘The Chambers has some very experienced counsel in the field of construction. Their training programmes are topical and very well delivered.’

Clerks

‘The clerks’ room at 39 is the best at the construction and engineering bar. Niki Merison and Mark Winrow care about you, they care about the work and the clients and go above and beyond to ensure everything is running smoothly on matters. Superb.’

‘Very responsive, friendly and accommodating staff.’

‘The clerks are helpful and friendly. They are able to direct you to the appropriate counsel and give adequate advice on the same. They are generally responsive and easy to work with.’

‘A strong clerks room. Niki Merison and Mark Winrow are particular stars.’

4 Pump Court

The construction barristers at 4 Pump Court offer 'serious quality both at the silk level and senior junior level.' Top-flight silk Fiona Sinclair QC led on Bresco v Lonsdale in front of the Supreme Court, which could affect adjudication's effects on insolvency in the future. International arbitration has continued as well, with Benjamin Pilling QC leading on a number of matters in the Middle East. On cladding, numerous barristers including Sean Brannigan QC and Jeremy Nicholson QC have been involved in Premier Inn Hotels Ltd v. McAleer & Rushe Ltd & Others, concerning the removing of flammable ACM cladding from the Premier Inn near Gatwick Airport's North Terminal, one of the largest pieces of post-Grenfell civil litigation concerning cladding.

Testimonials

Set

‘The quality of barristers is impressive and they really do understand construction. 4 Pump Court are go-to chambers for anything of a complex nature.’

‘4 Pump Court is my go-to Ccambers. Great barristers, amazing clerks, brilliant service and an ability to think outside the box to provide services that are tailored to the solicitor or client needs.’

‘Excellent chambers with a well deserved leading reputation in dealing with construction disputes and other areas. They are always able to match someone with relevant expertise and the right level of seniority to particularly complex disputes.’

‘4 Pump Court are up there when it comes to construction. They have serious quality both at the silk level and senior junior level.’

Clerks

‘Stewart Gibbs and Carl Wall, the joint Senior Clerks, are excellent. Having worked with them for many years, they are very tuned in to my practice, my working style and what I am looking for in a barrister.’

‘The clerks at 4 Pump Court always go above and beyond to assist instructing solicitors, offering the right fit of barrister to the issue in question, ensuring that their barristers deliver on time and to a high quality.’

‘I really like working with 4 Pump Court. The clerks are excellent and both Carl Wall and Stewart Gibbs are very personable and available. They also have a flexible approach and demonstrate a sound understanding of sector and market pressures.’

‘4PC stands out for its excellent clerking, always ensuring that matters are dealt with by someone with the right experience and level of seniority in a cost-effective manner.’

4 New Square

Offering 'great strength and depth in construction and construction-related matters,' 4 New Square is particularly known for its representation of contractors, and its crossover with professional negligence expertise. Roger Stewart QC acted in UBB Waste Limited v Essex County Council on behalf of UBB Waste, a termination dispute concerning a PFI-funded waste to energy plant. In other domestic matters, various members are instructed in litigation on flammable cladding issues. Chambers also offers representation in international construction arbitrations, with junior Cyril Chern appearing in numerous high-value disputes.

Testimonials

Set

‘For many years 4 New Square has been generally perceived as a leading commercial set that has many outstanding barristers.’

‘A good knowledgeable set with strength and depth in key areas especially in arbitration, construction and insurance.’

‘The chambers is becoming a “go-to chambers” for construction disputes work because they are extremely easy to work with and very pragmatic.’

‘4 New Square have great strength and depth in construction and construction-related matters. They are very good at suggesting alternative Counsel when the requested Counsel is unavailable. They run interesting and thought-provoking seminars on matters relevant to my specialism.’

Clerks

‘I am most impressed by the clerks. Alex Dolby is responsible and will fight the corner for the barristers.’

‘Good service, and I was impressed with the virtual hearing facilities they set up to deal with part-remote hearings during COVID.’

‘First-class service from clerks room. Alex Dolby is very responsive and impressive. Lizzy Stewart understands client needs and makes the effort to go to key markets for the set.’

‘Very supportive, keen to assist with an excellent service ethic. Always pleasant to work with.’

Crown Office Chambers

Crown Office Chambers handles a number of major disputes arising out of construction projects, often through its broader experiences in areas including insurance and professional negligence, including handling a number of international construction disputes concerning megaprojects. Crispin Winser QC, who recently took silk, acted in the complex Morrisons abattoir matter which alleged a loss of products, profits and a license to export to Korea due to alleged construction defects.

Testimonials

Set

‘This is becoming a very strong construction set with good people at the junior level and very senior level.’

‘Great range of barristers with an excellent clerks room. Every barrister used has hit the ground running and are willing to work with instructing solicitors and clients as a single team.’

‘I have never been disappointed with Counsel from Crown Office Chambers, from availability of Counsel to their quality – they are always approachable and extremely knowledgeable.’

‘Crown Office Chambers has a depth of high quality counsel at various levels who all specalise in construction and engineering law. They truly understand the law in area and more importantly the industry and how it works in practice. There is no case too small or too large.’

Clerks

‘Efficient, helpful and quick to respond to messages and offer alternatives if availability issues.’

‘Very good clerks especially Rob Cowup. Knows his business and a very good hire.’

‘They are user-friendly, flexible, and always eager to assist. I enjoy the positive energy and enthusiasm that they display consistently.’

‘I have always found the clerks to be of a very high standard, they are able to allocate a case to the correct person within chambers and at the right level. They provide accurate and sensible fee estimates which are always achieved or bettered.’

Gatehouse Chambers

Gatehouse Chambers (previously known as Hardwicke Chambers) offers a strong set of construction barristers across levels of call, many of whom are instructed by top tier construction firms. Many of its juniors have been involved in high profile cases, with Catherine Piercy acting for the cladding subcontractor in the Premier Inn Gatwick cladding case, and for JE Hall in the a case concerning the refurbishment of an abattoir alongside David Pliener.  Sarah McCann is involved in a number of high-value fire safety-related arbitrations. Furthermore, rising star George Eyre is involved in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Paul Reed QC acted on behalf of the leaseholders of The Lancasters in a construction damages and defects case concerning the high-value development near Hyde Park.

Testimonials

Set

‘Good strength-in-depth for construction matters. Offer a wide range of training suitable for various levels of experience in the field.’

‘I have found Gatehouse to be impressive. They are genuinely available and willing to help. I have confidence in whoever is available to provide the requisite advice effectively.’

‘They have a good offering of construction disputes barristers and helpful, free training aimed at junior solicitors.’

‘We have found Hardwicke Chambers to be up there in the top drawer of other leading sets in the area of construction law.’

Clerks

‘Gatehouse has a first-class Clerks Room that is second to none.’

‘We have found the clerks and admin generally to be excellent in the support to both the barristers and our own needs.’

‘The Clerks generally are very friendly, down to each and very easy to build a relationship with.’

‘Richard Surmano is a pleasure to deal with. You feel like your business is valued, no matter what the size of the instruction.’