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2024 Silks

Anna Laney KC – Crown Office Chambers
Sanjay Patel KC – 4 Pump Court
Camille Slow KC – Atkin Chambers ‘Camille has an incredible ability to quickly assimilate large volumes of information, in great detail. She has an impressive understanding of both legal and technical issues surrounding a construction dispute. Her greatest (and most impressive) strength is her cross examination skill set.’

Construction

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4 Pump Court
Keating Chambers
Atkin Chambers
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39 Essex Chambers
Crown Office Chambers
4 New Square Chambers

Leading Silks

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Rachel Ansell KC – 4 Pump Court
Sean Brannigan KC – 4 Pump Court
Stuart Catchpole KC – Atkin Chambers ‘Very hard working, always in command of the documents, and specialist technical issues. Exceptional cross-examiner.’
Chantal-Aimée Doerries KC – Atkin Chambers 'Chantal is a pleasure to work with. Very responsive and perceptive. She delivers on promises.'
Karim Ghaly KC – 39 Essex Chambers ‘Karim is an incredibly effective oral advocate, and in particular in cross-examination. He is also strong in viewing the case from a strategic perspective, particularly in complex cross-border and highly technical matters.’
Richard Harding KC – Keating Chambers 'Richard is a top quality lawyer and a very capable and experienced arbitrator. He is a real expert on construction and engineering law and an accomplished Arabist.'
Alexander Hickey KC – 4 Pump Court
James Howells KC – Atkin Chambers 'Excellent technical understanding, strategic thinker, incredible at cross-examination.'
Simon Hughes KC – Keating Chambers ‘An excellent grasp of construction, a superlative strategic brain, a persuasive advocate and user friendly.’
Riaz Hussain KC – Atkin Chambers 'Riaz is forensic in his approach and has a remarkable ability to get to grips with the key issues quickly.'
Simon Lofthouse KC – Atkin Chambers 'Simon is probably the best construction silk in a generation. His cross examination is very effective. Excellent attention to detail.'
Andrew Rigney KC – Crown Office Chambers
Marc Rowlands KC – Keating Chambers
Roger Stewart KC – 4 New Square Chambers 'Extremely engaged and intelligent.'
David Streatfeild-James KC – Atkin Chambers 'A formidable advocate and top of his game.'
David Thomas KC – Keating Chambers ‘David is a superb legal advocate with deep legal and technical expertise in construction and energy disputes. He has a wealth of experience in handling complex and high-value claims, arbitrations and adjudications. David is a delight to work with and rolls up his sleeves to get the job done. He is responsive, collaborative and supportive, and always strives to deliver clear, concise and effective advice and advocacy.’
Andrew White KC – Atkin Chambers ‘Andrew is an outstanding barrister with extensive expertise in construction disputes. His exceptional ability to digest and analyse vast volumes of case material, transforming them into clear and meticulously documented cases is invaluable. His excellent client-facing skills inspire confidence, as he consistently provides strong leadership and guidance throughout complex legal proceedings.’
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Serena Cheng KC - Atkin Chambers
Rupert Choat KC – Atkin Chambers 'Fantastic barrister and always able to think outside the box!'
Nicholas Fletcher KC – 4 New Square Chambers 'Sharp legal mind combined with commercial awareness and pleasant to deal with.'
Neil Hext KC – 4 New Square Chambers 'Highly analytical and an effective advocate. Judges know they can trust him.'
Adrian Hughes KC – 39 Essex Chambers 'Exceptional client handling skills, especially with different cultural contexts for international cases. Superb strategic oversight. Succinct and persuasive advocacy, both written and oral. A leader in all senses of the word.'
Calum Lamont KC – Keating Chambers 'His cross examination is excellent, particularly with technical experts. Really knows his subject matter.'
James Leabeater KC – 4 Pump Court
Krista Lee KC – Keating Chambers 'She provides terrific guidance, and is always accessible. In a hearing she comes across as measured but fierce. She is incredibly likeable, and a pleasure to work with.'
Lynne McCafferty KC  – 4 Pump Court
Justin Mort KC – Keating Chambers 'Justin is a high-quality operator. He is able quickly to master large amounts of complex detail and to identify the most effective and persuasive way of presenting that detail to support the client's position. He is very user-friendly with a strong work ethic, quickly assimilating himself into both the solicitor and client teams and working with them to best present any case.'
Claire Packman KC – 4 Pump Court
Fiona Parkin KC – Atkin Chambers
Benjamin Pilling KC  - 4 Pump Court
Marion Smith KC – 39 Essex Chambers 'A phenomenal communicator and people person, allowing Marion to make the most complicated of points into something we can all follow. Extremely hardworking and never lets you down.'
Marcus Taverner KC – Keating Chambers 'Marcus has endless enthusiasm for the task in hand and brings a wealth of experience of complex international construction disputes. His youthful energy belies a wise intelligence, which is just what you need to steer a steady path through the challenges of high-value, multi-issue, modern-day construction dispute resolution.'
Crispin Winser KC – Crown Office Chambers

2023 Silks

William Webb KC – Keating Chambers
Paul Buckingham KC – Keating Chambers

Leading Juniors

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Tim Chelmick – 4 New Square Chambers 'Tim is a great team player, technically very strong and great to work with. He is also tenacious, gets stuck into the detail and is effective. He has particular skill in cross-examining technical experts as he really understands the subject matter.'
Thomas Crangle – 4 Pump Court
Andrew Fenn – Atkin Chambers 'Very strong legal ability but allied to a firm grasp of commercial realities - the combination is impressive.'
Arshad Ghaffar – XXIV Old Buildings
Rónán Hanna – Atkin Chambers 'He is very approachable, user-friendly, and sharp as a cross-examiner.'
Samar Abbas Kazmi – Atkin Chambers ‘Very good on detail and very good judgement.’
Zulfikar Khayum – Atkin Chambers 'Zulf picks up and understands intricate technical issues very quickly. He is a fast thinker who articulates his understanding and questioning to a high level. He is very impressive when cross-examining witnesses.'
Shourav Lahiri – Atkin Chambers 'Attention to detail and simplifying complex issues for the Tribunal's benefit.'
James Thompson – Keating Chambers 'James is an excellent advocate able to develop a rapport with tribunal's and witnesses to produces good outcomes for clients. He is very accessible day to day and has developed an excellent working relationship on each of the disputes on which I have worked with him.'
Jennie Wild – Keating Chambers 'She is mature and calm, has excellent attention to detail, and deals well with clients.'
Luke Wygas – 4 Pump Court  
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Alexander Burrell – 39 Essex Chambers ‘Alexander is a very astute and hard working advocate, with a great sense of how arbitral tribunals approach substantive or procedural issues. Having been based in Dubai for some time, he is uniquely placed to deal with matters involving UAE substantive law or the wider GCC.’
Paul Bury – Keating Chambers
Daniel Churcher – 4 Pump Court
Nicholas Collings – Atkin Chambers
Simon Crawshaw – Atkin Chambers 'Forensic attention to detail, excellent - clear concise drafting.'
Stephen Doherty – Outer Temple Chambers 'Stephen stands out among construction law barristers for his depth of knowledge and practical solutions. While there are other strong practitioners, his strategic approach makes him a key player in this area.'
Omar Eljadi  – Atkin Chambers 'Omar's strengths include his deep expertise in construction matters, impressive fact-finding skills and strong attention to details. He has distinguished experience in handling construction disputes. His participation in the legal team as counsel is invaluable.'
James Frampton – Keating Chambers 'Conscientious, dedicated and produces good work.'
Simon Hale – 4 Pump Court
Abdul Jinadu – Keating Chambers 'Abdul is very diligent and hardworking. Abdul is quickly able to home in on the key issues and prepare for them.'
David Johnson – Atkin Chambers 'David's sharp commercial mind and attention to detail is simply admirable. The manner of his speech is always measured and thoughtful. He has the ability to convey the most complex issues in simple terms - it's always a pleasure reading his work.'
Ed Jones – 4 Pump Court
Edmund Neuberger – Atkin Chambers 'Calm, measured and incredibly smart. Knows what points to push.'
Laurence Page - 4 Pump Court
Katie Powell – Atkin Chambers
Christopher Reid – Atkin Chambers
Richard Sage – Crown Office Chambers
David Sheard – Keating Chambers 'David's written submissions were excellent. His technical knowledge and ability to understand highly technical and complex engineering issues was first class. David has a very calm and measured approach but gets his point across during cross examination.'

Construction in Middle East: The English Bar

4 Pump Court

4 Pump Court is well-versed in complex construction disputes arising from commercial developments, energy, sporting and transport infrastructure projects. Members of the set have extensive experience in various arbitral regimes as well as in Saudi, UAE, Bahraini, Omani and Qatari law. The set boasts a strong silk bench: Rachel Ansell KC is often handles in energy projects, Sean Brannigan KC handles engineering arbitrations and Lynne McCafferty KC has expertise in arbitration enforcement proceedings. At junior level Thomas Crangle, Simon Hale and Luke Wygas maintain an active practices in the region. Sanjay Patel KC took silk in March 2024 and handles prominent energy arbitrations.

Work highlights


Atkin Chambers

Atkin Chambers has ‘vast experience and remarkable knowledge in international arbitration in construction disputes’ and is seen as the ‘go-to’ set for construction, energy and infrastructure matters across the Middle East. Chantal-Aimée Doerries KC and Simon Lofthouse KC continue to excel in disputes and arbitrations arising out of large construction projects across the Gulf, while Stuart Catchpole KC’s broad practice includes energy and natural resources, insurance and professional negligence disputes. Junior members of the set include Zulfikar Khayum, whose strong arbitration practice includes numerous complex construction disputes in the DIAC and ICC, Rónán Hanna, who has experience in transport and oil pipeline disputes and Samar Abbas Kazmi, who has recently been active on disputes relating to mixed-use commercial developments and luxury resorts. Recently promoted silk Camille Slow KC continues to handle power plant and desalination project disputes.

Testimonials

‘The team is highly professional and dedicated, making it a pleasure to collaborate with them. In particular, Justin Wilson stands out as an excellent clerk. He is always available to assist and is proactive in managing client relationships, ensuring that communication flows smoothly and efficiently. Highly recommended!’

‘Great clerks. David Barnes particularly outstanding.’

‘Excellent clerks – always very helpful and responsive and providing clear communications. Andrew Burrows and Freddie Buckle have been particularly helpful.’

‘David Barnes has a business acumen like no other – he is extremely well connected, responds super quickly with great suggestions, is very kind.’

‘Atkin is one of the best construction law sets with a very dynamic head clerk David Barnes who inspires confidence. The market of top quality barristers in this field is relatively small and this chambers is a go to place.’

‘Akin Chambers has no weakest link – from junior to young silk to experienced silk.’

‘For construction, Atkin Chambers is obviously go-to. There is very good strength-in-depth, counsel availability is good and the clerks are very well able and placed to ensure that client needs are met.’

‘What makes the practice of Atkin Chambers unique is its vast experience and remarkable knowledge in international arbitration in construction disputes.’

Work highlights


Keating Chambers

Boasting in-depth expertise across a range of construction and engineering disputes and arbitrations, Keating Chambers is considered a ‘second to none’ for transport infrastructure, oil and gas, high-rise developments and energy related disputes with an ‘exceptional bench’. Simon Hughes KC disputes arising out of energy construction projects in the region, while Marc Rowlands KC has extensive experience in rail related disputes. Timothy Elliott KC and Krista Lee KC are both experienced construction arbitrators and have an active Middle East practice. Jennie Wild and James Thompson handle energy, infrastructure and airport related disputes and James Frampton acts in projects in Qatar and the UAE.

Testimonials

‘Keating Chambers’ specialist ADR Clerk Ollie Goldsmith is helpful, charming and completely on the ball.’

‘Sam Kennett and James Luxmoore stand out – approachable, knowledgeable, organised and hard working.  Exceptional service received from them and a pleasure to work with.’

‘Also very positive.  Stand out individuals are Sam Kennett and James Luxmoore. They are very approachable, they understand the issues and logistics of the case and are alive to the client’s position and concerns.’

‘The Clerks room is stellar. James Luxmoore and Will Shrubsall are terrific leaders. They are quick to reply and always offer helpful and timely guidance.’

‘Keating Chambers are up there with the best specialist construction chambers.’

‘Keating is second to none in terms of construction sets.  They have an exceptional bench and the clerking team has an excellent knowledge of each barrister’s strengths; they are always able to recommend the right person for the job.’

‘Keating Chambers are very helpful and proactive. James Luxmore is very good to deal with.’ 

‘Keating Chambers is one of our go-to sets where we are instructed on a large construction project or infrastructure dispute. There are a number of strong barristers whether for counsel instructions or for appointment as arbitrators.’

Work highlights


39 Essex Chambers

39 Essex Chambers houses ‘many leading KCs as well as very sound juniors’ who cover a range of infrastructure, energy and natural resources construction disputes and arbitrations. Among the silks who maintain an active practice are Karim Ghaly KC, who advises governments, contractors and developers in infrastructure arbitrations and Marion Smith KC, who has experience as counsel and as an arbitrator in construction disputes across the Middle East. Adrian Hughes KC has experience in construction arbitrations before a range of centres, including the ICC, DIAC and DIFC-LCIA and Alexander Burrell is an active junior.

Testimonials

’39 Essex are considered one of the top constriction chambers and have a long list of very well known Barristers and KCs.  There clerks are very knowledgeable and approachable.’

‘Excellent.  Easy to work with and very responsive.’

‘Very user-friendly.’

‘The clerks respond to queries in a swift manner, especially in urgent cases where deadlines are tight. Darcey Bourne and Helaina Padda communicate clearly. They are good at managing barristers’ time and keeping us informed of availability well in advance. Generally, the clerks are approachable and easy to work with, especially during difficult or complex situations.’

‘They have many leading KCs as well as very sound juniors.’

‘Strength in depth.’

‘The set have multiple barristers who specialise in construction practice. This provides flexibility in case of availability issues and ensures a range of perspectives. They have a good balance of senior barristers and juniors. The set is able to respond to inquiries, book hearings, or provide assistance in urgent matters.’

‘Great selection of counsel focused on construction arbitration.’

4 New Square Chambers

4 New Square Chambers is praised as ‘an up and coming set for construction work’ as well as being ‘great for insurance work’ frequently acting for contractors on complex, high-profile construction disputes across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain among others. Roger Stewart KC is highly regarded for his expertise in insurance, professional negligence and construction negligence disputes, Neil Hext KC is well-versed in professional indemnity cases, while Nicholas Fletcher KC sits as an arbitrator on construction disputes across the Middle East. Tim Chelmick is often engaged in disputes arising from infrastructure, oil refinery, power station and airport development projects.

Testimonials

‘Always found them responsive and commercial and sensitive to clients’ needs.’

‘Very user-friendly chambers.’

‘Very efficient and extremely helpful.’

‘4 New Square has a decent array of candidates, any one of which would deliver quality.’

‘Very user friendly chambers.’

‘An up and coming set for construction (non-insurance) work.  Great for insurance work.’

‘4 New Square are well and truly a leading set.’

 

Work highlights


Crown Office Chambers

Crown Office Chambers offers representation on a wide range of construction related disputes, including in the transport infrastructure, hospitals, oil and gas fields. Andrew Rigney KC’s broad case load includes representation in complex arbitration proceedings related to energy, transport and oil and gas projects in the Middle East. Crispin Winser KC is active in construction, engineering, energy and insurance related disputes and Anna Laney KC, who recently took silk has been active on disputes in Oman and Qatar. Richard Sage maintains an active practice in the Middle East and has recently been involved in energy related arbitrations.