Miss Chantal-Aimée Doerries KC > Atkin Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile

Retaining its firm standing as a ‘market-leading’ set for construction disputes, Atkin Chambers has continued handling high-stakes matters in the UK and internationally. As one example of the chambers’ prowess in construction-related international arbitrations, the set’s mainstay, the Third Set of Locks Project on the Panama Canal saw Manus McMullan KC  and Christopher Lewis KC represent the Panama Canal Authority in a series of high-value claims. Domestically, Dominique Rawley KC and Jennifer Jones defended Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick and Balfour Beatty Group in Northumbria Healthcare NHS v Lendlease Construction, a case concerning alleged structural defects at the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital, while Simon Lofthouse KC and Omar Eljadi represented one of Lendlease’s subcontractors in the related Lendlease Construction v MPB Structures counterclaims. In an expansive multi-party dispute, among others Chantal-Aimée Doerries KC and David Streatfeild-James KC acted for Morrisons against Lorien Engineering Solutions regarding alleged defects in the refrigeration systems of its pork abattoir in Colne. Stephanie Barwise KC has been advising on cladding issues and the Building Safety Act, and has made clarification submissions on Grenfell – a number of other members of chambers have been involved in litigation surrounding related issues of cladding and fire safety. Notable internal changes include Stuart Catchpole KC joining from 39 Essex Chambers and Rupert Choat KC taking silk in March 2022.

‘A go-to set for any construction dispute‘, Atkin Chambers maintains a strong presence across multiple Asia Pacific jurisdictions, including Singapore, Vietnam, India, the Philippines and Greater China. Chantal-Aimée Doerries KC is noted for her excellent track record in handling disputes arising from LNG and oil field projects, and Andrew White KC garners praise as ‘one of the top barristers in the field of construction and engineering disputes‘. Arbitration expert Stuart Catchpole KC is highly regarded for his ‘very extensive specialist construction expertise‘. Samar Abbas Kazmi continues to act in complex international construction and energy arbitrations, and ‘rising star‘ Mathias Cheung is ‘extraordinarily detailed and can assess critical issues quickly‘.

Atkin Chambers is renowned for its proficiency in construction, energy, and infrastructure disputes, notably mixed-use, transportation, and power developments. Chantal-Aimée Doerries KC often handles disputes arising from the development of sizeable infrastructure and industrial facility projects. Andrew White KC, Fiona Parkin KC, and Simon Lofthouse KC act as counsel in arbitrations across the Gulf while David Streatfeild-James KC is experienced in renewable energy and mixed-use construction projects. James Howells KC specialises in contentious power mandates, and Riaz Hussain KC is often instructed by sizeable contractors and developers. Zulfikar Khayum is principally focused on international arbitration, and Samar Abbas’ recent caseload includes transport and water infrastructure projects. Christopher Reid is also a key member of the set.