Paul Reed KC KC > Gatehouse Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile
Gatehouse Chambers Offices
1 Lady Hale Gate, Gray’s Inn
WC1X 8BS
England
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Paul Reed KC KC
Position
Paul Reed KC is a leading international commercial practitioner specialising in construction, engineering disputes, professional liability, property damage and insurance. He is regularly instructed in substantial, technical and complex civil, commercial, construction, insurance and professional negligence disputes. As well as being a popular and experienced advocate in court and in arbitration, he is also highly regarded for adjudication and advisory work.
Paul has an extensive domestic and international practice, working regularly in the Middle East, the Caribbean and the Asia Pacific region as well as other areas. He is known as an approachable and client-focused silk and a team player who gives clear and consistent advice.
Paul has particular expertise in large infrastructure projects (including nuclear), ports, shipbuilding, power plants, airports, commercial buildings, roads, rail, process and other plants, energy and natural resources.
He is also an occasional postgraduate tutor and lecturer in construction law, arbitration and insurance and a highly experienced mediator, adjudicator and arbitrator and the author of the leading text on Construction All Risks Insurance (Sweet & Maxwell) and Construction Professional Indemnity Insurance (Sweet & Maxwell), with contributions from the Construction Team. He has been shortlisted as Construction Silk of the Year in the Legal 500 Awards.
Paul has experience of other legal systems including in the Pacific regions (including South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand), South America and Canada and the Middle East, including Egypt, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Career
Qualified 1988; Inner Temple; QC 2010; head of chambers 2011.
Memberships
- Technology & Construction Bar Association
- Society of Construction Law
- Commercial Bar Association
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
- Insurance Assessor – Centre for Justice
- Dubai International Financial Court
- London Commercial Law & Commercial Bar Association
- Professional Negligence Bar Association
- British Insurance Law Association
- London Court of International Arbitration
Education
- LLB (Hons)
- MSc
- MCIArb
- Accredited Mediator and Adjudicator
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Construction
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Paul Reed KC – Gatehouse Chambers ‘Paul’s expertise on the construction insurance is superb. Also, his advocacy skills before tribunals are excellent and very persuasive.’
With ‘genuine strength in depth at every level’, Gatehouse Chambers offers representation on a wide range of construction-related issues, with a particular focus in project disputes and defect claims. Leading Ebony Alleyne, Paul Reed KC is instructed to representing Mace in a major contractual claim concerning roof defects at Sky’s headquarters in Osterley. Simon Kerry acted as opposing counsel to David Pliener KC, who represented JN Piling in a three-party claim arising out of an oil spill, while Catherine Piercy KC acted as sole counsel to a Click St Andrew in a damages claim. Helena White continues to represent W Griffiths Architects as sole counsel in a major professional negligence TCC claim regarding fire safety and cladding issues. In the international arena, Andrew Kearney is acting as lead counsel through a high-value ICC arbitration against an international design and build contractor in the engineering sector.
London Bar > Professional negligence
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2Paul Reed KC –Gatehouse Chambers ‘Paul is the go-to advocate for construction insurance. He’s insightful with a sixth sense for how cases will play out.’
London Bar > Insurance and reinsurance
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2Paul Reed KC –Gatehouse Chambers ‘Paul is the leading authority on construction and engineering insurance. Having him on your team provides instant reassurance. His advice on difficult issues is consistently on point.’
The insurance team at Gatehouse Chambers is experienced in policy coverage work, having acted for a range of insureds, insurers and reinsurers. Members routinely advise on coverage and avoidance issues, including dealing with issues of misrepresentation and non-disclosure. Paul Reed KC is regarded as a ‘leading authority on construction and engineering insurance,’ having led Ebony Alleyne and James Shaw on the case of Sky Broadcasting Ltd, Mace Ltd v Insurers, winning a liability declarations trial against insurers and secured interim payment for the cost of repairing damage during construction to the largest flat roof in Europe, that of Sky’s site on Osterley. Michael Wheater KC took silk in the 2024 round.