Keating Chambers

The firm: Keating Chambers is one of the UK’s leading sets of commercial barristers’ chambers, with a thriving domestic and international practice. Barristers at Keating Chambers specialise in providing their services across the areas of construction and engineering; energy and natural resources; infrastructure and utilities; international arbitration; IT and technology; offshore construction and marine engineering; procurement and competition and associated professional negligence. Currently 64 barristers-strong (including international members based in South Africa, Australia or Hong Kong), it has a thriving global practice and strength in depth across the range of seniorities to support clients’ needs. Members regularly appear in the various divisions of the High Court – but especially in the Technology & Construction Court and the Commercial Court – and also the Court of Appeal, the Privy Council and Supreme Court. Chambers’ ADR expertise covers domestic and international arbitration, adjudication (statutory and contractual), mediation, dispute review boards and expert determination. Senior members are also frequently appointed as arbitrators by many of the world’s leading appointing bodies, such as the ICC, LCIA, DIAC, HKIAC, KLRCA, SIAC and VIAC. They are also appointed directly by parties to arbitrations under ICSID and UNCITRAL rules. Members act as experts on English law in overseas jurisdictions, and some members have rights of audience in other jurisdictions (including Dubai (DIFC), Hong Kong SAR and New Zealand).

Areas of practice: Construction and engineering: expertise covers the full range of contractual claims relating to the construction industry, including development contracts, building defects claims and construction delays. Claims expertise includes civil, mechanical and electrical engineering works relating to major international infrastructure projects such as airports, bridges, railways, roads and tunnelling. Members of Keating Chambers have been instructed as counsel in connection with many high-profile major construction projects over the years, particularly in the UK, Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Africa.

Energy: expertise in claims relating to the construction of assets for the oil and gas industry including drilling platforms, FSPO’s, oil tankers, pipe laying ships, support vessels, undersea pipelines and on shore process and storage facilities. Members also have experience in power generation, the nuclear sector and onshore and offshore windfarm disputes. With a number of barristers having a dual qualification in engineering, they are well-equipped to handle disputes involving complex technical issues.

Professional negligence: represents a range of clients in negligence actions including claims for and against architects, surveyors, valuers, engineers and other consultants concerned with buildings and engineering projects. Members also advise and represent parties in construction related insurance coverage disputes arising out of liability, material damage, consequential loss, project, CAR and professional indemnity policies.

Shipbuilding and marine engineering: experience in technical marine engineering matters, advising and acting in many international shipbuilding and offshore construction disputes. Experience extends not only to vessels destined for the oil and gas industries, such as FPSOs and jack-ups but also to ferries and to cable laying, naval and general cargo vessels.

Procurement: Keating Chambers appear in many of the most high-profile procurement cases. Members’ breadth of expertise is wide, with instructions in a variety of cases relating to transport, energy, IT and healthcare. Members have appeared recently in the cases relating to legal aid services procurement and have recently acted in the first case on new competition and procurement regulations for NHS services. They are also strategic advisers to authorities and bidders often involved at all stages of the tender process from design to debrief.

Technology: substantial track record in dealing with IT contracts includes disputes concerning alleged failure to meet performance specifications and issues of alleged mismanagement in the development of new software.

Clients: architects, building contractors, building and quantity surveyors, engineers, energy companies, joint ventures, government departments, professional indemnity insurers, property developers, shipyards, software developers and specialist building subcontractors.