Lynne McCafferty KC > 4 Pump Court (Sean Brannigan KC and Rachel Ansell KC) > London, England > Barrister Profile

4 Pump Court (Sean Brannigan KC and Rachel Ansell KC)
4 Pump Court
TEMPLE
LONDON
EC4Y 7AN
England

Position

Barrister specialising in general commercial and common law experienced in construction and engineering, IT law, professional negligence and energy with a particular focus on large domestic projects and international arbitrations.

Career

Called 1997, Middle Temple; judicial assistant to the Court of Appeal (civil division) April-July 1999. Silk 2018.
Publications: contributor to the Practical Law Company’s adjudication meaterials; co-author of ‘Civil Appeals: Principle and Procedure’ (Sweet & Maxwell 2014).

Languages

French.

Memberships

Combar; London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association; TECBAR; Professional Negligence Bar Association; Society for Computers and Law; Society of Construction Law.

Education

Richmond School, North Yorkshire; Lincoln College, Oxford (MA (Hons) English Language and Literature, 1st); City University (1996 CPE Diploma in Law, distinction); Inns of Court School of Law (1997 Bar Vocational Course, very competent).

Leisure

Literature, football.

Lawyer Rankings

London Bar > Construction

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4

Lynne McCafferty KC4 Pump Court ‘Lynne is an excellent barrister, dives straight into the detail and provides consistently high-quality strategic advice. She is a determined and robust advocate, combining the skill of putting clients at ease and being a fierce cross-examiner of witnesses and experts in the box. Her cross-examination skills are second to none. She is especially gifted at very complex and detailed cases with an ability to quickly absorb a lot of detail and hone in on the critical issues.’

4 Pump Court handles a myriad of substantial contentious construction matters both in the UK and abroad, offering a ‘first-class service’. In addition to the members’ work in heavyweight arbitrations across Asia, the Middle East and further afield, Sean Brannigan KC and Jennie Gillies represented the claimants, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, in a high-profile case against Lendlease and Balfour Beatty resulting from the defective construction of a PFI hospital. Members of the set were enlisted by various parties to defend against claims brought forward by Shepherd Construction Limited, pertaining to alleged defects in the design and construction of cladding systems on residential blocks in London. Among them, Lynne McCafferty KC represented Drytech Façades , while Rachel Ansell KC acted for Kingspan. Jeremy Nicholson KC represented Aecom in the complex multi-party proceedings case of Willmott Dixon Construction v. Prater, Lindner Exteriors Holding, Sheppard Robson, AECOM, and AIS Surveyors, which arose from alleged defective cladding in a Woolwich Central commercial and residential development. Jonathan Lewis KC took silk in March 2023, and Fiona Sinclair KC retired.

London Bar > IT and telecoms (infrastructure and contracts)

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4

Lynne McCafferty KC4 Pump Court ‘Effective on her feet in a very measured and understated way – a nice change of pace from a lot of other senior counsel. Clear in her advice.’

4 Pump Court is ‘a true IT specialist set’ with ‘excellent IT disputes counsel at all levels’ covering the full breadth of technology and telecoms matters, including artificial intelligence, IT outsourcing matters such as syndicated services, software licensing and developing agreements. Alex Charlton KC acts for the claimant, leading Iain Munro in Topalsson GmbH v Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd, a TCC dispute in relation to a failed project implementation for visualisation sales systems, raising issues of unlawful termination, misrepresentation, and damages – Terence Bergin KC and Matthew Lavy KC appeared for the carmaker. Charlton KC also appeared for the claimant in IBM v LzLabs & Others, which includes claims for breach of licensing agreements and injunctions in relation to mainframe software, while Lavy and Gideon Shirazi are instructed as opposing counsel. Lynne McCafferty KC is appointed advisor on the independent advisory panel concerning the Post Office Horizon scandal, alongside Charlton KC and Benjamin Pilling KC.

London Bar > International arbitration: counsel

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4

Lynne McCafferty KC4 Pump Court ‘Lynne is the epitome of an iron fist in side a velvet glove. She is a tough opponent – she is on top of all the material, and delivers her arguments in such a reasonable and effective manner that judges cannot help but agree with her. Lynne is calm, personable and has a grasp of the detail.’

London Bar > Professional negligence

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3

Lynne McCafferty KC4 Pump Court ‘Lynne is an excellent barrister, her cross examination skills are second to none and certainly not to be underestimated. She is especially gifted at very complex and detailed cases with an ability to quickly absorb a lot detail and hone in on the critical issues.’

London Bar > Energy

(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4

Lynne McCafferty KC4 Pump Court ‘Lynne is calm, personable, easy to work with and committed to the client’s cause. Her advocacy can be serene and measured or punchy and stern as required.’

Middle East: The English Bar > Construction

(Leading silks)Ranked: Tier 2

Lynne McCafferty KC4 Pump Court ‘Lynne has excellent cross examination skills and is able to get to grips with complex issues very quickly.’