Simon Hale > 4 Pump Court (Sean Brannigan KC and Rachel Ansell KC) > London, England > Barrister Profile
4 Pump Court Offices
4 Pump Court
TEMPLE
LONDON
EC4Y 7AN
England
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Simon Hale
Position
Simon is an experienced commercial litigator with a particular emphasis on construction, commercial and professional indemnity disputes. He was nominated for Construction and Energy Junior of the Year in 2020 by Legal 500. His practice is split between court work, adjudication, and domestic and international arbitration. Examples of his recent work include: internationally, Leonardo SpA v Doha Bank Assurance Co LLC [2020] QIC (A) 1, on appeal from [2019] QIC (F) 6, a leading decision on the enforcement of demand bonds. Domestically, Blackpool Borough Council v Volkerfitzpatrick Ltd, Caunton Engineering Limited and ors; main judgment, [2020] EWHC 1523 (TCC); costs judgment [2020] 2128 EWHC (TCC); a 4-week trial of complex corrosion defects in a state-of-the-art electric tram depot.
Career
Called 2006.
Memberships
Gray’s Inn; TECBAR; SCL; COMBAR; PNBA; LCIA
Leisure
Away from work, Simon spends as much time as possible having fun with his family, and is devoted to his three whippets.
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Construction
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Simon Hale – 4 Pump Court ‘Simon’s command of the details while never losing sight of the bigger picture is second to none. A silk in waiting. His advocacy is clear, cogent and incisive.’
London Bar > Professional negligence
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 1Simon Hale – 4 Pump Court ‘Simon is an incredible advocate. He outshines other counsel in the court room with his engaging, often mesmerizing presence.’
4 Pump Court has extensive experience handling professional liability matters in the UK as well as those connected with the Middle East. The set has a particular strength in handing claims with the construction and engineering sector. Rachel Ansell KC leads the team acting for Kingspan in Shepherd Construction Limited v Kingspan Limited & Others, a complex claim brought by the main contractor against twenty-four defendants in relation to the design and construction of multiple cladding systems – Lynne McCafferty is representing another defendant. Simon Hale is instructed to act for WSP Ltd in Avantage (Cheshire) Limited v GB Building Solutions Ltd, a case arising out the destruction of a care home due to a fire. Fiona Sinclair KC has since retired from practice.
London Bar > Energy
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 4Simon Hale – 4 Pump Court ‘Simon, as a lead counsel, can go head-to-head against top silks. He never gets fazed and his trial preparation is faultless.’
Middle East: The English Bar > Construction
(Leading juniors)Ranked: Tier 24 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.