Possessing a ‘strong depth of excellent barristers’, Keating Chambers continue to cover high-value and complex construction disputes across the UK and the world, handling fire safety claims at all levels of the English and Welsh courts and significant international arbitrations concerning infrastructure projects. Alexander Nissen KC and Tom Owen KC appeared in the Supreme Court in Augusta 2008 LLP v Abbey Healthcare, while Simon Hargreaves KC and David Sheard also appeared in the Supreme Court representing the contractors in BDW Trading Limited v URS Corporation Ltd. The set remain active on cases arising out of the Grenfell Tower fire with Simon Hughes KC and James Frampton acting for the contractor and Jonathan Selby KC and Tom Coulson representing the housebuilder in Martlet Homes v Mulalley & Co which examines liability over fire safety defects in the external walls of high-rise towers. Richard Coplin KC took silk in March 2025.
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Position
Tom Coulson has a busy practice in domestic and international construction, engineering, and energy disputes, together with associated professional negligence and insurance matters.
Tom has acted in a number of the most significant and substantial disputes in the TCC in recent years, including Martlet Homes Ltd v Mulalley & Co Ltd, the first cladding and fire safety trial in the TCC following the Grenfell Tower fire, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust v Lendlease Construction (Europe) Ltd, selected by The Lawyer as one of its ‘Top Cases of 2022’, and Equitix v Fox & ors, a three-week trial in 2021 concerning and energy from waste plant.
Tom is described as “a rising star at the Construction Bar” and as having “significant experience as junior or sole counsel in TCC proceedings” (Chambers and Partners 2021). He is described as offering “great analytical skills” and as “extremely helpful and proactive not just in terms of legal advice but also strategically”.
Tom is familiar with a wider range of standard forms. He is a contributor to Keating on JCT Contracts, and also has significant experience of the various FIDIC and NEC forms. Tom is also a contributor to Keating on Construction Contracts, Keating on Offshore Construction and Marine Engineering Contracts, and to the Construction Law Reports.
Recent experience as sole counsel includes:
- The trial of a Part 8 claim in an energy dispute concerning an expert determination (Empyreal Energy Ltd v Daylighting Power Ltd [2020] BLR 555.
- Acting for a major homebuilder in the trial of preliminary issues concerning potential liability in tort for economic loss for building defects (Thomas v Taylor Wimpey [2019] BLR 382).
- An appeal concerning the relationship between the Part 36 regime and the rules governing amendments (Bentley Design Consultants Ltd v Sansom [2018] EWHC 2238 (TCC)).
- Acting for a contractor in a 3-day trial in the TCC.
Recent experience as junior counsel includes:
- A challenge to an international arbitration award arising out a project to extend a port facility in Jordan (Soletanche Bachy France SAS v Aqaba Container Terminal (PVT.) Co. [2019] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 431).
- Junior counsel in a 2-week, $300m arbitration arising out of the construction of a natural gas pipeline.
- Appeals to the Court of Appeal concerned with the scope of an employer’s implied contractual obligations to obtain planning consent (Clin v Walter Lilly [2018] BLR 321) and the requirements of the conservation area regime (Walter Lilly v Clin [2021] 1 WLR 2753).
- Appearing in a 3-week, $120m ICC arbitration in Australia arising out of a marine engineering project.
Career
Called to the Bar 2014, Pupil - Keating Chambers 2014-2015, Tenant - Keating Chambers 2015
Education
BA Modern History (Double First) - St Peter's College, Oxford 2008-2011, MSt in Modern British and European History - St Peter's College, Oxford (Distinction) 2011-2012, Graduate Diploma in Law - City University (Distinction) 2012-2013, Bar Professional Training Course - City University (Outstanding, 4th in year) 2013-2014
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The clerks room at Keating us headed by Will Shrubsall and James Luxmoore. They are both very professional and oversee a quality clerking service.'
- 'James Luxmoore is the joint Director of Clerking. He is always user-friendly, responsive and great at troubleshooting when needed. Jade Clark is Practice Manager and brilliant at client service.'
- 'The service provided by the clerks’ room is consistently excellent. William Shrubsall was responsive, approachable, and proactive in ensuring that counsel are available and appropriately matched to the matter at hand.'
- 'The clerks are amazing, genuinely enthusiastic about their work and willingness to go above and beyond to help. James Luxmoore and Oliver Goldsmith are really excellent - approachable and responsive (always finding the right people to help promptly even whilst travelling). Jade Clerk and Rob Garvan are also very efficient and proactive.'
- 'I consider Keating Chambers to be a leading Construction set and my 'go to' chambers for building safety disputes which form a large part of my practice.'
- 'Keating Chambers have a very strong depth of excellent barristers and are my go-to set of choice. There is a good availability of counsel and I have found counsel are better than other sets at managing multiple commitments.'
- 'Keating Chambers has always stood out to me as a truly exceptional set in the construction field. Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with several of their barristers, and I’ve consistently been impressed by the depth of talent and expertise available. Whether it’s a senior silk or a junior, the quality is high.'
- 'Keating have unparalleled knowledge and expertise across construction - from the most senior silk to the newest tenant, you know you are getting high-quality barristers who really know their stuff.'