Keating Chambers boasts substantial expertise in construction and technology professional negligence cases, crossing over with the set’s leading position in contractual construction disputes. Members of the set routinely advise on construction-related insurance coverage issues as well as cases surrounding defective design, cladding and fire safety. Simon Hargreaves KC and David Sheard are instructed in BDW Trading v AECOM & Environment UK Ltd, URS Corporation LTD and Cameron Taylor Consulting Ltd, a prominent construction case centring on defective structural engineering across several residential developments which went to the Supreme Court in 2024. Jonathan Selby KC led Alice Sims in Willmott Dixon Construction Ltd v Prater Ltd and others, a case which explored issues surrounding building liability orders and how and when they should be heard. Richard Coplin KC took silk in 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Profile
Position
David Sheard has developed a busy and wide-ranging practice, encompassing all key areas of Chambers’ expertise including construction, adjudication, energy and professional negligence work. He has been recommended as an “astronomically clever” and “gifted” barrister by The Legal 500 (Professional Negligence) and as a leading junior who is “absolutely brilliant” by Who’s Who Legal (Construction).
David has worked with numerous standard-form and bespoke contracts, including FIDIC, NEC3, PFI, SFA/99, ACE, RICS and many of the JCT forms (past and present), providing advice to various clients ranging from private home-owners to large property-development companies. He also has substantial court experience as sole counsel, representing clients in the County and High Courts both for interim applications and at trial, as well as being instructed on numerous occasions as junior counsel in larger construction disputes, both in international and domestic arbitrations and in the TCC.
In addition to Chambers’ core areas of expertise, David also has significant experience in the context of rail disputes, including claims made in arbitration in accordance with the ADRR concerning Restrictions of Use and Sustained Poor Performance.
Career
TECBAR-Accredited Adjudicator, 2013
Tenant, Keating Chambers, 2011- Present
Pupil, Keating Chambers, 2010-2011
Called 2010, Lincoln’s Inn
Languages
Basic German.
Education
Warwick School (2005); St John’s College, Cambridge University (2008 BA Law Hons; 2009 LLM 1st).
Content supplied by Keating Chambers
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ' The clerks room at Keating is headed by Will Shrubsall and James Luxmoore. They are both very professional and oversee a quality clerking service.'
- 'They are very well known and respected in the construction space.'
- 'Excellent and responsive clerks' room.'
- 'Keating Chambers are an absolute pleasure to deal with, nothing is too much trouble and they are incredibly accommodating of us and our clients.'
- 'Keating Chambers is the 'go to' set for construction law - they literally write the book on it.'
- 'Keating has excellent expertise across the board for both silks and junior counsel for construction-related disputes and can offer a variety of suitable candidates to assist clients on any dispute.'
- 'The clerks are very responsive and always on hand to assist with queries or to provide updates.'
- 'Keating Chambers has an excellent team at KC and junior level.'