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.
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- Profile
Profile
Position
Richard Coplin is a qualified engineer and spent several years in the energy industry before becoming a barrister. He specialises in dispute resolution in the construction, engineering, energy and technology sectors. Richard acts for clients on claims in the English courts, particularly the Technology and Construction Court (TCC), but he also has extensive experience of adjudication having acted on numerous adjudication claims over the years along with matters of enforcement. He is particularly well regarded for his work on professional negligence claims relating to architects, engineers, surveyors and valuers.
Arbitration in the UK and abroad is another important element of Richard’s practice, having worked on several multi million pound arbitration claims in recent years relating to large infrastructure and stadium projects in the UK and ICC arbitrations in the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East, including DIAC arbitrations under UAE law.
Richard has particular strengths in understanding and advising in respect of legal issues arising out of complex engineering matters, particularly in the fields of mechanical and structural engineering and in areas such as offshore construction, energy and power, acoustics, manufacturing, materials science, corrosion and transportation.
Richard’s extensive experience of complex construction contracts has seen his career develop into related commercial fields, successfully arguing cases as diverse as the proper construction of election rules for an unincorporated association, the effects of promises not to sue, and the application of the Football League and Football Association Rules to a transfer dispute before an FA tribunal.
Career
Keating Chambers, 1998
Pupillage, Keating Chambers, 1997-98
Called to the Bar (Middle Temple), 1997
Memberships
Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR)
Society of Construction Law
Education
Diploma in Law, City University, 1996
MA in Engineering Science, Exeter College, Oxford 1989
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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.'