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Marcus Taverner KC

Call: 1981

Silk: 2000

"Marcus Taverner is extremely responsive, on top of everything and gets to the heart of the matter."

Chambers UK Bar 2024

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Marcus Taverner KC
Clerk Details

Oliver Goldsmith

Hannah Bennett

Practice Summary

Marcus Taverner KC became a full time arbitrator and adjudicator in October 2021. He was described by Legal 500 (2020) as ‘One of the leading new generation construction arbitrators – he has a good incisive brain; listens to arguments carefully but makes his mind up and is decisive.’

He has received instructions as arbitrator/adjudicator for the past 20 years. He has sat on panels governed by ICC, LCIA, SIAC, DIAC, HKIAC and other institutional rules as well as on Dispute Adjudication Boards in the UK and worldwide. His experience as counsel and as an arbitrator and adjudicator includes high value engineering, construction and energy related disputes in the UK and in jurisdictions around the world, including Australia; South Africa and other African nations (including Nigeria and Uganda); Europe, the Middle East (Oman, Qatar, Dubai, Jordan, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia), the USA, India, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

Before focussing on sitting as arbitrator and adjudicator, Marcus Taverner KC was awarded “Construction Silk of the Year” in 2009 and 2015 by Chambers & Partners. He was recommended as “the leading construction silk at the bar today” (Who’s Who Legal 2016). The Legal 500 UK 2018 reported him as “Incredibly hardworking, consistently energetic, and rightly regarded as a doyen of the construction sector”. He was recently identified in Chambers UK 2020 as “A commanding advocate who is, in our view, second to none in the construction field.”

He is particularly well known for his understanding of the commercial aspects of litigation and his mastering of the technical detail of complex and high value cases. The combination of “unparalleled advocacy skills” and “sound judgment” made him a popular choice for international and domestic clients. Clients have included UK governmental bodies, foreign governments and many of the world’s largest construction, engineering and oil companies, developers, related professionals and their insurers. His experience includes disputes subject to Civil, Common, Islamic and International jurisdictions and law.

Practice Areas

Recent Appointments

  • Member of a Tribunal in an Ad hoc Arbitration concerning a sub-sea pipe line in the Middle East.

  • Tribunal Member in an EDF Rules Arbitration concerning a large road project in central Africa.

  • Chair of a DIAC Rules Arbitration relating to a process plant in Saudi Arabia.

  • Member of LCIA Tribunal Arbitrating a dispute relating to the sale of power equipment for installation in a Combined Cycle Power Station in the West Indies.

  • Tribunal member in an ICC Arbitration concerning an oil refinery in Oman.

  • Member of LCIA Tribunal relating to a dispute concerning an expressway in Oman.

  • President of an ICC Arbitration concerning a large dispute relating to a Biofuel development in the USA.

  • Adjudicator in a high profile infrastructure dispute in the UK.

  • Tribunal member in an Arbitration concerning a dispute relating to drilling rigs in Bangladesh.

  • Sole Arbitrator with regard to a multi-party infrastructure dispute in Hong Kong.

  • Member of a DAB panel relating to a power station in Africa.

  • President of an ICC Tribunal in a dispute concerning a transport project in Saudi Arabia.

  • Adjudicator in a large PFI hospital dispute in the UK.

  • Chair of a DAB relating to dispute relating to two power plants constructed in South Africa.

  • Tribunal member in an ICC dispute relating to a biomass project in the UK.

  • Tribunal member in an ICC arbitration regarding disputes arising out of the construction of an anhydrous ammonia production facility.

  • DAB member of a dispute arising out of a power plant in Costa Rica.

  • Arbitrator in ICC Arbitration relating to an oil refinery in Egypt.

  • Chair of a SIAC Arbitration relating to a mining project in Australia.

  • Chair of an ICC Arbitration concerning a mining concession in Australia.

  • Tribunal member in an ICC Arbitration concerning a dispute relating to the construction of an export pipeline and gas collection header at an LNG plant in Australia.

  • Arbitrator in an oil concession dispute in Nigeria.

  • Tribunal member in joint venture dispute arising out of the construction of a production facility in Trinidad.

  • Sole Arbitrator in a domestic dispute regarding a commercial development in the South of England.

Reported Cases

Essex County Council v UBB Waste (Essex) Limited

Arcadis Consulting (UK) Ltd v AMEC (BSC) Ltd

Leeds Beckett University v Travelers Insurance Company Ltd

Mutual Energy Ltd Claimant v (1) Starr Underwriting Agents Ltd (2) Travellers Syndicate Management Ltd

ABC Electrification Ltd v Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd

Commercial Management (Investments) Ltd v (1) Mitchell Design & Construct Ltd (2) Regorco Ltd (Formerly Roger Bullivant Ltd)

Vivergo Fuels Ltd v Redhall Engineering Solutions Ltd

RWE Npower Plc v Alstom Power Ltd & Ors

Other information

Education & Career

  • Bachelor of Laws, University of Leicester, 1979

  • Master of Laws, King’s College, London, 1980

  • Called to the Bar (Grays Inn), 1981

  • Keating Chambers, 1985 – present

  • King’s Counsel, 2000

  • Bencher of Gray’s Inn, 2007

  • Head of Keating Chambers, 2015 – 2020

Privacy Policies
Additional information

Occasionally lectures on construction and related disputes. Married with four children and lives in Hertfordshire. His interests include acting, guitar, walking, theatre, all types of music and opera. He is a Director of Stevenage FC.

Memberships

  • Technology & Construction Bar Association (TECBAR)

  • Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR)

  • Society of Construction Law (SCL)

  • Society of Construction Arbitrators

Recommendations

"Marcus is very intelligent, adaptable, cooperative, hardworking, good natured and innovative. He is a first-class person with whom to work on a tribunal."

‘Mastery of his subject, allied to extensive experience. Marcus is a joy to work with.’

'Marcus Taverner is extremely responsive, on top of everything and gets to the heart of the matter.'

‘Marcus is hugely experienced, swiftly gets to the heart of the matter, and is always responsive. He is pragmatic, thorough, and a joy to work with.'

'Marcus has boundless enthusiasm for his subject matter, tempered by a deep understanding of the dispute and a steely eye for what really matters.'

‘Marcus is a first-class practitioner. He is very clever, always constructive in his approach, hardworking, and his judgement is excellent.’

 ‘Marcus is a pleasure to work with. He is intelligent, thoughtful, and astute. His drafting is excellent.’

"One of the leading new generation construction arbitrators - he has a good incisive brain; listens to arguments carefully but makes his mind up and is decisive."

"Simply the best, he is an amazing counsel and arbitrator who is very bright and shows extreme attention to detail."

"One of the very best construction silks at the Bar, who is increasingly building a reputation as a first-rate arbitrator."

"He is user-friendly diligent and knowledgeable."

"A ferocious advocate. One of the best on his feet." "He focuses on putting himself in the shoes of the judge and has a fastidious attention to what the judge says and does."

"A commanding advocate who is, in our view, second to none in the construction field."

"He is in the Premier League of silks for construction professional indemnity work."

"He's got endless energy and is an extremely good cross-examiner. He's very good at judging his audience and getting a good balance."