Marcus Taverner KC
Call: 1981
Silk: 2000
"Marcus Taverner has a very good mind that he can get around anything, legal or technical."
International Arbitration: Arbitrators, Chambers & Partners UK Bar 2025
Clerk Details
Practice Summary
Marcus Taverner KC has practiced from Keating Chambers for over 40 years specialising in construction, engineering and energy related disputes. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2000 and awarded "Construction Silk of the Year" in 2009 and 2015 by Chambers & Partners. He was appointed Head of Keating Chambers in 2015 and served until 2020. 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 by Chambers & Partners UK 2020 as "A commanding advocate who is, in our view, second to none in the construction field."
Marcus Taverner KC became a fulltime 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 since been described by Chambers & Partners (2025) as "super popular and a great asset to any tribunal", "has boundless enthusiasm for the dispute, whatever it is, however it is" and "he’s top flight."
Having sat first as an arbitrator over 25 years ago, he has sat on numerous Tribunals governed by ICC, LCIA, SIAC, DIAC, HKIAC, VIAC and other institutional rules, as well as on Dispute Adjudication Boards in the UK and worldwide. His experience as an arbitrator, adjudicator and counsel, includes high value engineering, construction and energy related disputes in the UK and in jurisdictions around the world including: Europe; the Middle East (Qatar, Dubai, Jordan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia); South Africa and other African nations (including Nigeria and Uganda); the USA; India; Vietnam; Hong Kong; and Australia. He has vast experience of an array of standard forms in mechanical, electrical and civil engineering.
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.
In the last 5 to 10 years, as counsel and arbitrator, Marcus Taverner KC has been involved in an array of large disputes relating to waste to energy plants; on-shore and off-shore oil and gas extraction projects; power stations; LNG facilities and pipelines; mining; various types of complex process plants; and, in the UK in particular, disputes relating to the fire protection of buildings.
Practice Areas
Arbitration
- Party appointed arbitration in respect of a wind farm project in the UK.
- Chair of an ICC Tribunal relating to an LNG Project in Canada.
- Tribunal Member in an ICC Arbitration concerning a mixed residential commercial development in Doha.
- Chair of an ICC Tribunal relating to an infra structure project in Turkey.
- Member of an ad hoc tribunal concerning a gas extraction project in Africa.
- Arbitrator in relation to a high value dispute concerning fire protection to a residential development in the UK.
- Member of an LCIA Tribunal concerning a gas extraction project in West Africa.
- Member of an ICC Arbitration panel determining a dispute relating to a gas project in Saudi Arabia.
- Member of an ICC Arbitration concerning a high value dispute relating to a waste to energy plant in Scotland.
- 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 an ICC Arbitration relating to delays and defects in a road in Botswana.
- Member of an ICC Arbitration Panel concerning a mining project in South Africa.
- 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.
- Chair of an ICC Tribunal in a dispute concerning a transport project in Saudi Arabia.
- Tribunal Member of a SIAC Arbitration relating to the transport of wind turbines in the Far East.
- Member of an ICC Arbitration relating to a waste to energy dispute in Ireland.
- Member of LCIA Tribunal relating to a dispute concerning an expressway in Oman.
- Chair of an ICC Arbitration concerning a large dispute relating to a Biofuel development in the USA.
- Member of an LCIA Tribunal concerning the sale and distribution of solar panels.
- Member of an ICC Tribunal concerning a copper mine in Zambia.
- 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.
- 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 off shore oil concession dispute in Nigeria.
- UNCITAL Arbitration panel member relating to a steam turbine.
- 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.
- Member of an ICC panel relating to a thermal power station in Cote D’Ivoire.
- Member of an ICC Tribunal relating to an energy dispute in the Cayman Islands.
- Sole arbitration in an UNCITAL Arbitration concerning the a brewing plant in Europe.
Adjudication
- Adjudicator in a rail infrastructure dispute in the UK.
- Adjudicator in a dispute concerning an environmental incident in the South of England.
- Adjudicator in respect of road project in the UK.
- Adjudicator in a large PFI hospital dispute in the UK.
Dispute Boards (DAB/DRB)
- Member of a DAB panel relating to a power station in Africa.
- Chair of a DAB relating to dispute relating to two power plants constructed in South Africa.
- DAB member of a dispute arising out of a power plant in Costa Rica.
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