Wen Jin Teh

Call: 2020

Email: wjteh@keatingchambers.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7544 2600

Practice Overview

Wen Jin Teh was called to the Bar in 2020 and became a tenant at Keating Chambers in 2021.
Wen Jin is developing a thriving practice in all of Chambers’ main practice areas and is comfortable
acting as either sole counsel or as part of a wider team. He has particular experience with large
and/or technically complex disputes (both domestic and international). Recent highlights include
acting:

  • In a c. £100 million multi-party HKIAC arbitration concerning defects to a post tensioned
    concrete bridge (led by Philip Boulding KC and Justin Mort KC);
  • In a c. £175 million ADCCAC arbitration concerning delays to the construction of an airport in
    the Middle East (led by Marc Rowlands KC);
  • In a c. £1.7 million adjudication concerning the compliance of an animal vaccine manufacturing
    facility with bio-containment and sterility regulations (led by Harry Smith); and
  • In two related ICC arbitrations (totalling c. £500 million) concerning the termination of contracts
    to design and build deepwater semi-submersible drilling rigs (led by Adam Constable KC).

Having grown up in Singapore, Wen Jin is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and is familiar with the East
Asian and Southeast Asian region. He is also a contributor to Keating on Offshore Construction and
Marine Engineering Contracts.

Practice Areas
  • Advocacy
  • Construction and Engineering
  • Professional Negligence
  • International Arbitration
  • Adjudication and Adjudication Enforcement
Advocacy
  • CCMC (Brighton County Court) – Appeared for the Defendant employer and successfully
    obtained permission to amend the Defence, as well as a substantial reduction in the Claimant’s
    consequent costs to amend.
  • Final hearing (ADCCAC Arbitration) – Appeared for the Claimant subcontractor in a £175
    million ADCCAC arbitration in the Middle East (led by Marc Rowlands KC). Cross examined the
    Defendant’s delay expert on his assessment of various delay windows.
  • Application to set aside default judgment (Romford County Court) – Appeared for
    the Defendant homeowners in a dispute concerning the impact of construction works to
    a neighbouring property. Successfully obtained the setting aside of two previous default
    judgments, as well as the consolidation of the Claimant’s multiple claims into a single set of
    proceedings.
  • Final hearing (ICC Arbitration) – Appeared for the Claimant subcontractor in a £15 million
    ICC arbitration in the Middle East (led by Lucy Garrett KC). Cross examined the Defendant’s
    quantum expert on his assessment of applicable manhour rates.
  • Application for summary judgment (Luton County Court) – Appeared for the Defendant
    contractor to resist the Claimant’s application for summary judgment in relation to a dispute
    concerning building works to two luxury London townhouses.
  • Preliminary issues hearing (Bournemouth and Poole County Court) – Appeared for the
    Defendant contractor in a preliminary issues hearing concerning the identity of the contracting
    parties.
  • CCMC (TCC in Manchester) – Appeared for the Claimant contractor in a dispute concerning
    improper installation of a roofing system within a modular housing development. Successfully
    obtained permission to amend the Particulars of Claim, and consequent directions in the form
    sought.
  • CCMC and preliminary issues hearing (Reading County Court) – Appeared for the
    Defendant developer in a dispute concerning water ingress to a leasehold flat. Successfully
    obtained partial strike out of the claim on limitation grounds, and consequent directions in the
    form sought.
  • Application for stay of proceedings (TCC in Birmingham) – Appeared for the Defendant
    subcontractor to resist the Claimants’ application for a further stay in the context of a claim that
    had not been significantly progressed for more than 3 years.
  • Final hearing (Coventry County Court) – Appeared for the Defendant employer and
    successfully defended against a claim alleging improper termination of a construction contract.
Construction and Engineering
  • Advising the Claimant homeowner on the procedural and substantive aspects of a dispute
    concerning defects to a listed townhouse in Central London (led by Charlie Thompson,
    ongoing).
  • Drafted Particulars of Claim for the Claimant contractor in a dispute concerning delays to the
    alteration and extension of a sports pavilion in Hampshire.
  • Drafted Particulars of Claim for the Claimant employer in relation to design and workmanship
    defects in the MEP system of a commercial insect breeding facility (led by Thomas Lazur).
  • Drafted Defence and Counterclaim for the Defendant homeowner in relation to the defective
    refurbishment of a luxury apartment in Chelsea.
  • Assisted in advising the Defendant contractor on quantum in relation to a dispute concerning
    repairs to the external cladding of an office building in Singapore (led by Adam Constable KC).
  • Drafted Particulars of Claim for the Claimant contractor in relation to damage caused by an
    explosion on a construction site in Manchester.
  • Drafted Particulars of Claim on behalf of the Claimant subcontractor in relation to the design,
    supply and installation of balcony cradle access systems in relation to the development of a
    tower block in Central London.
  • Advised on potential avenues of recovery following the passage of the Building Safety Act 2022
    in relation to fire defects at a high rise development in Portsmouth.
  • Drafted Defence on behalf of a groundworks contractor, against whom liability was alleged in respect of subsidence issues to a block of garages in Stanmore.
  • Advised on potential liabilities of the Employer’s Agent in relation to fire related defects at a high
    rise development in Lambeth.
Professional Negligence
  • Drafted Particulars of Claim against a subcontractor for negligent groundworks which resulted
    in rotational sinking and damage to neighbouring properties.
  • Drafted Particulars of Claim against a contractor in relation to the negligent design and
    construction of an assisted living development comprising 64 residential units.
International Arbitration
  • Prepared witness statements and assisted in general trial preparation for the Defendant
    engineering firm in relation to a multi-party HKIAC arbitration (c. £100 million) concerning
    defects to a post tensioned concrete bridge (led by Philip Boulding KC and Justin Mort KC). The
    claim settled shortly before the hearing.
  • Appeared for the Claimant subcontractor in an ADCCAC arbitration (c. £175 million) concerning
    delays to the construction of an airport in the Middle East (led by Marc Rowlands KC). Drafted
    written submissions, prepared cross examination notes, and cross examined the Defendant’s
    delay expert on his assessment of various delay windows.
  • Appeared for the Claimant subcontractor in an ICC arbitration (c. £15 million) concerning delay
    and disruption to the construction of a metro system in the Middle East (led by Lucy Garrett
    KC). Drafted written submissions, prepared cross examination notes, and cross examined the
    Defendant’s quantum expert on his assessment of applicable manhour rates.
  • Drafted pleadings and witness statements, and assisted with general trial preparation for the
    Claimant builder in relation to two related arbitrations concerning the design and construction
    of semi-submersible offshore drilling rigs in Singapore (led by Adam Constable KC). The
    collective value of the claims was over £500 million.
  • Assisted the tribunal in an ICC arbitration concerning the termination of two FIDIC construction
    contracts in relation to the development of hospitals in Ghana.
Adjudication and Adjudication Enforcement
  • Advised a subcontractor on the prospects of resisting and/or staying enforcement of an
    Adjudicator’s decision on natural justice grounds.
  • Drafted the Responding Party’s submissions in relation to an adjudication on the true value of
    an interim account. Successfully obtained a 95% reduction of the c. £560k payment sought by
    the Referring Party.
  • Drafted the Referring Party’s submissions in relation to a dispute against the main contractor
    concerning the proper construction of a pain/gain provision within a settlement agreement
    (led by Calum Lamont KC).
  • Drafted the Responding Party’s submissions in relation to an adjudication on the true value of
    the final account. Successfully obtained an 85% reduction in the c. £160k payment sought by
    the Referring Party.
  • Drafted the Responding Party’s submissions in relation to a ‘smash and grab’ adjudication
    brought against them by their building contractor. Successfully argued that the contractor was
    estopped from relying upon the contractual notice regime.
  • Drafted the Responding Party’s submissions in relation to a dispute against the main contractor
    concerning delays to the fitting out of an office building in Central London (led by Jennie Wild).
  • Drafted the Referring Party’s submissions in a c. £1.7 million adjudication concerning the
    design and construction of a vaccine manufacturing facility (led by Harry Smith). Successfully
    obtained a decision in their favour.
  • Drafted the Referring Party’s submissions in a payment notice adjudication against the main
    contractor. Successfully obtained a decision ordering payment of the notified sum.
  • Advised a mechanical and electrical subcontractor on the prospects of enforcing an
    Adjudicator’s final account decision in their favour. The advice allowed for the parties to reach a
    settlement prior to the issue of proceedings.
Case Reports
Case Date