As the go-to set for construction disputes, it naturally falls that barristers at Keating Chambers are also the first port of call for handling professional negligence cases concerning domestic and international disputes. Our members have unparalleled experience and expertise in a range of technology and construction-related professional negligence cases, acting for and against consultants, contractors and employers. Several of our members have engineering, technology and mathematical qualifications and are involved in state of the art infrastructure, medical, energy, engineering and defence projects.
Barristers at Keating Chambers are highly regarded for their advocacy skills and appear in very high-value, complex multiparty claims, mainly in the TCC. Many of these cases have an international element and members also have professional negligence experience in arbitration, adjudication and mediation.
Types of disputes
Our members specialise in bringing and defending claims against professionals across the whole spectrum of construction, energy, and property related professional liability work. They act for:
- Architects
- Construction managers
- Consultants
- Design and build contractors
- Engineers of all disciplines
- Government departments
- Interior designers
- IT consultants
- Professional indemnity insurers
- Project managers
- Quantity surveyors
- Solicitors
- Surveyors
- Valuers
Members also advise and represent parties in construction related insurance coverage disputes arising out of liability, material damage, consequential loss, project, CAR and professional indemnity policies; as well as architects in matters brought before the Architects Registration Board.
Recent years have seen an increase in disputes arising out of cladding defects, and our members have appeared in most of the leading cases on fire safety and the Building Safety Act to reach the UK courts.
Industry Recognition
The depth and breadth of our members’ expertise in this field is recognised in the directories, and we are ranked as a Band 1 set in the latest Chambers UK Bar Guide. Keating Chambers and our members are also regularly shortlisted for professional negligence awards by The Legal 500, most recently for Professional Negligence Set of the Year and Silk of the Year in 2024 and Professional Negligence Junior of the Year in 2023.
Cases involving members of Chambers are regularly featured in The Lawyer’s “Top 20 Cases” of the year. Examples include:
- 2024: Shepherd Construction v Kingspan and others - The dispute will be one of the first to consider the new cause of action against cladding manufacturers under s149 of the Building Safety Act.
- 2022: Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust & Ors v Lendlease Construction (Europe) Ltd & Ors – £120m defects claim in the TCC associated with structure and fitting out of a new hospital.
- 2021: WM Morrisons Supermarkets PLC v Lorien Engineering Solutions Ltd – A professional negligence claim arising out of extensive refurbishment at an abattoir, to increase pig production.
Thought Leadership
Members of Keating Chambers are renowned thought leaders and often contribute to the development of technical knowledge through publishing authoritative texts, delivering webinars and lectures, and taking part in high-profile legal conferences worldwide. This includes a dedicated chapter on professional negligence in 'Keating on Construction Contracts' (11th Edition), the “Architects, Engineers and Quantity Surveyors” chapter in 'Professional Negligence and Liability' pub. Informa (2024), and episodes covering key professional negligence cases within our TCC 150 podcast series.
