We are pleased to have our accomplished silks and juniors receive well deserved recognition in the Legal 500 UK Bar rankings. We extend our gratitude to our esteemed clients for their invaluable feedback. Congratulations to all those mentioned in the 2025 guide. A selection of this feedback is included below:
CONSTRUCTION
‘As the ‘strongest specialist construction set in the country’ according to some, Keating Chambers tackles an array of significant domestic and international disputes, with particular expertise in fire safety and cladding related cases. Jonathan Selby KC and Tom Coulson continue to represent the housebuilder in Martlet Homes vs Mulalley & Co, a major post-Grenfell TCC fire safety and cladding case, while Simon Hughes KC and James Frampton are acting for the contractor. Sarah Williams is instructed by Shepherd Construction Limited in another major cladding claim. Other key cases include Piers Stansfield KC, who is representing Cambridge City Council in a High Court action regarding design defects in a major infrastructure project, and Paul Bury acted as counsel for Outotec, defending several liquidated damages, defects, and termination costs claims on a waste-to-energy power plant. Significant team changes include Tom Owen KC taking silk in March 2024.’
ENERGY
‘Keating Chambers is widely regarded as ‘one of the top construction sets with excellent strength in depth at all levels’ and ‘the strongest bench when it comes to construction and engineering disputes’. However, clients also remark that ‘it is the number one set for energy sector construction disputes, with strength in depth’, and the team has been kept busy advising on a wide spectrum of contentious energy matters. Nuclear, renewable energy, mining, and energy-from-waste sector mandates have been key areas of instruction for the group. Veronique Buehrlen KC acted as lead counsel in Tullow Ghana Ltd v Vallourec Oil & Gas France, involving a $400m claim for allegedly defective piping installed in an oil field in Ghana. At the junior end of chambers, Thomas Lazur is sought after for his expertise in handling disputes pertaining to the construction of offshore drilling rigs and other energy production facilities. Bolstering the team at the senior end, Tom Owen KC took silk in March 2024.’
INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION: ARBITRATORS
‘Keating Chambers houses a strong bench of full and part-time arbitrators and remain a popular appointment for high-value construction, infrastructure, energy and offshore disputes. Members of the set are well-versed in ICSID, UNCITRAL and ad-hoc arbitrations, and appear in arbitration centres across the globe. Richard Harding KC has a pre-eminent reputation as arbitrator on construction and engineering disputes in the Middle East, Alexander Nissen KC combines his arbitrator practice with sitting as Deputy High Court Judge in the Technology and Construction Court, and Veronique Buehrlen KC is praised for her ‘strong command of material’. Leading full-time arbitrators at the set include Robert Gaitskell KC, John Marrin KC, Timothy Elliott KC and Marcus Taverner KC.’
INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION: COUNSEL
‘Barristers at Keating Chambers are lauded as ‘the market leaders on any arbitration relating to construction, engineering and offshore projects’. Members of the set are instructed in complex arbitrations from clients across the Middle East, Hong Kong and Singapore, to name a few, and have extensive experience with a range of arbitration governing laws. David Thomas KC continues to act on high value arbitrations in the construction and infrastructure space, recently having received instructions from significant clients in India and the Middle East. Jennie Wild has a broad arbitration practice, which has recently included arbitrations related to airports, power stations and hospitals and her practice is primarily focused on the Middle East, while James Thompson continues to act in major work concerning mainland Europe.’
PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE
‘With its ‘formidable bench strength across the construction and engineering sector’, Keating Chambers continues to be a go-to set for professional liability matters relating to cladding, defective designs, and fire safety issues. Jonathan Selby KC is instructed in a claim against an architect as well as a design and building contractor concerning a defective care home that needed to be demolished and rebuilt. Samuel Townend KC is acting for the architect in Willmott Dixon Construction Ltd v Sheppard Robson Ltd, a case centering around fire safety defects that affect more than a hundred residential units in Woolwich. Tom Owen KC took silk in March 2024; he will be leading the team for the defendant in the case of One Hyde Park v Laing O’Rourke, which concerns the design and installation of pipework in One Hyde Park.’
PUBLIC PROCUREMENT
‘Having established ‘a great reputation for its bench strength in public procurement’, members of Keating Chambers consistently appear for government bodies in litigation and on an advisory basis. Sarah Hannaford KC, Fionnuala McCredie KC and Simon Taylor all appeared in Siemens Mobility v HS2 Ltd, with the High Court dismissing all of Siemens claims in the long-running procurement challenge to HS2’s award of a contract for the provision of rolling stock to a joint venture comprising Bombardier and Hitachi. McCredie KC, Taylor and Rachael O’Hagan all acted for the claimant in Excelerate Technology v West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS University Foundation Trust, a dispute concerning the procurement of satellite and wireless equipment for emergency services.’