Department profile
Crown Office Chambers

Construction: Professional Negligence

UK Bar Guide 2026 : All Circuits


Crown Office Chambers

Rankings

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Construction: Professional Negligence - All Circuits

Band 2

Band 2


What the Team is Known For

Crown Office Chambers benefits from a number of high-profile silks and junior barristers who have a wealth of experience acting in negligence claims for and against architects, engineers and surveyors. They have been heavily involved in high-profile matters including the Grenfell Tower civil litigation and One Hyde Park v Laing O’Rourke. An interviewee comments: "It is a strong set for construction professional indemnity work." Another adds that its barristers "have a good sense of commerciality as well as pure law, and communicate well with lay clients."

Steve Purse is the senior team clerk.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • There is a good service provided by the clerks at the set.

    Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
  • The clerks are really good, very commercial, responsive and adaptable.

    Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
  • The clerks are excellent and efficient. Work rarely, if ever, has to be chased, and the rare delays are proactively explained and communicated.

    Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
  • The clerks are very good, attentive, provide quick responses and always do the best for the client.

    Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
  • Senior team clerk Steve Purse is brilliant and gets us what we need. He really pushes the barristers to help us as much as he can.

    Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • Band 1Andrew Rigney
    Band 1Andrew Rigney

    Andrew Rigney

    Andrew Rigney KC possesses a strong track record of handling construction-related professional negligence actions. He acts for claimants and defendants in high-value disputes in the TCC, as well as representing clients in international arbitration. He is also knowledgeable about professional indemnity matters. His clients include surveyors and architects.

    • Andrew Rigney is incredibly responsive, all over the detail and spends a lot of time going through case law to give full advice. He's exceptional with clients.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
    • He has a very good bedside manner. He is always very diligent and looks at every angle, which is appreciated.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
    • He is a very smooth advocate, who is fiendishly clever and very good on the technical side of things.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
    • His advocacy and cross-examination is without a doubt one of his strengths.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2Ben Quiney
    Band 2Ben Quiney

    Ben Quiney

    Ben Quiney KC is capable of advising on a range of professional negligence matters, although he focuses primarily on claims against construction professionals and insurance brokers. He is regularly instructed in cases concerning multimillion-pound losses and high-end commercial developments. He represents clients in appellate proceedings, as well as at first instance.

    • Ben Quiney is brilliant at cross-examination, good with clients and organised. He is very in control and an impressive KC.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
    • He's very calm and measured and has a good eye for detail. He's excellent on his feet and very adaptable.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2Charles Pimlott
    Band 2Charles Pimlott

    Charles Pimlott

    Charles Pimlott has considerable experience in defending architects, specialist engineers and others in a variety of substantial defects claims. He has been involved in a number of large-scale pieces of litigation and has appeared in the High Court and Court of Appeal.

    • Charles Pimlott is very impressive. He has a great manner of delivering advice to clients clearly and precisely.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
    • Charles is highly responsive and a real team player. His drafting is first class and his advice is always sensible and on the money.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2Isabel Hitching
    Band 2Isabel Hitching

    Isabel Hitching

    Isabel Hitching KC is an esteemed silk in the professional negligence sphere who is regularly instructed to act in high-stakes cases related to construction matters. She has particularly in-depth knowledge of defective design and safety issues.

    • Isabel Hitching is clearly exceptionally bright, all over the detail and is really good at leading.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2Ivor Collett
    Band 2Ivor Collett

    Ivor Collett

    Ivor Collett has broad expertise covering negligence claims brought against numerous professions, including architects, engineers and others in the construction industry. He acts in technically heavy and legally novel cases concerning a range of building projects.

    • He has incredible technical knowledge on the construction side and a layer of expertise that you can fully rely on.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Anna Laney
    Band 3Anna Laney

    Anna Laney

    Anna Laney KC specialises in construction law and is well regarded for her expertise in associated professional negligence claims. Her work often includes domestic matters concerning design and engineering, as well as major international arbitration.

    • Anna Laney is very good. She puts her client's case forward effectively and aggressively, which works well.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
    • Anna is very impressive. She is very nice, down to earth and personable.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Carlo Taczalski
    Band 3Carlo Taczalski

    Carlo Taczalski

    Carlo Taczalski has a broad practice, which includes advising the full spectrum of construction clients, such as surveyors, engineers and architects. He frequently appears in the TCC.

    • He is a very good practitioner.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Caroline McColgan
    Band 3Caroline McColgan

    Caroline McColgan

    Caroline McColgan is an accomplished and well-regarded junior who has considerable experience of defects claims. McColgan frequently represents clients in the TCC, including unled.

    • She really stood out. She clearly knew the case inside-out and her advocacy was very good and clear.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
    • She was very impressive on a complicated case. The issues were very complex and she cut through the detail and got to the heart of the matter.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Crispin Winser
    Band 3Crispin Winser

    Crispin Winser

    Crispin Winser KC is a highly regarded barrister specialising in TCC cases. His practice takes in professional negligence claims concerning a host of disciplines, including civil and structural engineering, fire engineering and cladding design.

    • Crispin's cross-examination is so effective, he's very commercially astute and imposing and he explains complex analysis in a great way.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Nicola Atkins
    Band 3Nicola Atkins

    Nicola Atkins

    Nicola Atkins accepts a range of professional negligence instructions in the construction sector, often representing architects, structural engineers and surveyors.

    • Nicola is a very good lawyer who is tactically astute. She always seems to get a great result for her client. Her written work is particularly impressive.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
    • Nicola Atkins is very impressive. I really rate her highly and she's a standout to me.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Richard Sage
    Band 3Richard Sage

    Richard Sage

    Richard Sage is an experienced junior who is capable of acting unled. Sage is well versed in professional negligence matters, and he also his expertise in areas such as insurance, property damage and product liability. He often advises contractors and architects.

    • Richard Sage puts forward a great strategy. He is brilliant on his feet and controls the court well.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar
    • Richard Sage is well respected and has a good reputation.

      Construction: Professional Negligence respondentUK Bar

Ranked Barristers at Crown Office Chambers (11)

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