Andrew Rigney KC

Andrew has a very substantial international arbitration practice as leading counsel, and has extensive experience of, and expertise in relation to, the major standard international construction and engineering forms and the major arbitral rules, including ICC, LCIA, HKIAC, SIAC, KCAB, UNCITRAL, EDF and LMAA.

Andrew acts on behalf of employers, contractors and professionals, leading large multi-disciplinary, and often multi-national, teams of lawyers and experts. The disputes in which he has acted have ranged into $billions and relate to large-scale construction and engineering projects and insurance  risks in the United Kingdom and around the world, involving complex factual, technical and legal issues.

Construction cases have included large-scale infrastructure projects, roads, railways, hotels, oil and gas facilities, FPSOs, power stations (including decommissioning a nuclear power station), process plants, water treatment and sewerage plants, de-salination plants, renewables (including biomass plants and wind farms), four major international airports, shipbuilding, and cross-border sale of goods.

Insurance cases have included coverage disputes relating to the collapse of a tunnel in Germany, a catastrophic failure of a gas turbine at a power station in the Indian sub-continent, defects in and the failure of the groundworks at a major international airport, storm damage in Florida, a major fire at a recycling plant in the Middle East, the collapse of a major public building in Hong Kong, and a reinsurance dispute relating to bonds issued in connection with the construction of a government facility in the Middle East.

Andrew has acted a leading counsel in relation to arbitrations seated, or concerning projects or risks situated, in the Middle East (including the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman and KSA), Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, the Indian sub-continent, Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, Central and South-East Asia and the Far East (including Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong) as well as the UK.

Listed as a Leading Silk in Chambers UK (2026) and Legal 500 (2026).

Selected Cases

• $3 billion ICC oil and gas arbitration arising out of the construction of a pipeline in the Middle East. Local law and local seat.
• $1billion dispute concerning the construction of a metro in the Middle East under a contract based on the FIDIC Red Book. Local law and seat.
• $600 million ICC arbitration arising out of the construction of a major international airport in the Middle East under a contract based on the FIDIC Red Book. Local law and seat.
• $500 million dispute concerning the construction of a major stadium in the Middle East. Local law and local seat.
• $300 million ICC disputes arising out of the construction in the Middle East of the largest petro-chemical plant of its kind in the world. English law and London seat.
• $200 million ICC arbitration relating to the design and construction of a major process plant relating to the solar power industry in the Middle East under a FIDIC-based contract. English law and local seat.
• Acting for Insurers in connection with a $150 million overage dispute (including issues as to the application of DE3/LEG2 clauses) under an EAR policy in relation to the construction of a major international airport in the Middle East. Local law and local seat.
• Acting in for reinsurers in a $multi-million ICC arbitration arising out of bonds issued in connection with the construction of a government facility in Qatar. Local law and local seat.
• Acting on behalf of Korean contactor in ICC arbitration in relation to a £multi-billion project concerning the construction of a power station in KSA.
• $hundreds of millions dispute relation to the purported termination of a long-term contract for the design, construction and operation of a facility in KSA.
• $100 million dispute in relation to the construction of a port in KSA. English law and London seat.
• $100 million dispute relating to Hong Kong International Airport. Hong Kong Law and Hong Kong seat.
• $multi million construction arbitration in relation to sewerage plant project on the NEC4 form in Hong Kong. Hong Kong law and Hong Kong seat.
• Acting for Insurers in connection with $50 million claim under an EAR policy relating to the catastrophic failure of a gas turbine at a power station in the Indian sub-continent, including issues as to extended maintenance cover and the application of DE3/LEG2 clauses.
• $350 million dispute concerning the construction of a complex oil facility in North Africa. English law and Vienna seat.
• $200 million ICC arbitration concerning major public building project in North Africa. English law and London seat.
• Acting in relation to $hundreds of millions dispute relating to claims for extensions of time and additional payment in connection with the construction of a process plant in Asia.
• $multi-million LMAA arbitration relating to the design and construction of the largest superyacht of its kind in the world. English law and London seat.
• £hundreds of millions arbitration under the IChemE Red Book and IChemE Arbitral Rules concerning claims for delay, variations, loss and expense and additional payment in relation to the construction of a large-scale waste for energy plant in western Europe.

Andrew has a thriving and extensive construction and engineering practice across a wide range of sectors including very large infrastructure projects, ports, shipbuilding, airports, hotels, roads, rail, tram and metro systems, process plants, oil and gas, FPSOs, water treatment plants, sewerage plants,  CHP and renewables (including waste to energy plants, biomass plants and wind farms).

He has extensive experience of, and expertise in relation to, the major standard forms, including JCT, NEC, FIDIC, IChemE, PPC, TPC, ACA and RIBA and is instructed in some of the most substantial disputes relating to fire claims and defective cladding in high-rise buildings (as well as disputes as to insurance coverage for such claims), including the high-profile Grenfell Tower litigation arising out of the catastrophic fire at Grenfell Tower in London in 2017.

Listed as a Leading Silk in Chambers UK (2026) and Legal 500 (2026).

Selected Cases

• Acting for the main contractor in the highly complex, multi-party Grenfell Tower litigation, involving claims for $hundreds of millions arising out of the fire at Grenfell Tower in 2017.
• Acting in relation to a number of the most substantial claims concerning cladding and fire safety defects, including claims under the Building Safety Act 2022 and the Defective Premises 1972.
• Acting for the successful respondent in Mears v Costplan [2019] EWCA Civ 502, in which the Court of Appeal considered the meaning of “practical completion” for the first time in 50 years.
• £several hundred million dispute relating to claims for delay and loss and expense in connection with the construction of a windfarm.
• £several hundred million arbitration under the IChemE Red Book and IChemE Arbitral Rules concerning claims for delay, variations, loss, expense and additional payment in relation to the construction of a large-scale waste for energy plant in western Europe.
• Acting in relation to $hundreds of millions dispute relating to claims for extensions of time and additional payment in connection with the construction of a process plant in Asia.
• £120 million dispute arising out of the construction of a new headquarters for the MoD.
• £multi-million dispute arising out of the construction of a FPSO as part of a $5 billion project.
• £100 million arbitration concerning claims for extensions of time and loss and expense in relation to the upgrade of the London Underground telecommunications system, involving (amongst other things) a highly complex delay analysis by reference to each line and its relationship to the system as a whole.
• £60 million dispute concerning the design and construction of very high end luxury flats at One Hyde Park in central London, comprising one of the most expensive residential developments in the world, which was listed as one of The Lawyer’s top 20 cases for 2025.
• £75 million dispute concerning the design and construction of a landmark hotel in central London.
• £40m dispute in relation to the payment provisions under the NEC3 form in relation to the construction of a water treatment plant.
• $multi-million dispute in relation to a sewerage plant project in Hong Kong giving rise to issues as to the back-to-back nature of the main contract and the sub-contract and the provisions relating to price fluctuations under the NEC4 form.
• £200 million dispute concerning the design and construction of, and damage to, the roof of the global headquarters of Sky, the largest of its kind in Europe.
• £several hundred million dispute arising out of defects in a major landmark development in central London.
• Acting in a number of £multi-million PFI disputes concerning the design and construction of schools and hospitals.
• $1 billion dispute relating the collapse of a tunnel in Germany.

Andrew’s extensive energy and natural resources practice includes large-scale projects in the United Kingdom and overseas.  He is familiar with a wide range of standard forms and arbitral rules; and he has acted in relation to claims concerning projects in the United Kingdom, the United States, the Caribbean, Russia, the Indian sub-continent, Central and Eastern Europe Central and South-East Asia  and the Middle East, including the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and KSA.

Listed as a Leading Silk in Legal 500 (2026).

Selected Cases

• $3 billion ICC oil and gas arbitration arising out of the construction of a pipeline in the Middle East. Local law and local seat.
• $400 million ICC arbitration concerning the design and fitness for purpose of the largest renewable plant of its kind in the world. English law and London seat.
• $350 million dispute concerning the construction of a major oil facility in North Africa. English law and Vienna seat.
• $150 million ICC arbitration in relation to a gas processing plant in Oman. English law and London seat.
• $200 million ICC arbitration relating to the design and construction of a major process plant relating to the solar power industry in the Middle East. English law and local seat.
• $multi-million arbitration relating to the pricing of supplies in connection with a complex energy plant in KSA. Local law and local seat.
• £150 million Commercial Court pricing dispute relating to the supply of substantial consignments of oil from North Africa.
• $300 million dispute involving a number of oil majors arising out of the construction of a major oil refinery in South East Asia.
• $350 million dispute relating to the supply of equipment for a solar power plant in the Middle East. English law and London seat.
• Acting on behalf of a Korean contactor in ICC arbitration in relation to a £multi-billion project concerning the construction of a power station in KSA.
• £several hundred million arbitration under the IChemE Red Book and IChemE Arbitral Rules concerning claims for delay, variations, loss, expense and additional payment in relation to the construction of a large-scale waste for energy plant in western Europe.
• £several hundred million dispute relating to delay and loss and expense in connection with the construction of a windfarm.
• £$multi-million arbitration relating to the pricing of supplies in connection with a major energy plant in KSA.

Andrew acts in relation to risks in the United Kingdom and throughout the world.  He specialises in, and has wide experience of, very substantial claims relating to CAR/EAR policies (including DE and LEG clauses), property risks, Business Interruption, Professional Indemnity, Product Liability and Public Liability policies, and War and Political Risks policies,  including coverage disputes, fraud, non-disclosure, misrepresentation, moral hazard, co-insurance and issues relating to the scope of notifications and the effect of excess and aggregation clauses.

Andrew  has appeared in a number of milestone cases, including: acting at first instance and in the Supreme Court in the Covid‑19 Business Interruption Test Case; acting in the leading case on the effect of non-compliance with a notification provision in a liability policy which is not expressed to be a condition precedent; and at first instance and in the Court of Appeal for Insurers in Sky v Riverstone [EWCA] Civ 1567, the leading recent case on the meaning of “damage”, the scope and duration of cover, and the effect of DE5 in a CAR policy.

Listed as a Leading Silk in Chambers UK (2026) and Legal 500 (2026).

Selected Cases

• Acting at first instance and in the Supreme Court in the landmark FCA Test Case on Business Interruption cover in the context of claims arising out of COVID-19 – see Financial Conduct Authority v MS Amlin et al [2021] AC 649.
• Acting in relation to a group action arbitration by 32 separate claimants in relation to £tens of millions of Business Interruption losses which are alleged to have been suffered as a result of COVID-19.  The claim gave rise to a number of points of wide-ranging importance with widespread ramifications for both claimants and the insurance market including the effect of furlough payments and whether multiple indemnity periods applied.
• Acting in a £200 million claim under a CAR policy in respect of alleged damage to the roof of Sky’s global headquarters at first instance and in the Court of Appeal  – see Sky & Mace v Riverstone [2023] EWHC 1207 (Comm) and Sky & Mace v Riverstone [2024] EWCA Civ 1567. It is the leading recent case on the meaning of “damage”, the meaning of a time limitation in a “damage occurring” CAR policy, the scope and duration of cover, and the effect of DE5 in a CAR policy.
• Acting in connection with a $1 billion dispute arising out of the collapse of a tunnel in Germany, including as to the applicable law of the primary insurance and reinsurance, difference in cover provisions, drop down cover and the effect of the “top down” principle.
• Acting in relation to claims under Professional Indemnity policies for indemnity in respect of remedial works relating to cladding and fire safety defects under the Developer Remediation Contracts and Self-Remediation Terms, including the effect of exclusions relating to fire safety claims and cladding claims.
• Acting in relation to claims for £tens of millions under Professional Indemnity policies relating to defects in a number of public buildings giving rise to issues relating to the scope of notifications, excesses and aggregation.
• Acting in connection with a c£100m claim under a Professional Indemnity policy in connection with defects in a major IT facility.
• Acting in relation to a $multi-million ICC reinsurance arbitration arising out of bonds issued in connection with the construction of a government facility in the Middle East. Local law and local seat.
• Acting in relation to a $ multi-million coverage dispute arising out of damage to a major public building in Hong Kong, including in relation to the effect of an exclusion clause based on DE3.
• Acting in connection with a $150 million overage dispute (including issues as to the application of DE3/LEG2 clauses) under an EAR policy in relation to the construction of a major international airport in the Middle East. Local law and local seat.
• Acting in connection with $50 million claim under an EAR policy relating to the catastrophic failure of a gas turbine at a power station in the Indian sub-continent, including issues as to extended maintenance cover, the application of DE3/LEG2 clauses and a “follow the settlements” provision.
• Acting in connection with coverage disputes under PI policies amounting to £200 million relating to alleged defects in a number of residential buildings.
• Acting in relation to a £150 million coverage dispute under a PL policy arising out of the collapse of a tunnel.
• Acting in relation to a £75 million dispute concerning coverage under a CAR policy arising out of the construction of a motorway in the UK.
• Acting in relation to a claim for $several hundred million relating to a claim under a Product Liability policy arising out of a major product recall.

Andrew has an extensive professional negligence practice, including claims against engineers, architects, surveyors, solicitors, quantity surveyors, brokers and accountants, with a particular emphasis on claims arising out of major construction and engineering projects.

Listed as a Leading Silk in Chambers UK (2026) and Legal 500 (2026).

Selected Cases

• £120 million claim against engineers and architects in connection with design and construction of works to a nationally important stately home.
• £100 million claim against engineers in relation to design of a port.
• £50 million claim against architects and engineers in connection with design and specification of a flagship hotel in central London.
• £70 million dispute concerning the design of a motorway.
• $300 million dispute concerning design defects relating to a major oil refinery in South East Asia.
• £50 million dispute relating to the design of a waste energy plant.
• £40 million claim against engineers and architects in relation to claims for defective cladding and fire safety defects in relation to one of the largest residential developments in London.
• Acting for the main contractor in the highly complex, multi-party Grenfell Tower litigation involving claims for £hundreds of millions in relation to damage arising out of the fire at Grenfell Tower in 2017, including claims against architects and engineers.
• Acting in relation to a number of the most substantial claims against engineers and architects concerning cladding and fire safety defects.
• £150 million claim against engineers in relation to the collapse of a tunnel in the south of England.
• £150 million claim against engineers in relation to a fire at a major distribution centre.

Andrew has wide experience of high value property damage litigation, and has been instructed in some of the largest and most complex property damage cases.  He is currently instructed on behalf of the main contractor in the highly complex, multi-party Grenfell Tower litigation.

Listed as a Leading Silk in Chambers UK (2026).

Selected Cases

• $1 billion claim arising out of the collapse of a tunnel in Germany,
•  Acting for the main contractor in the highly complex, multi-party Grenfell Tower litigation involving claims for £hundreds of millions in relation to damage arising out of the fire at Grenfell Tower in 2017.
• Acting for Insurers in a £200 million claim under a CAR policy in respect of alleged damage to the roof of Sky’s global headquarters at first instance and in the Court of Appeal  – see Sky & Mace v Riverstone [2023] EWHC 1207 (Comm) and Sky & Mace v Riverstone [2024] EWCA Civ 1567. It is the leading recent case on the meaning of “damage”, the meaning of a time limitation in a “damage occurring” CAR policy, the scope and duration of cover, and the effect of DE5 in a CAR policy.
• £120m claim arising out of a fire at a nationally important stately home.
• £multi-million claim arising out of the collapse of the of a major public building in Hong Kong.
• $50 million clam arising out of catastrophic failure of a gas turbine at a power station in the Indian sub-continent.
• £150 million claim in relation to a fire at a major distribution centre.
• $multi-million LCIA arbitration arising out of hurricane damage in Florida. English law and London seat.
• £75 million claim arising in relation to landmark hotel in central London.
• £150 million claim arising out of the collapse of tunnel in the south of England.

Andrew has considerable experience of complex commercial disputes, including disputes involving issues of jurisdiction and conflict of laws.

Selected Cases

• $100 million dispute in relation to an international loan transaction concerning assets in South America.
• $50 million ICC dispute concerning cross-border sale of goods.
• $400 million supply of goods dispute concerning the design and supply of the components of the largest renewables plant of its kind in the world.
• $multi-million supply of goods dispute relating to the design and supply of a water treatment system in Eastern Europe.
• £$multi-million arbitration relating to the pricing of supplies in connection with a major energy plant in KSA.
• £30 million Commercial Court dispute concerning a number of aircraft leasing agreements.
• Substantial dispute concerning a cross-border commodities transaction and associated jurisdictional and conflicts of laws dispute.
• $multi-million LMAA arbitration relating to contractual issues concerning the design and supply of the largest superyacht of its kind in the world.
• Sale of goods disputes in the Commercial Court amounting to £100 million relating to the discolouration of uPVC products.
• £150m Commercial Court dispute concerning payment under agreements for the supply of crude and refined oil.