Construction
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, waste energy plants, CHP and renewables. He is familiar with a wide range of standard forms, including JCT, ICE, GC Works, NEC, FIDIC, IChemE, PPC, TPC, ACA and RIBA.
Listed as a Leading Silk in Chambers UK (2025) and Legal 500 (2025)
Selected Cases
- Acting for the main contractor in the Grenfell Tower litigation.
- 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.
- £120 million dispute arising out of the construction of a new headquarters for the MoD under a contract on the GC Works form.
- £150 million dispute relating to the construction of a waste energy plant.
- £multi-million dispute arising out of the construction of a FPSO as part of a $5 billion project.
- £100 million arbitration in relation to the upgrade of the London Underground telecommunications system.
- £60 million dispute concerning the design and construction of very high end luxury flats in central London, comprising one of the most expensive residential developments in the world.
- £75 million dispute concerning the design and construction of a landmark hotel in central London.
- £40m dispute arising out of the construction on the NEC3 form of a water treatment plant.
- £200 million insurance dispute concerning the design and construction of 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.
Awards
News
- Crown Office Chambers feature in three of The Lawyer’s Top 20 cases of 2025
- Sky & Mace v Insurers: Court of Appeal judgment
Qualifications
- 1986-1989: Christ’s College, University of Cambridge (MA, English Tripos).
- 1998-1990: Japan Exchange and Teach (“JET”) Programme: British Government/Japanese Government programme teaching English near Tokyo.
- 1990-1991: The City University (Diploma in Law – with Distinction).
- 1991-1992: Gray’s Inn: Uthwatt Scholar, Moots Award.
- 1993: Gray’s Inn United States Moots Tour.
Memberships
- LCIA, COMBAR, TECBAR, SCL, SCL (Gulf), LCLCBA, PNBA
Recommendations
“Andrew is a force to be reckoned with”…”very, very strategic and really good on his feet. He has an ability, through his good humour, to win over the tribunal. He knows when to inject humour into a case, and tribunals love it.”…”The quality of Andrew’s advocacy is outstanding.”
Chambers & Partners, 2025
“Andrew is simply fantastic. He is extremely responsive, and his advocacy skills are second to none.”…”Andrew is extremely user-friendly. He’s technically very strong and his advocacy skills are top notch, truly excellent. He presents the client’s point in a really professional and eloquent manner.”…”incredibly bright and stupidly hard-working.”
Chambers & Partners, 2025
“Andrew is one of the very best in his field. His breadth of experience across the energy and construction and engineering sectors is incredibly impressive. His strategic approach and thinking is always at the very highest level; all done in a collegiate style.”…”Astonishingly bright and hardworking, he is unbelievably easy to work with and his strategic advice is always right on point.”
Legal 500, 2025
“Andrew is a phenomenally effective cross-examiner, able to get the most difficult witnesses under control and responsive. He is extremely good at opening and closing submissions, where he gets to the point in a way that engages the tribunal at all times.”…“A brilliant advocate, extremely hardworking, impeccably-mannered, and a thoroughly decent human being.”
Legal 500, 2025
“He’s actually one of the cleverest barristers I know and work with, combined with a genuine charm. He has an encyclopaedic brain.”….”Andrew Rigney is simply second to none. His advocacy is brilliant, and his ability to distil complex issues into clear and concise advice and advocacy is very impressive.”…”He has fantastic knowledge and commercial understanding with excellent client skills.”
Chambers & Partners, 2024
“Andrew Rigney is my first choice of counsel on any case. He is absolutely brilliant – hard-working, easy to work with and astonishingly able.”…”He really nails cross-examination and his success rate is incredibly high.”…”He’s a solicitor’s dream, frankly. He’s responsive, brilliant and enormously effective.”
Chambers & Partners, 2024
“Andrew’s intellectual strength goes without saying…a superb advocate with his quiet understated style belying a razor-sharp cross-examiner. He has turned a judge 180 degrees to his way of thinking with persuasive but straightforward and very well-constructed arguments…the most client and solicitor-friendly KC at the construction Bar”…“Exceptional advocacy …not afraid to roll up his sleeves.”…“excellent with clients and provides practical and commercial advice, always having the client’s objectives in mind. Really at the top of his game.”…“His ability to present complex legal arguments in a clear and concise manner is truly impressive. His willingness to go above and beyond to ensure a positive outcome does not go unnoticed… sees things that others don’t, and his work ethic is second to none.”
Legal 500, 2024
“…extremely bright, exceptionally hardworking, incredibly charming and an absolute pleasure to work with. He has a rare quality in his dealings with the tribunal so as to command respect at all times, yet at the same time conducting cross-examination robustly and aggressively …His work is meticulous, considered and precise, … solicitors and lay clients really value what he has to say… detail oriented and an excellent communicator; the sort of silk who you want to introduce to clients as you know they will warm to him… grasps the technical detail of energy disputes incredibly quickly, … his advocacy is impressive…Great to work with and meticulous in his analysis. a real team member… are no airs and graces.”
Legal 500, 2023
“Sought after by clients around the globe…a brilliant mind with a great eye for detail. A delight to work with…fiercely intelligent, can recite case law in his sleep…an exceptional and superb advocate…very impressive when cross-examining expert witnesses … absolutely at the top of his field… incredibly responsive and very on top of the detail… a true gentlemen – very hard-working and charming while also being a very effective cross-examiner…”
Chambers & Partners, 2023
“Exceptionally intelligent, extremely hard-working, impeccably mannered, a brilliant advocate, a wise strategist, and a thoroughly decent human being…”… “Extremely personable, focused and brilliant, supportive and thoughtful of instructing counsel, a pleasure to work with.”… “Attentive, thoughtful, commercially-minded, intelligent and very easy to work with, he commands great respect from his peers.”
Legal 500, 2022
“An eminent” and “go-to” silk with an “unbelievable interest in the detail of a case”. “He is phenomenal…exceptional team player..” “ Andrew is fantastic….very experienced advocate….pleasure to work with” “… an exemplary KC with.. incredible legal skills and commercial acumen” “…an incredibly effective advocate” and “fantastically user-friendly”
Chambers & Partners, 2022
