International Arbitration
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. English law and London seat.
- $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. Local law and local seat.
- $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. English law and Seoul seat.
- $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. English law and London seat.
- $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. English law and London seat.
Awards
News
- Members recognised in the Lexology Index for Construction
- Members of Chambers recognised as market leaders in the Lexology Index: UK Bar Report 2026
Articles
Events
- Andrew Rigney KC to speak at Society of Construction Law (Hong Kong) on 10 February 2026
- Andrew Rigney KC to speak at the Society of Construction Law (Gulf) in Doha on 28 January 2026
Qualifications
- 1986-1989: Christ’s College, University of Cambridge (MA, English Tripos).
- 1989-1990: 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
- London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
- Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR)
- Technology and Construction Bar Association (TECBAR)
- Society of Construction Law (SCL)
- Society of Construction Law (SCL) (Gulf)
- London Bar Association (LBA)
- Professional Negligence Bar Association (PNBA)
Recommendations
“…phenomenal…works incredibly hard…is always on top of every detail and legal argument… one of the best legal minds I’ve worked with…”
Chambers & Partners, 2026
“…not only exceptionally personable but also one of the most outstanding practitioners I have had the privilege to work with….incredibly responsive, all over the detail…exceptional with clients.”
Chambers & Partners, 2026
“eminent silk”, “sought after by clients around the globe”, “a great advocate”, “exceptional”, “absolutely brilliant and really authoritative”, “exceptionally bright and a real team player”, “fiendishly clever” “unbelievably hardworking”, “great to work with”
Chambers & Partners, 2026
“Very clever, great in court, works very hard, gifted communicator with clients and very collaborative and user-friendly.”
Legal 500, 2026
“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
