International Arbitration
Andrew has a very substantial international arbitration practice and is familiar with a wide range of arbitral rules, including ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, EDF and LMAA. He has acted in relation to claims arising out of projects and risks in Hong Kong, the United States, the Caribbean, Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, Turkey, the Indian Sub-continent and the United Kingdom; and he has extensive experience of disputes arising out of projects in the Middle East, including the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and, increasingly, Saudi Arabia, and of the civil law systems in the Middle East. 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, four major international airports, shipbuilding, and cross-border sale of goods.
Listed as a Leading Silk in Chambers UK (2024) and Legal 500 (2024)
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.
- $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.
- $1billion dispute concerning the construction of a metro in the Middle East. Local law and 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.
- $100 million dispute relating to Hong Kong International Airport. 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.
- 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 the Middle East. Local 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.
- $350 million dispute concerning the construction of a complex oil facility in North Africa. English law and Vienna seat.
- $500 million dispute concerning the construction of a major stadium in the Middle East. Local law and local 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.
- $multi million construction arbitration in relation to sewerage plant project on the NEC4 form in Hong Kong. Hong Kong law and Hong Kong 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.
- $100 million dispute in relation to the construction of a port in Saudi Arabia. English law and London seat.
- $200 million ICC arbitration concerning major public building project in North Africa. English law and London seat.
Awards
News
- Crown Office Chambers recognised by Legal 500 EMEA 2024 for construction expertise in the Middle East
- Shortlisted at The Legal 500 Middle East and North Africa Awards 2024
Events
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
“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. But in addition, Andrew is 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 on a number of occasions with persuasive but straightforward and very well-constructed arguments. Lastly, he is without any doubt the most client and solicitor-friendly KC at the construction Bar.’
Legal 500, 2024
‘Exceptional advocacy which is very clear, concise and persuasive. Very nice manner and easy to work with, reliable and available.’ … “Very hard working and not afraid to roll up his sleeves. He is excellent with clients and provides practical and commercial advice, always having the client’s objectives in mind. Really at the top of his game.”
Legal 500, 2024
‘Andrew’s contributions to the team are always invaluable – impressive intelligence and exceptional oral advocacy skills. 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. User-friendly, sharp and creative, Andrew sees things that others don’t, and his work ethic is second to none.’
Legal 500, 2024
“Andrew is extremely bright, exceptionally hardworking, incredibly charming and an absolute pleasure to work with. He has a rare quality of being very charming 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 as required… His work is meticulous, considered and precise, and solicitors and lay clients really value what he has to say… Andrew is detail oriented and an excellent communicator. He is also charming; the sort of silk who you want to introduce to clients as you know they will warm to him…Happy to roll his sleeves up, he is extremely bright and grasps the technical detail of energy disputes incredibly quickly, and his advocacy is impressive…Great to work with and meticulous in his analysis. Andrew becomes a real team member and there are no airs and graces.”
Legal 500, 2023
“.. eminent silk…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
“Tremendous: enthusiastic, hardworking, smooth with clients and imbued with a calm authority.”
Legal 500 EMEA, 2021
“…extremely thorough and clever…a ruthless cross-examiner… phenomenally good with clients… gives them comfort and confidence…an absolute pleasure to work with, extremely accommodating and willing to go the extra mile…very impressive, calm and intellectual… respected lawyer who is well liked by judges…his standout strength is his technical ability and his breadth of knowledge across insurance, construction and arbitration issues… a superb command of the subject matter of any case…”
Chambers & Partners, 2021
