Isabel Hitching is a specialist in commercial, construction and engineering, and related insurance, professional negligence and property damage fields. Reflecting her strength in all these areas she is ranked in the directories in five areas: technology and construction, professional negligence (technology and construction), professional negligence, property damage and insurance and reinsurance.
Isabel is known for combining intellectual rigour with a team working and commercial approach, identifying an effective strategy to achieve the best for her clients whether at trial or in mediation and negotiation.
Isabel undertakes frequent trial work in the High Court and is regularly instructed in adjudications and arbitrations. She is known for her ability to analyse and marshal vast disclosure and work effectively with multi-disciplinary teams of experts.
Prior to taking silk Isabel was the most senior commercial/construction specialist on the Attorney General’s panel and acted for the government in a large number of high value (up to £300m), factually complex and politically sensitive disputes. Isabel continues to act for the government as Queen’s Counsel as well as for insurers and private clients.
With her academic background as a lecturer at Christ Church, Oxford, Isabel is frequently instructed in cases raising novel or complex points of law. She has been involved in a number of test cases at first instance as well as in the Court of Appeal, the House of Lords, Supreme Court and European Court of Justice, including the first case to be decided in the Supreme Court on adjudication. She is currently instructed as the leader on a number of ‘portfolio’ test cases for insurers and the government.
Isabel is also instructed as both an arbitrator and an adjudicator in insurance, commercial and construction matters.
View full profile »News
- Supreme Court decision in Mixed Injury test cases – Hassam (and another) v Rabot (and another)
- Isabel Hitching KC appears in the Supreme Court for the insurers in the Mixed Injury test cases
Articles
- Isabel Hitching KC secures unanimous Court of Appeal dismissal of appeal in World War II bomb damage coverage case.
- Courts have the power to order compulsory ADR – Churchill v Merthyr Tydfil CBC [2023] EWCA Civ 1416. Decision considered by Isabel Hitching KC member of the Civil Procedure Rule Committee.
Events
- Isabel Hitching KC to speak at King’s College London International Construction Arbitration Conference 2023
- The application of war exclusions – BILA Virtual Lecture
Qualifications
- MA (First Class), Christ Church, Oxford
- BCL, Christ Church, Oxford
- Open Scholar, Open Exhibitioner, Radcliffe Exhibitioner and Dixon Scholar Christ Church, Oxford
- Lord Justice Sachs Scholarship, Middle Temple
- Queen Mother Scholarship, Middle Temple
- Inns of Court Studentship
- Previously non-stipendiary lecturer in law Christ Church Oxford
- Accredited Adjudicator (TecBar)
- Accredited Arbitrator (LCIA)
Memberships
- Civil Procedure Rule Committee
- Professional Negligence Bar Association
- Commercial Bar Association
- London Common Law & Commercial Bar Association
- Society of Construction Law (and past committee member)
- Technology & Construction Bar Association (and past committee member)
- Joint editor of Emden’s Construction Law
- London Court of International Arbitration
- Former member of Attorney General’s Treasury Panel. Continues to act for government as silk.
- Past member of Bar Standards Board Equality & Diversity Committee
- Past member and vice-chair of Bar Standards Board Qualifications Committee
- Past member of Bar Council and Bar Council International Committee
Recommendations
“Isabel is everything you want from a silk. Her mind is just razor-sharp, she will spot things in huge mounds of paperwork and see a relevance in them to then map it all through.”… “She is particularly good in cases that are a bit novel and different.”
Chambers & Partners, 2024
‘Isabel has an innate ability to drill down to the main points and weed out irrelevant issues, from which instructing solicitors can then draw up a strong strategic approach which usually gets us to where the client wants to be.’
Legal 500, 2024
“Isabel is extremely astute, very careful and conscientious and always has a clear plan of action in terms of approach to the issues and getting the best out of the case for the client. She manages expectations in relation to delivering work and solicitors know exactly where they stand.”
Legal 500, 2024
“She is very knowledgeable of the construction sector, excellent with clients and a very persuasive advocate in court or arbitration.”
(Chambers & Partners, 2022)
“She always has a good grasp and understanding of the case, and is a confident and persuasive advocate.”
(Legal 500, 2022)
“Very sensitive to the needs of the client, and adopts a realistic and commercial view in order to achieve the best result.”
(Legal 500, 2021)
“A standout barrister at the construction Bar.”
(Legal 500, 2021)
“She is clear and concise as an advocate, with the ability to see the bigger picture in disputes.”
(Chambers & Partners, 2021)
“Boasts a tally of appearances in important and high-value construction cases… She has a chess grand master’s great grasp of strategy.”
(Chambers & Partners 2020)
“She has a chess grand master’s great grasp of strategy.”
(Chambers & Partners, 2020)
“She has an awesome intellect and always examines issues from all angles.”
(Legal 500)
“A superb tactician, who is masterly with the game plan.”
(Legal 500)
