Atkin Chambers

Widely regarded as a leader in her field, Stephanie’s expertise lies in civil engineering and construction disputes. Her practice is broad based and comprises construction, civil and geotechnical engineering involving landslip/subsidence and augured/bored piles, mechanical and electrical engineering and infrastructure projects including roads, bridges, mass transit railroads, on and off shore refineries and biofuels plants, ship building and refits, wind farms, IT problems in computer automated cranes and trains, and procurement including major PFI projects such as hospitals and schools. Her practice also extends to military equipment such as man-portable, automated bomb diffusing equipment, battleships and nuclear bunkers.

Stephanie appears as an advocate in the Technology & Construction Courts, the Commercial Court, the Chancery Division and the Court of Appeal as well as in international and domestic arbitrations. She also has considerable experience in alternative dispute resolution methods including adjudication and mediation, including acting as a mediator. She also sits as an arbitrator, including ICC such as a recent panel in relation to the design of one of the locks on the Panama Canal.

Stephanie appeared for the manufacturer of both trains and the signal in the Ladbroke Grove Rail Inquiry. She is currently representing the larger of the two groups of victims (survivors, bereaved relatives and former residents of Grenfell Tower) in The Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry, a group represented by three firms of solicitors.

In 2019 she was appointed by the Board of one of the UK’s largest volume housebuilders, Persimmon plc, to lead an independent review to assess its customer care, culture and operations, including workmanship standards, which reported to the Board and the findings of which were published in December 2019.

Stephanie was appointed to the Board of the International Quality Building Centre in 2020.

Stephanie has represented the UK government and foreign governments, as well as a wide variety of other clients in high-value and complex claims. Key cases include: BHC Ltd v Galliford Try Infrastructure Ltd (t/a Morrison Construction) [2018] EWHC 368 (TCC) the development of a gas processing plant in the Laggan-Tormore fields off the Shetland Isles: one of the biggest UK construction projects at the time; Vivergo v Redhall [2013] EWHC 4030(TCC) establishing grounds for wrongful termination of contract based on inadequate contractual notices having been given; R&C Engineers v Shaylor [2012] EWHC 1254 establishing entitlement to set-off against an adjudicator’s decision; seminal case establishing an adjudicator has no right to adjudicate an account of any net balance due on set-off under rule 4.90 of the Insolvency Rules (Enterprise Managed Services v Tony McFadden Utilities [2009] EWHC 3222(TCC)); and seminal case in the Court of Appeal on the ability to preserve a right of set-off despite settlement as cited in Foskett on Compromise (London & Regional (St Georges Court) v MOD [2008] EWCA civ 1212).

Called to the Bar 1988. Joined Atkin Chambers 1989. Silk 2006. Bencher Middle Temple 2010. Vice chair of Middle Temple Estates Committee 2014. Chair of Middle Temple Estates Committee 2015. 2020 IBQC (International Building Quality Centre) Board Member

She is fluent in French and competent in German.

TECBAR; COMBAR.