Alan Steynor was called to the Bar in 1975 and has been a practising barrister in Keating Chambers since 1978. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration and has sat regularly on the County Court as Recorder for over 15 years.
His practice covers the full range of work in which Keating Chambers specialise, including building, civil and structural engineering, mechanical engineering and similar technical work, acting for clients in central and local government, property developers, building and engineering contractors, architects, surveyors, project managers, engineers and building owners. He regularly handles cases in the High Court, both in the Queens Bench Division and the Technology and Construction Court, in London and in centres such as Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Cardiff. As a part time County Court Judge, he has up to date experience in trying civil cases involving construction and property law claims, breaches of contract, negligence and statutory duty, and the sometimes surprising operation of the Civil Procedure Rules, including case management.
Alan has substantial experience of arbitration proceedings at all stages, both in the United Kingdom and overseas, including appeals against arbitrators’ awards and court proceedings relating to arbitrations, including the removal of arbitrators and the resolution of procedural disputes. As a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators he is well informed of recent developments in arbitration law and practice. Since the introduction of adjudication he has built up considerable experience in advising and representing construction clients, both in written submissions and at hearings, and in enforcing and resisting adjudicators’ decisions in the High Court. He is a TECBAR Accredited Adjudicator and a supervisor for the MSc degree in construction law and arbitration at Kings College London.
In addition to construction matters, Alan Steynor has had considerable experience over more than twenty five years of commercial property work in areas such as landlord and tenant law, dilapidations claims, retail property law and conveyancing, highways and planning, boundary and party wall disputes. He has been involved in a number of high profile party wall disputes in recent years, one involving claims in excess of £1m.
Alan has a strong track record in advising clients in Health and Safety disputes and environmental law and defending prosecutions. His areas of work include the application of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Factory Acts and related safety regulations, the control of pollution, contaminated land and cases involving flooding. As a Crown Court Recorder he maintains valuable experience of criminal procedure in both the Crown Court and Magistrates court relevant to enforcement proceedings and prosecutions.
Alan Steynor has a very good working knowledge of French. He is happy to travel to any part of the world on business and recently appeared in a case in the Falkland Islands.
Alan Steynor also undertakes public access work in his areas of practice.
Examples of recent work
Construction and Engineering
- Advising and acting on behalf of a Local Authority in a commercial and technical dispute regarding a Waste Reclamation Plant dealing principally with the recycling of paper and plastic.
- Advising a major property developer on a claim for substantial dilapidations on a property in the West End of London.
- Advising West End solicitors on party wall dispute, obtaining injunction in High Court to stop work unless correct procedures followed.
- Advising a building owner on judicial review of a decision by the Commissioner for Local Government.
- Representing London Borough in arbitration against substantial prolongation and loss and expense claim.
- Representing First Division football club on claim by contractors for additional payment for improvements to ground.
- Advising German clients in pharmaceutical business on terms of contract for engineering project for UK government agency.
- Acting for road building company in arbitration on claims arising from ground conditions and prolongation of contract.
- Acting for mechanical engineers on dispute arising from £6m. sub-contract to refurbish large hotel.
Health and Safety
- Advising and representing contractors on health and safety issues arising from double fatality.
- Advising plant inspector on HSE prosecution for failing to carry out adequate inspection.
Publications
Alan Steynor has recently led seminars for a number of major London solicitors on topics ranging from the insurance provisions of JCT Contracts to the contractor’s duty to warn of design defects.
Professional CV
BA in History, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
MA(Cantab.)
Graduate Certificate in Education, University of London
Called to the Bar, Gray’s Inn
Member of Keating Chambers
Recorder
TECBAR Accredited Adjudicator
Public Access Training | 1967
1971
1971
1975
1978
1991
1996
2006 |
Membership
| Technology and Construction Bar Association (TECBAR)
Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR)
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Fellow)
Society of Construction Law
Law Society Panel of Arbitrators 2006 |
Other Information
Alan Steynor acted as Assistant Commissioner with the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England, 1992-97.
Formerly a member of staff and then Governor of Norwich School.
Alan Steynor lives near Norwich and has strong East Anglian connections.
Contact UsIf you would like to discuss ways in which Keating Chambers can assist you or your organisation, please contact the Senior Clerks,
John Munton and
Nick Child, in the first instance, on +44(0)20 7544 2600. They and their teams of Clerks will be pleased to advise you on the member of Keating Chambers appropriate to your requirements.
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