Sheriar Khan

Call: 2022

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Overview
Expertise
Related Insights, Events & Cases
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Freddie Buckle

Practice Manager

Details

Overview Expertise Related Insights, Events & Cases

Sheriar Khan specialises in Atkin Chambers’ core practice areas of construction & engineering, infrastructure, energy, international arbitration and technology.

Sheriar regularly acts as sole and junior counsel in High Court TCC litigation. He is frequently instructed unled and engaged as a first-choice junior in substantial TCC proceedings involving professional negligence, fire safety and energy infrastructure disputes. Sheriar is a member of the TECBAR Executive Committee.

His recent reported cases include acting as sole counsel for the successful claimant in LAPP Industries Ltd v 1st Formations Limited [2025] EWHC 943 (TCC) to enforce an adjudicator’s decision; and for the successful defendant in the parallel Part 8 proceedings, 1st Formations Ltd v Lapp Industries Ltd [2025] EWHC 1526 (TCC), concerning payment issues under the 1996 Act and Scheme. Sheriar is also acting for homeowners against a major developer in a claim for defective works: Julian Thirsk v Berkeley Homes (North East London) Limited [2026] EWHC 215 (TCC). Sheriar has been instructed as junior counsel in High Court litigation concerning alleged fire safety and cladding defects in excess of £80 million; in £28 million proceedings concerning alleged structural engineering defects and raising issues under the Defective Premises Act 1972; and in £8 million High Court proceedings concerning termination issues and offshore construction and maritime works in the North Sea.

Before coming to the Bar, Sheriar was the Judicial Assistant to Mr Justice Waksman and Mrs Justice O’Farrell (both former Judges in Charge) in the Technology and Construction Court (TCC), giving him close insight into TCC procedure and judicial decision-making. Prior to that, he undertook a year-long traineeship with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Germany where he worked on international commercial arbitrations. Sheriar holds a first class law degree from the London School of Economics (LSE) and a masters from the University of Cambridge.

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“Sheriar is a fiercely intelligent and exceptionally diligent junior, whose approach is both strategic and commercial. His analysis of both the facts and the law consistently cuts straight to the crux of every matter he is instructed on, in a manner accessible to both instructing solicitors and lay clients alike.”

A client

Expertise

Construction, Engineering & Infrastructure

Sheriar has worked on a wide range of technically complex construction and engineering disputes and is familiar with bespoke and standard form construction contracts including JCT and NEC forms. Recent experience includes:

Acting as junior counsel in c. £80m High Court proceedings concerning cladding and alleged fire safety defects.
Acted as junior counsel in £28m High Court proceedings concerning alleged defects in a care home. Issues included a dispute about whether the care home is (or contained) more than one dwelling under the Defective Premises Act 1972; and the liability of suppliers under the DPA.
Acted as junior counsel in £8m High Court proceedings concerning offshore construction and maritime works in the North Sea.
Acting as junior counsel in High Court proceedings concerning a claim by homeowners against a major developer in connection with the defective construction of a property which suffers from a range of defects, including a lack of fire protection, and issues under the Defective Premises Act 1972: Julian Thirsk & Anor v Berkeley Homes (North East London) Limited & Anor [2026] EWHC 215 (TCC).
Acting as junior counsel in High Court proceedings concerning a final account dispute, which raises issues in relation to payment, alleged defects, delay, practical completion and a disputed termination.
Acted as junior counsel in High Court proceedings concerning allegations of professional negligence against a project manager and supervisor.
Acted as junior counsel in High Court proceedings for a defendant employer resisting enforcement of an adjudicator’s decision under Part 7 Proceedings and bringing parallel Part 8 proceedings on behalf of the claimant contractor.
Drafting pleadings in High Court Proceedings in respect of a dispute involving the design and construction of a new football pitch.
Drafting costs submissions in High Court proceedings concerning alleged design and workmanship defects in the construction of a warehouse.
Drafting numerous advices in relation to the Building Safety Act 2022, particularly in relation to the new Higher-Risk Building regime.
Drafting pleadings on behalf of a developer in respect of claims involving alleged fire safety and electrical defects in connection with a fire.
Acting as sole counsel on behalf of homeowners in the County Court in respect of a claim by a contractor for sums deducted during the contract works under a Pay Less Notice.
Acting as sole counsel on behalf of homeowners in the County Court in respect of a claim for incomplete and defective work.
Advising on the merits of a claim worth over £1m for uninsured losses arising out of a pipe burst during construction works.
Advising on termination issues in a bespoke offshore construction contract.
Advising on complex issues in relation to claims arising out of losses suffered in connection with a fire.
Drafting Particulars of Claim in a dispute concerning defective workmanship at a residential property in London.
Drafting Particulars of Claim on behalf of an employer in a fire safety defects claim arising out of defectively designed and constructed cladding works by a sub-contractor (during pupillage).
Drafting advice on limitation in a claim by a main contractor against its sub-contractor for allegedly defective refurbishment works (during pupillage).
Drafting Particulars of Claim alleging negligent design of a pipeline system by hydraulic engineers (during pupillage).
Drafting advice for an employer on compensation event issues in an amended NEC contract (during pupillage).
Drafting a Defence in a cladding claim against an architect arising out of fire safety defects (during pupillage).
Drafting advice on fire safety issues and limitation in a prospective claim against a developer (during pupillage).
Drafting advice on the contractual interpretation of clauses under an amended JCT Standard Build Contract (during pupillage).
Drafting advice on time at large issues under a JCT Standard Build Contract (during pupillage).
Assisting in drafting an advice with regard to principles of legal causation in a claim concerning the defective design of a warehouse (during pupillage).
Drafting advice in relation to a call on a performance bond under a shipbuilding contract (during pupillage).
Drafting advice on the contractual interpretation of insurance clauses under an amended JCT Intermediate Building Contract (during pupillage).
Drafting advice relating to the interpretation of exclusion clauses in a construction contract (during pupillage).

Energy & Natural Resources

Sheriar’s energy and natural resources experience includes:

Acting as junior counsel in £8m High Court proceedings concerning offshore construction and maritime works in the North Sea.
Drafting advice on termination issues under a bespoke framework services agreement for offshore construction works.
Drafting an advice on termination issues under a contract concerning the supply, installation and commission of an emission controls plant (during pupillage).
Drafting a Statement of Defence in an English law governed LCIA arbitration in relation to a dispute arising out of the sale of petroleum products (during pupillage).

IT, Technology & Telecommunications

Sheriar’s IT, technology and telecommunications experience includes:

Drafting Particulars of Claim in respect of sums owing under a Software Development Licence and Support Agreement.
Acting as junior counsel in several adjudications concerning fibre optic infrastructure installation works contracts.
Acting as sole counsel in a £1.1m adjudication for a main contractor in a dispute arising under an NEC contract regarding the provision of electronic communications services.

International Arbitration

Drafting a Request for Arbitration in an ICC Arbitration in respect of a claim for breach of contract arising out of the termination of a framework agreement (during pupillage).
Drafting a Statement of Defence on behalf of a firm of architects in relation to a claim for alleged breaches of contract in respect of design and inspection matters (during pupillage).
Drafting a Statement of Defence in an English law governed LCIA arbitration in relation to a dispute arising out of the sale of petroleum products (during pupillage).
Assisting counsel in an English law governed commercial international arbitration on behalf of an aerospace company against a supplier worth over c. £350m (including drafting pleadings and assisting counsel at the three-week merits hearing in London).*
Assisting counsel in an LCIA arbitration concerning claims for fraud and breaches of representation under a share purchase agreement (including assisting counsel at the five-day merits hearing in Vienna).*
Assisting the president of an arbitral tribunal in an ICC arbitration seated in London (including on deciding contested document production requests).*
Drafting a Request for Arbitration in an ICC arbitration seeking c. £3m in accordance with a liquidated damages clause.*

*Cases worked on before joining Chambers.

Adjudication

Acting as sole counsel for the successful claimant in enforcing an adjudication decision in LAPP Industries Ltd v 1st Formations Limited [2025] EWHC 943 (TCC), a case which raised issues of jurisdiction and natural justice.
Acting as sole counsel for the successful defendant in the parallel Part 8 proceedings in 1st Formations Ltd v Lapp Industries Ltd [2025] EWHC 1526 (TCC), concerning whether an interim application for payment was valid in accordance with the 1996 Act and Scheme.
Acting as sole counsel in a £5.5 million adjudication on behalf of the employer in respect of various claims brought by the contractor.
Acting as sole counsel in a £4million adjudication on behalf of a sub-contractor, raising issues of design responsibility, liquidated damages and delay.
Acting as sole counsel in a £1.1m adjudication for a main contractor in a dispute arising under an NEC contract regarding the provision of electronic communications services.
Acting as sole counsel in a smash and grab adjudication valued at c. £330,000 referred by a sub-contractor under an NEC Contract.
Acting as sole counsel for the employer in multiple smash and grab and true value adjudications.
Acting as sole counsel for the employer on two simultaneous adjudications in respect of two separate projects.
Advising as sole counsel on prospects of success for a responding party in an adjudication.
Advising on prospects of success in relation to an adjudication concerning a residential property dispute, raising issues of defective design.
Assisting a senior junior with advising on issues relating to the statutory payment provisions.
Providing advice on the merits of challenges to enforcement of an adjudication
Acting as junior counsel (led by Martin Bowdery KC) in High Court proceedings for a defendant employer resisting enforcement of an adjudicator’s decision under Part 7 Proceedings and bringing proceedings for the claimant in respect of Part 8 Proceedings (settled).
Acting as junior counsel (led by Stephanie Barwise KC) on an adjudication involving a claim for declarations arising out of a bespoke and complex construction contract.
Acting as junior counsel in a final account JCT adjudication.

Commercial Litigation

In addition to the matters listed in the “International Arbitration” section, Sheriar has gained experience in a range of commercial disputes including:

Successfully acting for Transport for London against an individual in an application to set aside default judgment.
Successfully acting for Transport for London in obtaining strike out and summary judgment of a claim.
Drafting advice on privilege in substantial High Court proceedings arising out of a fire to a development block;
Drafting a strike out application in respect of County Court proceedings.
Advising on prospects of success at a permission to appeal hearing.
Drafting a skeleton argument for a preliminary issue hearing on the interpretation of a limitation of liability clause in a Master Services Agreement (during pupillage);
Drafting advice on limitation in respect of an insurance claim (during pupillage);
Drafting skeleton arguments for various interim applications, including for pre-action disclosure, permission to amend a statement of case, security for costs and summary judgement and/or strike out (during pupillage).

Additional Information

Memberships

COMBAR
TECBAR
Society of Construction Law

Sheriar is a member of the TECBAR Executive Committee.

Notable Cases

Julian Thirsk v Berkeley Homes (North East London) Limited & Anor [2026] EWHC 215 (TCC)
Lapp Industries Ltd v 1st Formations [2025] EWHC 943 (TCC); 219 Con LR 108
1st Formations v Lapp Industries Ltd [2025] EWHC 1526 (TCC)

Qualifications & Awards

BPTC, City Law School (2018 – 2019)
Sir Dingle Foot Scholarship awarded by Gray’s Inn (2018)
City Law School Scholarship for Academic Excellence (2018)
LLM Master of Law, University of Cambridge (2017-2018)
LLB Bachelor of Law (1^st Class Honours), London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) (2014 – 2017

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