Connie Trendle
Call: 2024
Clerk Details
Practice Summary
Connie gained a 1st Class Law degree from Oxford University in 2023. She was called to the Bar in 2024, and obtained tenancy at Keating in 2025. Since then, Connie has been instructed as junior counsel on a number of high-value matters including: a two week ICC arbitration concerning a $100 million energy plant dispute; a number of fire safety cases which include claims for Building Liability Orders under the BSA 2022; and, a delay dispute worth £10 million concerning the construction of a hotel. Connie acted as junior counsel to Simon Hughes KC and James Frampton in the reported case of Crest Nicholson v Ardmore [2026] EWHC 789 (TCC).
As sole counsel, Connie has experience: drafting Particulars of Claim, including in respect of a £500,000 water ingress defects claim; conducting adjudications, including in respect of payment disputes; and, advising on complex legal and strategic issues.
Connie has appeared as sole counsel in the High Court (Technology and Construction Court), the First-tier Tribunal, and the County Court, including in respect of matters concerning: strike out and summary judgment; relief from sanctions; HGCRA payment provisions; track-allocations; money claims; applications to register a charge; and, winding up petitions.
Connie accepts instructions in all areas of Keating Chambers’ core practice areas, including construction and engineering, infrastructure, energy, international arbitration, and procurement.
Practice Areas
Construction & Engineering
- Connie’s recent construction and engineering instructions include:
- Sole counsel on a £500,000 claim in respect of water ingress defects. This includes drafting the claim form and Particulars of Claim.
- Sole counsel pleading a defects claim brought by an insurer against a developer
- Junior counsel on a £10 million delay dispute concerning the construction of a hotel.
- Junior counsel on a number of fire-related matters which concern cladding defects and Building Liability Orders.
- Connie’s drafting work includes:
- A Letter of Claim in a delay dispute worth over £10 million (junior counsel).
- Particulars of Claim, including: seeking damages for breach of contract and negligence; misrepresentation; s1 of the DPA; claiming against an architect for breach of contract and tortious obligations; claiming on behalf of an insurer against a developer for defects in a housing development; and, in respect of adjudication enforcement.
- Defences, including on matters concerning breach of contract, misrepresentation, and negligence; and, in respect of Building Liability Orders under the Building Safety Act 2022.
- Connie has provided advice on the following matters:
- A procedural question concerning amended Particulars of Claim which were served without the requisite consent or permission. Following the advice, Connie drafted and made the relevant application to the court.
- Matters of contractual interpretation; contract formation; contract variation; and, the validity of exercise of contractual options.
- Whether a Particulars of Claim complied with the CPR, and the prospects of a successful strike out application.
- The law of negligent misstatement.
- Limitation, exclusion clauses, and the impact of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977.
- The operation of the NEC 4 payment provisions and the possibility of challenging a final account.
- Jurisdiction to hear an appeal based on the order of the court below.
- Connie has produced skeleton arguments:
- Defending an allegation of fraud, and denying the existence of a collateral contract between the parties.
- Concerning whether a clause was unenforceable as an agreement to negotiate, and/or amounted to a condition precedent to the right to commence arbitration.
- On the meaning of s1(1)(a) of the Defective Premises Act 1972.
- Resisting an appeal of a strike out/summary judgment decision of the court below.
- Seeking summary judgment and/or strike out.
Advocacy
- Connie has appeared in the TCC, First-tier Tribunal, and County Court.
- Connie has a wide range of advocacy experience including:
- Appearing as sole counsel in the First-tier Tribunal in respect of a service charge dispute under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.
- Applying for strike out and/or summary judgment in the County Court at Central London.
- Advocating in the County Court for the re-allocation of a claim to a different track which had cost advantages for the client.
- Defending a money claim in the County Court.
- Representing a contractor in a payment dispute trial in the County Court.
- Defending an application for relief from sanctions in the County Court.
- Appearing on behalf of a supporting creditor in a winding up petition in the Technology and Construction Court at Manchester.
- Making an application to extend time to register a charge.
Energy
- Connie acted as junior counsel in relation to a $100 million energy plant dispute arbitrated under the ICC rules. Connie was instructed to assist with pleadings, and for the two week trial at the IDRC.
- Connie has produced advice on a matter of contractual interpretation in respect of an energy dispute.
International Arbitration
- Connie was instructed in a two week arbitration (ICC Rules) in the IDRC. The matter concerned a $100 million energy plant dispute.
- Connie has drafted:
- Submissions for a Reply in an arbitration on claims for an extension of time.
- A Particulars of Claim and Notice of Arbitration in respect of a claim for breach of contract and negligence against a contractor.
Adjudication
- Connie acted as sole counsel in an adjudication defending a smash and grab adjudication.
- Connie acted as sole counsel in an adjudication defending a claim for damages for breach of contract in the sum of c.£300,000.
- Connie acted as junior counsel, drafting the Reply in a final account payment dispute adjudication, in which the claimant was successful on all grounds and was awarded a sum of over £300,000.
- Connie has been instructed to provide advice on:
- payment in an adjudication, including considering whether there was an estoppel.
- resisting adjudication enforcement proceedings.
- Connie has experience drafting adjudication enforcement pleadings.
- Connie has produced skeleton arguments on:
- The proper identification of a contract for the purposes of adjudication enforcement.
- Adjudication enforcement.
Procurement
- Produced a Particulars of Claim alleging manifest errors in a council’s evaluation process under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
- Produced advice on the merits of any potential challenges to a procurement process, and the risk of moving forwards and awarding the contract.
- Researched and attended an advice conference as junior counsel on a potential scoring challenge to the procurement of a contract by a local council.
Other Information
Education & Career
BVS, City Law School Distinction - June 2024
Volunteer advocate, The School Exclusion Project - 2024
BA (Jurisprudence), Oxon First Class - July 2023
Quadrant Prize, for the highest marked script in International Trade Final Honour School - June 2023
Best Oralist, University of Oxford Bar Society Commercial Moot - Dec 2022
John V. Lovitt Prize, for one student at Christ Church who ranks first in a written law examination - May 2022
Publication, Oxford University Undergraduate Law Journal - May 2022
First Prize, Oxford University Undergraduate Law Journal Essay Competition sponsored by 7 Kings Bench Walk Chambers - Feb 2022
Scholarship election - Feb 2022
Publication, The Pupil Magazine, Oxford Bar Society - Nov 2021
Collections Prizes in every set of undergraduate collections - 2021 – 2022
Additional information
Outside of work, Connie enjoys playing and supporting Netball. She is also a keen cook and is always on the lookout for new recipes to try.