Clerk Details
Practice Summary
Courtney started pupillage at Keating Chambers in September 2024. She accepts instructions across all of Chambers’ core practice areas, including construction and engineering, adjudication, professional negligence and procurement. In her second sixth, Courtney developed a busy court-based practice, appearing as sole counsel in both the High Court (TCC) and the County Court.
Prior to starting pupillage, Courtney spent two years working for the Shell Group in their global litigation team. During which time, Courtney was engaged in range of commercial matters from high value litigation and international arbitration to smaller contractual disputes across a range of jurisdictions.
Most notably, Courtney was involved in:
Shell’s appeal before the Dutch Court of Appeal in Milieudefensie et al. v. Royal Dutch Shell plc.
The Okpabi v Royal Dutch Shell group litigation, focusing on issues of corporate separateness and global claims.
Jalla and another v Shell International Trading and Shipping Company and another, a continuing nuisance appeal before the Supreme Court in March 2023.
Obtaining without notice and “persons unknown” injunctions both onshore and offshore.
A third-party debt order in respect of a debt subject to a foreign jurisdiction.
A judicial review of a gas field in the North Sea, focusing on Scope 3 emissions.
Courtney also spent a year working as a Judicial Assistant for Lady Justice Carr (now the Lady Chief Justice Carr) in the Court of Appeal.
Practice Areas
Advocacy
- Acted as sole counsel in the High Court (TCC) in an application to set aside default judgment (Zala v Grosu [2025] 7 WLUK 493).
- Acted as sole counsel in the County Court resisting an application to strike-out for abuse of process.
- Acted as sole counsel in the County Court, successfully resisting the Claimant’s application to amend the particulars of claim in full.
- Acted as sole counsel in a one-day trial in the county court involving a road traffic accident.
- Appeared in multiple hearings before the Insolvency Court and the Business and Property Courts, including matters concerning winding-up and the registration of charges.
Construction & Engineering
- Drafted a Particulars of Claim in relation to fire safety dispute in which various causes of action were alleged including claims under the Defective Premises Act 1972, breach of contract and professional negligence.
- Drafted a skeleton argument as junior counsel for a CMC in a multi-party fire safety dispute involving issues of timetabling and disclosure.
- In pupillage, Courtney produced advises on:
- The interpretation of numerous construction and energy contracts, including whether a defect was a “Latent Defect”.
- The application of contractual formulas in both energy and transport contracts.
- The obligation to maintain a performance bond/warranty bond, the grounds for restraining a call on a bond and the law on the overpayment of a bond.
- Collateral contracts and warranties.
- Misrepresentation Act 1967, including whether a pre-contractual statement constituted a contractual term and the admissibility of extrinsic evidence in contractual construction.
- Contract formation.
- Latent Damages Act 1986.
- Claims under the Civil Liability (Contribution) Act 1978.
- Limitation, both contractual and tortious.
- During her pupillage, Courtney drafted:
- Multiple Particulars of Claim in relation to fire safety and cladding disputes in which various causes of action were alleged including claims under the Defective Premises Act 1972, breach of contract and professional negligence.
- A Defence in a multi-party dispute in which professional negligence and breach of contract was alleged against an architect for a failure to specify adequate falls.
- Multiple Particulars of Claim seeking damages for breach of contract and negligence.
- Defence and counterclaim for breach of contract and unjust enrichment.
- Requests for Information.
- During her pupillage, Courtney produced a skeleton argument:
- For a preliminary issues trial arguing the claim was time-barred pursuant to the Limitation Act 1980.
- Resisting and/or seeking summary judgment and/or strike out.
- Resisting an application for a stay pursuant to Section 9 of the Arbitration Act 1996 and seeking an injunction for the delivery up of documents pursuant to the contract.
- Seeking and/or resisting adjudication enforcement, advancing or responding to jurisdictional and breach of natural justice challenges and the proper identification of a contract.
Adjudication
- Drafted key documents for adjudication enforcement proceedings, including the Particulars of Claim and supporting Witness Statement.
- Drafted a Reply and Rejoinder in a final account payment dispute adjudication, addressing issues including implied terms, contractual formation and the existence of a construction contract.
- Produced multiple adjudication enforcement skeleton arguments during pupillage, advancing or responding to jurisdictional and breach of natural justice challenges and the proper identification of a contract.
- Produced a research note for an adjudication in pupillage, examining whether a pre-contractual statement constituted a contractual term, the admissibility of extrinsic evidence and the Misrepresentation Act 1967.
Professional Negligence
- Drafted a number of Particulars of Claim in relation to fire safety disputes in which professional negligence was alleged.
- Drafted a Defence in a multi-party dispute in which professional negligence was alleged against an architect.
Procurement
- Currently instructed as junior counsel for the Claimant in a procurement challenge under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, alleging manifest errors in the evaluation and scoring.
- Drafted a Particulars of Claim in pupillage, advancing allegations of manifest error in public authority’s evaluation under the Public Contracts Regulation 2015.
- Advised in pupillage on the merits of any potential challenge, including the legal and commercial risk arising from a change in the procurement if the contract was awarded.
Other Information
Education & Career
Professional Career
Tenant, Keating Chambers – 2025
Pupil, Keating Chambers – 2024-2025
Global Litigation Intern at Shell International Plc – 2022 -2024.
Judicial Assistant to Lady Justice Carr (now the Lady Chief Justice Carr) 2021-2022.
Called to the Bar 2021
Education
Bachelor of Law, University of Manchester (First Class) – 2018