Keating Chambers is pleased to announce the appointment of Sarah Hannaford KC as its new Head of Chambers, effective from November 2025. Sarah Hannaford KC succeeds Alexander Nissen KC who has been leading the set since November 2020. Sarah becomes the first female Head of Chambers.
Commenting on her appointment, Sarah said “I would like to extend my thanks to Alexander for his hard work and dedication during his tenure as Head of Chambers. I am honoured to take on this role and, with the continued support of members of Chambers and staff, look forward to building on Keating Chambers’ reputation for excellence and innovation as a world-leading set.”
Sarah Hannaford KC practises across Chambers' core areas of construction, engineering and professional negligence and she is widely recognised as the star of the Procurement Bar. Sarah's recent reported cases include acting for HS2 on issues relating to Old Oak Common Station and the procurement of its train fleet, as well as for the Gambling Commission in a dispute over the highly lucrative National Lottery contract. Sarah’s status in this area led to her involvement in the publication of the Cabinet Office’s Green Paper on Transforming Public Procurement and her expertise has earned her inclusion in The Lawyer’s Hot 100 list and multiple appearances in the annual “Top 20 Cases” feature. She has been described as “a real tour de force”, “an extremely effective court advocate and someone who knows procurement law inside out”, and “engaging, fiercely intelligent and loved by the clients”.
During her tenure, Sarah will continue Chambers’ focus on promoting equality, diversity and transparency across Chambers as well as providing the excellent client service for which we are known. She is committed to working closely with the Deputy Heads of Chambers and the Chambers’ management team to continue driving the set from strength to strength.
