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Clockwise from back left: Lucinda Orr, Chris Loweth, Daniel Lee (GLD's Windsor Framework Team), Commander Mark Blackwell, Fiona Butler and Sirah Abraham
And the winner is… the Bar Council introduces the barristers honoured in the 2024 awards celebrating the achievements of the employed Bar
In October, we celebrated the quality and range of work undertaken by the employed Bar at the Bar Council’s Employed Bar Awards 2024.
To mark 25 years of the Employed Barristers’ Committee (EBC), the first ever Lifetime Achievement was awarded at the ceremony held at Gray’s Inn. The award recognised an individual who has made a major contribution to the work, promotion and growth of the employed Bar in what Bar Chair and member of the judging panel, Sam Townend KC said was not only testament to them, but also to the journey of the employed Bar over the last quarter of a century.
EBC Chair, Heidi Stonecliffe KC said: ‘All the practitioners who were nominated, shortlisted, and won undertake vital work to strengthen our justice system and promote the rule of law both at home and across the world. It is right that we recognise their formidable achievements.’
I am truly honoured and humbled to have won this award. It means so much to me both personally and professionally, especially knowing the incredible work that other employed barristers do. I am really proud that the work we do in improving the rule of law has been recognised by the Bar Council, but this recognition equally applies to the fantastic colleagues I have worked with over the years and shines a spotlight on all diversity and equality at the employed Bar.
My career as an employed barrister has ranged from prosecuting jury trials, drafting legislation, creating sentencing guidelines, assisting in international cooperation, briefing governments, advising Prime Ministers and even meeting the King! On a daily basis, the work I do involves sharing the best parts of our legal system to improve the rule of law in other countries and reduce the impact of serious organised crime in the UK. It’s a real privilege to be involved in such meaningful work.
I joined the employed Bar 15 years ago and I have never looked back. It is an enormously rewarding, varied career and immensely collaborative. My role has given me an opportunity to live abroad and change the landscape of criminal justice systems across the Caribbean. At the employed Bar, particularly in the public sector, there are unparalleled opportunities to work on something genuinely world-changing.
Working at the heart of an organisation and having a direct, tangible impact on its work is perhaps the most satisfying thing about my job. The skills and experience we learn at the Bar are valued greatly by employers, and deploying those skills on a daily basis in such a wide variety of environments is very rewarding. Being presented with an issue for the first time and asked to provide practical advice and solutions within a short space of time is not a million miles from being given a brief and mastering it for a court appearance the following day. I’m very lucky to have the opportunity to use those skills on a daily basis in an industry I’m passionate about, and to work with such a diverse and talented team of people.
I’m really thrilled and honoured to win Employed Barrister of the Year in Commerce, Finance or Industry, and for the work of me and my team to be recognised by the profession. The employed Bar remains a mystery to many, so I’m also grateful for the opportunity the awards provide to shine a light on the work we do across so many sectors.
My advice to anyone considering becoming an employed barrister is to find out as much as you can about the different opportunities to use your skills and experience as a barrister, and then work out which ones interest you the most. Whether it’s being in court, providing specialist written advice or using your analytical and advocacy skills in the boardroom, there are lots of ways to further your career.
I am absolutely delighted and also overwhelmed at the recognition. It sounds like a cliché, but winning this award has to be the pinnacle of my career! To have been awarded Employed Barrister of the Year in a Law Firm by the Bar Council is a powerful endorsement of the quality of the work delivered, not just by myself, but by all those barristers at the employed Bar. I have always been proud of the cases I have worked on and the contribution I have made, not just in regard to legal practice but also pioneering a pathway for the development of barristers within that legal practice.
What I enjoy most is the variety and flexibility which comes with my role, alongside the opportunity to be involved in some very high-profile cases. No two days are the same. I can be in court, anywhere nationally, one day; advising a client in conference on a case and wider strategy the next; or I can be delivering legal training or sitting as a coroner.
I also have the best of both worlds: working independently but also being part of and having the support of a great team, who all help each other when needed. Having the ability to nurture and develop their talent and their careers is extremely rewarding.
If you’re considering a career at the employed Bar, I’d say absolutely go for it! Don’t be linear in your approach – those embarking on a career at the Bar often wrongly assume that pursuing a career at the employed Bar means that they will not be in court; that they will be behind a desk; that they won’t have the opportunity to be involved in cases which make law. That is an inaccurate assumption and perhaps a short sighted one. Even the most cursory of glances at the biographies of those talented employed barristers shortlisted for the awards this year demonstrates the calibre of work legal work we undertake. Go and experience it – it’s an exciting place to work, with many opportunities!
I am absolutely thrilled to have accepted this award on behalf of the Windsor Framework Team. It’s great that the hard work of the team and colleagues across GLD in helping to negotiate and implement the Framework has been recognised. We pride ourselves on giving high quality legal advice and it’s really gratifying that our work has been commended by the Bar Council.
My wonderful GLD colleagues, the fascinating work and the opportunity to play a part in helping the government of the day govern well, within the rule of law are some of the best aspects of my role. As a GLD lawyer, you really do get a chance to help make a positive difference to the country while working on some really challenging and sometimes completely novel legal issues.
If you’re thinking of going into employed practice, the key vocational skills that you learnt when training as a barrister will be invaluable to you when advising your client in employed practice, so make sure you keep them fully up to date and well honed. It’s also a good idea to keep in touch with colleagues in independent practice and compare notes from time to time – never underestimate the value of cultivating a really good network of professional contacts.
It is an absolute honour to be nominated and receive this award for my time supporting the Royal Navy in the Middle East and as the chief legal adviser to the Combined Maritime Force, a coalition of 46 countries based in Bahrain. Over the last year I have had the pleasure to work with lawyers from around the world including New Zealand, Republic of Korea, France, Canada, Norway, Brazil and the USA, as well as military and civilian lawyers within the Ministry of Defence. We rarely work in isolation and so I must thank that wider team for all their support.
The Naval Legal Service recruits from within – we expect all our barristers to have proven themselves as Naval Officers first. This means that by the time we qualify we have already served for a number of years in a non-legal capacity, serving at sea and on land and potentially serving alongside our sister services. Life as a Naval barrister (or indeed as one in the Army or Royal Air Force) means that you often advise on multiple areas of law. We provide advice to the chain of command in several subjects: disciplinary and criminal, employment and administrative, and finally, operational and international law. The insight gained from having served as a Naval Officer first can really help –whether advising on the rules of engagement to a ship which is far out at sea somewhere, or giving advice on discipline matters closer to home.
I have really valued and enjoyed the variation in my work within the Royal Navy, whether that is in a legal capacity or in a non-legal role. In my 18 years, I have had the opportunity to serve on operations in the South Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Middle East and Northern Europe. My legal assignments have covered all the areas that NLS advises on, most recently as an employment law specialist.
I would thoroughly recommend a career at the employed Bar, and in particular in the Royal Navy. If you like the challenge and opportunity of having a different role every few years and covering a wide range of areas, then a job within the Armed Forces is definitely worth considering.
I was genuinely stunned to have won the inaugural ‘Lifetime Achievement’ Award – I very sincerely hope that I am not even halfway through my lifetime yet! However, on reflection, it is of course simultaneously humbling and yet also lovely to be recognised for all the myriad ways over the last 18 years that I have tried to improve the lives of employed barristers (and indeed the wider Bar).
I simply try to live by the mantra to leave things in a better place than I found them… and that there is always more to do. I enjoy helping clients to satisfactorily solve their problems; I derive great satisfaction from watching junior lawyers develop and flourish; I relish orchestrating the teamwork that goes into running and putting on large-scale litigation – but what I do love, love, love, is a trial!
You can use your written and oral advocacy in multiple settings – in-house in business, in solicitors’ firms, in the Armed Forces, in the Crown Prosecution Service, in the Government, in regulatory roles – the options are endless.
I always advise students and career changers that being a barrister is a fantastic foundation – but that there are a multitude of modes of practice, and they should ensure they know of all of the options, and also keep re-considering them every few years, as their own lives evolve.
Some of the employed Bar roles might suit you better in your 30s, but not in your 50s, and vice-versa with being self-employed in chambers… Keep an open mind and a watching brief.
The Bar Council would like to thank the award sponsors Gray’s Inn, Inner Temple, Lincoln’s Inn and the Government Legal Department.
Heidi Stonecliffe KC, Employed Barristers' Committee Chair 2024, is pictured with Sam Townend KC, Bar Chair 2024, at the awards in October 2024.
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In October, we celebrated the quality and range of work undertaken by the employed Bar at the Bar Council’s Employed Bar Awards 2024.
To mark 25 years of the Employed Barristers’ Committee (EBC), the first ever Lifetime Achievement was awarded at the ceremony held at Gray’s Inn. The award recognised an individual who has made a major contribution to the work, promotion and growth of the employed Bar in what Bar Chair and member of the judging panel, Sam Townend KC said was not only testament to them, but also to the journey of the employed Bar over the last quarter of a century.
EBC Chair, Heidi Stonecliffe KC said: ‘All the practitioners who were nominated, shortlisted, and won undertake vital work to strengthen our justice system and promote the rule of law both at home and across the world. It is right that we recognise their formidable achievements.’
I am truly honoured and humbled to have won this award. It means so much to me both personally and professionally, especially knowing the incredible work that other employed barristers do. I am really proud that the work we do in improving the rule of law has been recognised by the Bar Council, but this recognition equally applies to the fantastic colleagues I have worked with over the years and shines a spotlight on all diversity and equality at the employed Bar.
My career as an employed barrister has ranged from prosecuting jury trials, drafting legislation, creating sentencing guidelines, assisting in international cooperation, briefing governments, advising Prime Ministers and even meeting the King! On a daily basis, the work I do involves sharing the best parts of our legal system to improve the rule of law in other countries and reduce the impact of serious organised crime in the UK. It’s a real privilege to be involved in such meaningful work.
I joined the employed Bar 15 years ago and I have never looked back. It is an enormously rewarding, varied career and immensely collaborative. My role has given me an opportunity to live abroad and change the landscape of criminal justice systems across the Caribbean. At the employed Bar, particularly in the public sector, there are unparalleled opportunities to work on something genuinely world-changing.
Working at the heart of an organisation and having a direct, tangible impact on its work is perhaps the most satisfying thing about my job. The skills and experience we learn at the Bar are valued greatly by employers, and deploying those skills on a daily basis in such a wide variety of environments is very rewarding. Being presented with an issue for the first time and asked to provide practical advice and solutions within a short space of time is not a million miles from being given a brief and mastering it for a court appearance the following day. I’m very lucky to have the opportunity to use those skills on a daily basis in an industry I’m passionate about, and to work with such a diverse and talented team of people.
I’m really thrilled and honoured to win Employed Barrister of the Year in Commerce, Finance or Industry, and for the work of me and my team to be recognised by the profession. The employed Bar remains a mystery to many, so I’m also grateful for the opportunity the awards provide to shine a light on the work we do across so many sectors.
My advice to anyone considering becoming an employed barrister is to find out as much as you can about the different opportunities to use your skills and experience as a barrister, and then work out which ones interest you the most. Whether it’s being in court, providing specialist written advice or using your analytical and advocacy skills in the boardroom, there are lots of ways to further your career.
I am absolutely delighted and also overwhelmed at the recognition. It sounds like a cliché, but winning this award has to be the pinnacle of my career! To have been awarded Employed Barrister of the Year in a Law Firm by the Bar Council is a powerful endorsement of the quality of the work delivered, not just by myself, but by all those barristers at the employed Bar. I have always been proud of the cases I have worked on and the contribution I have made, not just in regard to legal practice but also pioneering a pathway for the development of barristers within that legal practice.
What I enjoy most is the variety and flexibility which comes with my role, alongside the opportunity to be involved in some very high-profile cases. No two days are the same. I can be in court, anywhere nationally, one day; advising a client in conference on a case and wider strategy the next; or I can be delivering legal training or sitting as a coroner.
I also have the best of both worlds: working independently but also being part of and having the support of a great team, who all help each other when needed. Having the ability to nurture and develop their talent and their careers is extremely rewarding.
If you’re considering a career at the employed Bar, I’d say absolutely go for it! Don’t be linear in your approach – those embarking on a career at the Bar often wrongly assume that pursuing a career at the employed Bar means that they will not be in court; that they will be behind a desk; that they won’t have the opportunity to be involved in cases which make law. That is an inaccurate assumption and perhaps a short sighted one. Even the most cursory of glances at the biographies of those talented employed barristers shortlisted for the awards this year demonstrates the calibre of work legal work we undertake. Go and experience it – it’s an exciting place to work, with many opportunities!
I am absolutely thrilled to have accepted this award on behalf of the Windsor Framework Team. It’s great that the hard work of the team and colleagues across GLD in helping to negotiate and implement the Framework has been recognised. We pride ourselves on giving high quality legal advice and it’s really gratifying that our work has been commended by the Bar Council.
My wonderful GLD colleagues, the fascinating work and the opportunity to play a part in helping the government of the day govern well, within the rule of law are some of the best aspects of my role. As a GLD lawyer, you really do get a chance to help make a positive difference to the country while working on some really challenging and sometimes completely novel legal issues.
If you’re thinking of going into employed practice, the key vocational skills that you learnt when training as a barrister will be invaluable to you when advising your client in employed practice, so make sure you keep them fully up to date and well honed. It’s also a good idea to keep in touch with colleagues in independent practice and compare notes from time to time – never underestimate the value of cultivating a really good network of professional contacts.
It is an absolute honour to be nominated and receive this award for my time supporting the Royal Navy in the Middle East and as the chief legal adviser to the Combined Maritime Force, a coalition of 46 countries based in Bahrain. Over the last year I have had the pleasure to work with lawyers from around the world including New Zealand, Republic of Korea, France, Canada, Norway, Brazil and the USA, as well as military and civilian lawyers within the Ministry of Defence. We rarely work in isolation and so I must thank that wider team for all their support.
The Naval Legal Service recruits from within – we expect all our barristers to have proven themselves as Naval Officers first. This means that by the time we qualify we have already served for a number of years in a non-legal capacity, serving at sea and on land and potentially serving alongside our sister services. Life as a Naval barrister (or indeed as one in the Army or Royal Air Force) means that you often advise on multiple areas of law. We provide advice to the chain of command in several subjects: disciplinary and criminal, employment and administrative, and finally, operational and international law. The insight gained from having served as a Naval Officer first can really help –whether advising on the rules of engagement to a ship which is far out at sea somewhere, or giving advice on discipline matters closer to home.
I have really valued and enjoyed the variation in my work within the Royal Navy, whether that is in a legal capacity or in a non-legal role. In my 18 years, I have had the opportunity to serve on operations in the South Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Middle East and Northern Europe. My legal assignments have covered all the areas that NLS advises on, most recently as an employment law specialist.
I would thoroughly recommend a career at the employed Bar, and in particular in the Royal Navy. If you like the challenge and opportunity of having a different role every few years and covering a wide range of areas, then a job within the Armed Forces is definitely worth considering.
I was genuinely stunned to have won the inaugural ‘Lifetime Achievement’ Award – I very sincerely hope that I am not even halfway through my lifetime yet! However, on reflection, it is of course simultaneously humbling and yet also lovely to be recognised for all the myriad ways over the last 18 years that I have tried to improve the lives of employed barristers (and indeed the wider Bar).
I simply try to live by the mantra to leave things in a better place than I found them… and that there is always more to do. I enjoy helping clients to satisfactorily solve their problems; I derive great satisfaction from watching junior lawyers develop and flourish; I relish orchestrating the teamwork that goes into running and putting on large-scale litigation – but what I do love, love, love, is a trial!
You can use your written and oral advocacy in multiple settings – in-house in business, in solicitors’ firms, in the Armed Forces, in the Crown Prosecution Service, in the Government, in regulatory roles – the options are endless.
I always advise students and career changers that being a barrister is a fantastic foundation – but that there are a multitude of modes of practice, and they should ensure they know of all of the options, and also keep re-considering them every few years, as their own lives evolve.
Some of the employed Bar roles might suit you better in your 30s, but not in your 50s, and vice-versa with being self-employed in chambers… Keep an open mind and a watching brief.
The Bar Council would like to thank the award sponsors Gray’s Inn, Inner Temple, Lincoln’s Inn and the Government Legal Department.
Heidi Stonecliffe KC, Employed Barristers' Committee Chair 2024, is pictured with Sam Townend KC, Bar Chair 2024, at the awards in October 2024.
And the winner is… the Bar Council introduces the barristers honoured in the 2024 awards celebrating the achievements of the employed Bar
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