The quality and range of work by the employed Bar was celebrated at the Employed Bar Awards 2024 last night, in partnership with the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn.
This year, the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award was given to an individual who has made a major contribution to the work, promotion, and growth of the employed Bar.
Bar Chair Sam Townend KC said: “This award not only is testament to the individual’s major contribution but also to the journey of the employed Bar over the last 25 years.”
At the employed Bar dinner, hosted at Gray’s Inn Hall, the awards were presented by Vice Chair of the Bar Barbara Mills KC, Leader of the South Easter Circuit Leon Kazakos KC, Bar Chair Sam Townend KC, Treasurer of the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn the Rt Hon Lord Justice Peter Coulson, Bar Council CEO Malcolm Cree and the Attorney General, the Rt Hon Lord Hermer KC.
And the winners are...
- Sirah Abraham, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, London - Employed Barrister of the Year in the Public Sector. Sirah works for the FCDO as the US/UK Criminal Justice Adviser to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. Her achievements include the creation of Sentencing Guidelines, drafting legislation, the first Criminal Justice Board, creation of remote courts, and the first extradition from the UK into the Eastern Caribbean.
- Fiona Butler, Browne Jacobson - Employed Barrister of the Year in a Law Firm. Fiona has single-handedly pioneered one of the most successfully recognised in-house barrister teams at Browne Jacobson LLP. She is also an inquest specialist with notable cases such as the recent Nottingham attacks, the Killamarsh murders and the 2007 Pilkington tragedy.
- Chris Loweth, BBC - Employed Barrister of the Year in Commerce, Finance, or Industry. Chris is director of commercial, rights, and business affairs for BBC News, leading the team providing operational legal and rights advice to over 6,000 journalists around the world.
- Government Legal Department, Windsor Framework Team - Legal Team of the Year. The Government Legal Department’s (GLD) Windsor Framework Team advises the Cabinet Office Windsor Framework Task Force on all legal aspects of the Windsor Framework, a post-Brexit legal agreement between the European Union and the UK that adjusts the operation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
- Commander Mark Blackwell, Logistics Officer for the Royal Navy - Employed Barrister of the Year in the Armed Forces. Mark is based in Navy Command Headquarters in Portsmouth and serves as the lead and specialist employment law advisor for the Royal Navy.
- Lucinda Orr, Enyo Law – Lifetime Achievement Award. Lucinda has a broad commercial disputes practice, with substantial experience of complex, high-value cross-border litigation and long trials. She has acted for many high-net-worth individuals, large institutions, and Nation States, in some of the most consequential trials to come before the English Courts in recent years.
Sam Townend KC, Chair of the Bar and one of the judges, said: “The awards demonstrated the strength and diversity of work undertaken throughout the employed Bar from the public sector to the Armed forces. It was a real challenge selecting this year’s winners as the calibre was so high. Congratulations to all our nominees and winners – these awards will not only inspire those at the Bar but the next generation of barristers too.”
Heidi Stonecliffe KC, Chair of the Employed Barristers’ Committee, 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.”
The Rt Hon Lord Justice Peter Coulson, Master Treasurer at Gray’s Inn, said: "The awards celebrate a foundational keystone of the legal profession in England and Wales. The employed Bar has an undeniably crucial role in the promotion and maintenance of the rule of law at home and abroad. The nominations were formidable, and I wish colleagues great success in their careers.”
The Bar Council’s Employed Bar Awards 2024 are awarded thanks to the generosity and support of the sponsors: The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, Lincoln’s Inn, Inner Temple and the Government Legal Department.
Members of the judging panel: Sam Townend KC, Barbara Mills KC, Patrick Walker, and Gaynor Wood.
Find out more about the awards and those nominated by heading over to our Employed Bar Awards page.