Speakers

Journalist, investigative reporter and presenter

Speaking at the keynote address on Saturday 26 November.

Raphael Rowe is a journalist, investigative reporter and presenter. Is currently hosts the Netflix series ‘Inside The World’s Toughest Prisons’ – Netflix’s 2^nd most watched factual programme – where he enters maximum security prisons to meet inmates and look at how we vary in our treatment of prisoners around the world.  

Raphael has a powerful and unique life story, having spent 12 years in a maximum security prison for crimes he did not commit – his life sentence and convictions for murder and robberies were overturned by the Court of Appeal in 2000. Raphael documented his fascinating life story in his 2020 autobiography 'Notorious'.

After his release, Raphael began a new career as a journalist and broadcast reporter for the BBC where he went on to make a series of hard-hitting documentaries covering issues such as serial killers, knife crime, drugs, corrupt UN peacekeepers, environmental crime and terrorism, with one of his investigations playing a pivotal part in freeing a man convicted of the assassination of a high-profile BBC celebrity. 

Raphael’s investigative journalism work has taken him to some of the world’s most dangerous places; having smuggled diamonds, secretly filmed Congolese militia rebels, risking his own life to save an orangutan whilst reporting on illegal international logging and deforestation. 

Raphael won the British Podcast Award for ‘Best True Crime Podcast’ for his Audible Original series ‘The Catch’. He also has his own podcast, Second Chance, where he regularly talks to guests who have rebuilt their lives from a place of darkness.

Biography and photo supplied by YMU group.

Spire Barristers

Speaking at Building your practice: Opportunities for the Young Bar on Friday 25 November

Aaqib is a tenant at Spire Barristers and specialises in all aspects of family children work and is also developing a practice in the Court of Protection. Aaqib frequently takes on work on a pro bono basis and has developed a strong relationship with Advocate and the Family Legal Advice Clinic run by BPP. He also coaches and mentors students at his former secondary school in the Bar Mock Trial Competition. He has recently developed his own mentoring programme which focuses on providing advice to students undertaking the BPTC.

Legal Aid Barrister of the Year 2022, One Pump Court

Speaking at Access denied: Fixing our broken justice system on Wednesday 23 November

Amean specialises in family law with a practice predominately in the Family Court, High Court (Family Division) and the Court of Appeal, undertaking publicly funded work representing parents and children. 

Prior to coming to the Bar, Amean worked at Release – an NGO providing legal services to hard to reach client groups in all areas of common law including housing, welfare benefits and debt advice. 

Amean regularly speaks at Career events through Lincoln’s Inn, he trains law students in advocacy for mock trials at Brunel University and maintains a commitment to undertaking pro-bono work.  He is a member of the Pupillage Committee and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee within Chambers. 

Amean is the first British Yemeni barrister in England and Wales and in 2022 Amean was awarded Legal Aid Barrister of the Year.

Shadow Solicitor General

Chairing Careers, retention and the modernisation of working practices at the Bar on Saturday 26 November

Andy Slaughter is the Labour Member of Parliament for Hammersmith. He was first elected in 2005 as the MP for Ealing, Acton and Shepherds Bush and later was elected as MP for Hammersmith in 2010. He now represents constituents from Shepherds Bush, Hammersmith, and Fulham. During his parliamentary career Andy has served as Shadow Justice Minister, Shadow Minister for Housing and is currently Shadow Solicitor General.  He was formerly a barrister practising from Bridewell Chambers, specialising in housing and personal injury law.

Judicial Appointments Commission

Speaking at Tackling harassment and bullying at the Bar on Saturday 26 November

Judge Anuja Dhir QC was appointed to the Judicial Appointment Commission as a judicial member on 9 June 2018 and reappointed on 9 June 2021. Anuja was appointed as a judge at the Old Bailey in 2017, a Circuit Judge in 2012 and a Recorder in 2010. In 2018 Anuja, was authorised to sit in the Court of Appeal Criminal Division. 

She was called to the Bar in 1989. She practised as a barrister for 23 years, mainly in crime and from 2007 as a special advocate in national security cases. Anuja was a member of a number of Bar Council committees, including the Equality, Diversity and Social Mobility Committee, the former Professional Conduct Committee and the Law Reform Committee.

Anuja has been involved in advocacy training in the UK and abroad for over 20 years. In 2015 she was appointed as a Tutor Judge for the Judicial College. In 2021 Anuja was appointed as Tutor judge on the Murder Course. 

In 2022 Anuja was appointed as a Diversity and Community Relations Judge as well as a Focal Point Judge for Diversity and Community and Relations Judges. 

Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales

Speaking at The vision for justice in 2023 and beyond on Wednesday 23 November

Lord Burnett was appointed Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales on 1 October 2017. He is President of all the Courts of England and Wales and sits in both the Criminal and Civil divisions of the Court of Appeal, in the Divisional Court and also, by invitation, in the UK Supreme Court.

Lord Burnett was called to the Bar in 1980 where he became a pupil and then a member of Temple Garden Chambers. At the Bar Lord Burnett’s practice was in common law and public law. In the early part of his career he undertook a broad range of common law work and thereafter he focused on public and administrative law, personal injury and health and safety law, including acting as junior counsel to the King’s Cross Fire inquiry and to the inquiry into the convictions of the Guildford Four and Maguire family. He was involved in inquiries into the Southall (1997) and Ladbroke Grove (1999) rail crashes and the inquests into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Al Fayed.

Lord Burnett’s first judicial role came on his appointment as a Recorder in 1998. On his appointment to the High Court in 2008 Lord Burnett joined the Queen’s Bench Division (now King’s Bench Division) hearing civil law and public law cases in the Administrative Court as well as hearing serious criminal matters out of London and sitting in the Court of Appeal, Criminal Division.

Lord Burnett was Presiding Judge of the Western Circuit from 2011 until 2014 when he was appointed to the Court of Appeal. He was also Deputy Chairman of the Security Vetting Appeals Panel. Lord Burnett was the judge of the Court of Appeal with responsibility for extradition cases and was also supervising Lord Justice for immigration and public law appeals. He was Vice Chairman of the independent Judicial Appointments Commission from November 2015 until March 2017. 

Freelance consultant and former Interim Director Legal Action Group

Speaking at Access denied: Fixing our broken justice system on Wednesday 23 November

Carol was a practising solicitor for many years in local government, a law centre, private practice and Shelter. In 2008 she became Director of the membership organisation Legal Aid Practitioners Group. In 2019-2021 was Interim Director of the charity Legal Action Group. Carol now works as a freelance consultant in the legal sector and is a trustee of Coram Children’s Legal Centre, Advice Services Alliance and the Access to Justice Foundation as well as co-chairing the Legal and Advice Sector Round Table.

Exchange Chambers

Speaking at Tackling harassment and bullying at the Bar on Saturday 26 November 

Chris Gutteridge is a specialist personal injury and clinical negligence barrister at Exchange Chambers in Manchester. He works exclusively for claimants who have suffered serious and catastrophic injuries. He is a co-founder of ‘All Rise’ – a grassroots anti-bullying initiative and a co-author of the Bar Equality Diversity and Inclusion Directory 2022. Chris is a Deputy Officer of the Northern Circuit’s Equality, Diversity and Social Mobility Committee and provides anti-bullying and harassment training for all new pupils and new pupil supervisors on Circuit. He is also a member of the Regulatory and Compliance Committee at Exchange Chambers responsible for oversight of chambers, policies and procedures.

Matrix Chambers and Professor of Human Rights Law, London School of Economics

Speaking at Threats to the Rule of Law in 2022 and beyond on Saturday 26 November

Conor is a founder member of Matrix Chambers and was among the set’s first academic members. His practice as a barrister is primarily in human rights law and in public law, together with work in the field of corporate social responsibility. Conor has appeared in the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords, and has also been a frequent adviser to judges, practitioners and public authorities on the implications of the Human Rights Act, and on rights litigation generally. As a consultant for BP, he conducted a major study into the human rights aspects of their development of Iraq’s Rumaila oilfield.

In addition to his work at the Bar, Conor is Professor of Human Rights Law at the London School of Economics (LSE) where he was Director of its Centre for the Study of Human Rights (2022-2009) and Director of the Institute of Public Affairs (2012-2017). He was named as one of The Observer’s Top 300 Intellectuals in 2011, and one of The Times’ 100 most influential lawyers in 2012. He is a Fellow of the British Academy where he is now Vice-President for Social Sciences, a Bencher of Middle Temple and of the King’s Inn, and has Honorary Degrees from Brunel and Roehampton universities, University College Dublin in Ireland, and Sacred Heart University in the United States. 

In 2021 he was appointed an honorary KC in recognition of his work in his various fields.  Conor is also an experienced and effective public speaker and debate chair. He has been involved in events related to a number of international organisations and companies. In late June 2016, he published his latest book on human rights law, On Fantasy Island, Britain, Europe and Human Rights (Oxford University Press). An analysis of the role of judges in the use of torture by the UK state was published in the Modern Law Review in early 2021. His next book is titled 'Homeland Insecurity: The Rise and Rise of Global Anti-terrorism Law'.

Chief Technology Officer, Mitigo

Speaking at Cybersecurity and the Justice System on Thursday 24 November

David is a Partner at Mitigo, and as Chief Technology Officer, David leads the cyber and forensics team. David spent a decade in one of the largest banking groups transforming their digital proposition and its associated cyber security. David has the rare quality of describing very complex technology scenarios in plain English, something our members will be relieved to hear.

David is an expert in his field. He leads a team who specialise in advising legal practices, of all sizes and disciplines, on the visibility of their risk and how to be secure against cyber attacks that are highly damaging and growing in frequency and sophistication.

Former Editor at Large at Channel 4 Television, and Head of News and Current Affairs. Current President of Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge

Chairing Secret Courts, Secret Justice on Saturday 26 November

Dorothy Byrne is the President of Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge. She was previously Head of News and Current Affairs at Channel Four Television for 15 years during which time programmes for which she was responsible won numerous Royal Television Society, BAFTA and Emmy awards. She was made a Fellow of the Royal Television Society for her outstanding contribution to television and has won several major television awards including the Royal Television Society Journalism Award. In 2019, Dorothy delivered the prestigious MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh Television Festival in which she criticised politicians for lying and failing to be held to account.

National Cyber Security Centre

Speaking at Cybersecurity and the Justice System on Thursday 24 November

A generalist civil servant for the past 19 years, Eleanor has undertaken a range of policy and security roles, at home and overseas, in immigration, security policy and corporate services. Eleanor previously led cyber threat assessment in NCSC and now heads up the Incident Management function where she is responsible for managing the NCSC response to nationally significant incidents that hit the UK.

Cornerstone Barristers

Speaking at Climate leadership and influence at the Bar on Saturday 26 November.

Estelle is a leading public law practitioner, with a broad practice encompassing human rights, environment and planning law. She has particular expertise in climate change matters and is involved in key environmental cases, including the inquiry opposing a new coal mine in Cumbria and the forthcoming Supreme Court case concerning greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel development. The other main area of her work is data protection and access to information, in which she is again recognised as a leading barrister. She is a member of the European Commission’s Multistakeholder Expert Group on the GDPR. 
 
Estelle is co-chair of the Bar Council’s Climate Crisis Working Group. She was included in the ENDS Report’s Inaugural Power List of the most influential environmental professionals in the UK. She took silk in 2022.

At COP27 she was awarded a Climate Law Practioner Award for outstanding climate legal practice and law solutions working with the Bar Council and other Bar associations.

Chief Executive, Radcliffe Chambers

Chairing Predicting industry trends and creating a financially sustainable chambers on Thursday 24 November

Fiona is chief executive of Radcliffe Chambers an award winning chancery and commercial set based in Lincoln’s Inn. Fiona was previously a partner in a mid sized law firm which sold out to private equity. Her role latterly was in full time management.

She is also a past chair of the Association of Women Solicitors. She has been a regular commentator and writer in the media on a wide range of issues from management and strategy to compliance and career development particularly for women in the profession. 

Fiona is a member of the Legal Services Committee of the Bar Council

Chief Executive, JUSTICE

Speaking at Careers, retention and the modernisation of working practices at the Bar on Saturday 26 November

Fiona Rutherford joined JUSTICE as Chief Executive in February 2022.

Prior to JUSTICE, Fiona was the Director of Access to Justice Policy, Ministry of Justice, a position she held from July 2019. Her previously held positions include: Deputy Director for Legal Aid Policy, MoJ, Deputy Director for Business Strategy and Design, HMCTS, and senior leadership roles within the Crown Prosecution Service.

Fiona worked as a specialist criminal barrister in the Chambers of Andrew Trollope KC and Richard Christie KC (187 Chambers). She has an LLB (Hons) in European Languages and a Diploma in Law from the Inns of Court School of Law.

Fiona was the MoJ representative at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and represented UK Government at the UN for the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in Feb 2019.

Matrix Chambers

Speaking at Secret Courts, Secret Justice on Saturday 26 November

Gavin Millar KC is a noted specialist in all areas of media law including defamation, privacy, breach of confidence, data protection, open justice and publishing contempts. He often represents media outlets, journalists and politicians in both civil and criminal proceedings. He represented the Telegraph Media Group at the Leveson Inquiry. In 2013 he advised the Guardian on its Pulitzer Prize winning coverage of Edward Snowden’s disclosures. He also represented the Sun newspaper in the “plebgate” libel trial and the “PJS” celebrity injunction litigation, and the BBC in the Cliff Richard privacy trial. He recently defended Carole Cadwalladr in the libel claim brought against her by Arron Banks. 

He has appeared in many of the leading open justice cases in the Human Rights Act era including Re S [2004], In re Trinity Mirror [2008], Re X (a Child) (Residence and Contact: Rights of Media Attendance) [2009], Independent News and Media [2010], In re BBC [2010] and Khuja v Times Newspapers Limited [2019].

He is the co-author of Newsgathering: Law Regulation and the Public Interest (OUP) and a Recorder of the Crown Court.

Director of Editorial Legal Services, The Guardian

Speaking at Secret Courts, Secret Justice on Saturday 26 November

Gill is the Director of Editorial Legal Services for Guardian News & Media Limited (GNM - publishers of the Guardian and Observer newspapers and theguardian.com). She qualified as a solicitor in 1984 and joined the BBC as an in-house lawyer in 1987, later working for News Group Newspapers and Times Newspapers. She joined GNM in May 2009. She advises on a range pre- and post-publication legal issues, including on defamation, open justice, contempt of court, privacy and national security. Gill also sits as a part-time Employment Tribunal Judge. She holds an honorary law doctorate from London South Bank University.

39 Essex Chambers

Speaking at Building your practice: Opportunities for the Young Bar on Friday 25 November.

Grace is a barrister at 39 Essex Chambers, a qualified Hong Kong solicitor and has rights of audience before the AIFC Court (Kazakhstan), DIFC Courts (Dubai) and the SICC (Singapore). She is a member of the Bar Council’s ADR Panel and is included on various panels and databases of arbitrators including AIAC; HKIAC; LCIA; LMAA; SIAC; Sport Resolutions and WIPO. She has also been appointed as an adjudicator on several cases. Grace has taught law at various universities in the UK and in Taiwan. She previously worked at Slaughter and May and was judicial assistant to the Honourable Mr Justice Blair when he was the Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court. 

Journalist covering social affairs, investigations and the law

Speaking at Secret Courts, Secret Justice on Saturday 26 November 2022

Hannah Summers is a freelance journalist, investigative reporter and editor covering social affairs, women’s rights and the law. She previously worked as a reporter and digital editor at The Sunday Times. Her stories and investigations have been published in newspapers including The Observer, The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, The Daily Mirror, The Mail on Sunday and the Independent. 

She won the news and investigations category in the Freelance Writing Awards 2021 for her coverage of violence against women and girls and was shortlisted for Freelance Journalist of the Year by the Society of Editors in 2022 for her investigation into unregulated experts being instructed in the family courts and stories revealing the treatment of women in prison and the NHS charging migrant women for maternity care.  

Member of the House of Lords

Chairing the Threats to the Rule of Law in 2022 and beyond session on Saturday 26 November

Baroness Helena Kennedy KC is one of Britain's most distinguished lawyers. She has spent her professional life giving voice to those who have least power within the system, championing civil liberties and promoting human rights. She has conducted many prominent cases of terrorism, official secrets, and homicide. She is the founding force behind the establishment of the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights at the University of Oxford. 

In 1997, she was elevated to the House of Lords where she is a Labour peer. She has published a number of books, including two on how the justice system is failing women, and has written and broadcasted on many issues over the years. Currently, she has taken on the role of Director to the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute. She directs the Institute’s work upholding the rule of law and human rights globally.

Chair Bar Council Education and Training Committee, 6KBW

Speaking at Careers, retention and the modernisation of working practices at the Bar on Saturday 26 November

Jake Hallam is the current chair of the Bar Council's Education and Training Committee. He read History at Cambridge, and was called to the Bar in 1996. He has been a tenant at 6KBW since 1998, working predominantly in criminal law. Since 2008 the focus of his work has been prosecuting cases of homicide at the Central Criminal Court. He was appointed as Junior Treasury Counsel in 2014, as a Recorder in 2016, and as Queen's Counsel in 2017.  

Chair of the Bar Council’s Information and Technology Panel, 11 South Square

Chairing Cybersecurity and the Justice System on Thursday 24 November

Jacqueline practices in all areas of IP and in IT law, including, in particular, trade mark, copyright, design right, technical confidential information, and data protection cases. 

Jacqueline is the Chair of the Bar Council IT Panel and, as such, plays an active role in deciding on key issues affecting the profession and the wider community, including in relation to the implementation of IT developments, data protection and how this will affect the Bar and the Bar Council.

Jacqueline became a Bencher of Middle Temple in 2018.

Jacqueline is also a Nominet DRS Expert. 

Chief Executive, Twenty Essex and Co-chair Legal Practice Management Association

Speaking at Careers, retention and the modernisation of working practices at the Bar on Saturday 26 November

Jemma is LPMA Co-Chair and CEO of Twenty Essex, a leading commercial set, where she is responsible for the strategic direction and management of chambers. She joined Twenty Essex in 2017 from a background as a qualified disputes solicitor with more recent experience in a senior business development role at a leading law firm. 
 
Jemma is an advocate for modernisation and development in the legal sector and a passionate supporter of diversity. She has a particular interest in social mobility and mentors students and other professionals to support them in their career development.
 
Jemma has held a number of non-executive director roles primarily in the education sector. As well as her role at LPMA, she sits on the Thomson Reuters Advisory Board for Transforming Women’s Leadership in the Law.

Chambers Director, St Philips Chambers

Speaking at Predicting industry trends and creating a financially sustainable chambers on Thursday 24 November

Joe is Chambers Director at St Philips Barristers and 2022 Conference Chair for the Institute of Barristers’ Clerks. Joe started his career in the Judicial Appointments Division of the Lord Chancellor’s Department where he assisted in appointments to the High Court Bench, Circuit Bench as well as to the ranks of Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) and Recordership.
 
He started his clerking career in 1998 at a well-known common law set of chambers in London where he quickly rose to the rank of First Junior. In 2001 Joe made the move to Birmingham to join St Philips Chambers and within six months, and at the age of 25, he was appointed Senior Criminal and Regulatory Clerk where he went on to co-manage two mergers. In 2010 he was appointed to the role of Chief Clerk, where he had responsibility for all practice groups and clerking generally. 
 
As Chambers Director Joe chairs various committees in chambers, including the management team, executive team and the strategy committee whose job it is to identify and proactively adapt to changes in legislation, funding and alternative business structures.
 
Joe was shortlisted for ‘CEO of the Year’ in the 2022 Legal 500 Awards.

Senior Consultant, Linklaters LLP, and Former Treasury Solicitor, Procurator General and Permanent Secretary of the Government Legal Department

Speaking at Building your practice: Opportunities for the Young Bar on Friday 25 November

Jonathan Jones was a government lawyer for over 30 years, holding senior legal posts in HM Treasury, the Education Department, the Attorney General’s Office and the Home Office.  From 2014-2020 Jonathan was Treasury Solicitor, HM Procurator General and Permanent Secretary of the Government Legal Department – the most senior official in the UK government. He is now a senior consultant in public and constitutional law at Linklaters LLP.  He is also a visiting professor at Durham Law School and a bencher of Middle Temple.  He was appointed honorary Queen’s Counsel in 2019 and knighted (KCB) for public service in 2020.   

Doughty Street Chambers

Speaking at Climate leadership and influence at the Bar on Saturday 26 November

Krishnendu Mukherjee is a barrister and Indian advocate at Doughty Street Chambers. Whilst practising in human rights and environmental law in India, he investigated the first case of climate refugees from the Indian Sundarbans and published A Hungry Tide, The Legal Response to Adaptation and Reparation, which was shortlisted for the Alexandre Kiss award 2008.  The main themes of the article were that “A proper international legal framework must exist for the recognition of actual or potential damage attributable to climate change”, and that there are “[domestic] legal mechanisms in place for both reactive and anticipatory adaptation measures”. In addition, the article argued that “sufficient resources should be provided through national taxation of the heaviest polluters if need be”. More than a decade on, the lack of progress has led Krishnendu to set up the Sundarbans Climate Justice Project, with partners in the UK and India. The project focuses on community-led legal complaints, clinical legal education and awareness-raising through an understanding that law should play its part by empowering affected communities, through environmental democracy and access to justice. 

Wilberforce Chambers

Speaking at Predicting industry trends and creating a financially sustainable chambers on Thursday 24 November

Marcia is a leading practitioner in all aspects of contentious and non-contentious insolvency, company and partnership law as well as commercial litigation.. The leading directories have recommended her for many years in insolvency, company and commercial litigation.  She leads the insolvency team at Wilberforce Chambers and is also a senior consultant in the restructuring team at McDermott Will & Emery LLP.

Marcia is a member of the BSB’s taskforce on “Achieving Racial Equality at the Bar”. She was chair (2016-2019) of the Equality and Diversity sub-committee of the Chancery Bar Association and in that capacity led the research which culminated in her ground-breaking 2021 report “Voices of Women at the Chancery Bar”.

Marcia sits in the High Court as a Deputy Insolvency and Companies Judge. She is also an active provider of talks and seminars and sits on the editorial board of Lexis PSL for insolvency.

Marcia is a contributing editor to Kerr & Hunter “Receivers and Administrators” (Sweet & Maxwell, 20th Edition).

Chair of the Bar of England and Wales

Welcoming remarks and chairing Access denied: Fixing our broken justice system on Wednesday 23 November (online), and welcoming and closing remarks on Saturday 26 November

Mark Fenhalls KC is Chair of the Bar of England and Wales 2022. 

Mark’s practice is principally in crime, business crime and regulatory compliance. 

Mark was Chair of the Criminal Bar Association (2015/16) and Leader of the South Eastern Circuit (2019-2020). He is a Bencher of Gray’s Inn and Vice Chair of The Kalisher Trust.

Senior Associate, Forsters LLP

Speaking at Predicting industry trends and creating a financially sustainable chambers on Thursday 24 November

Maryam Oghanna is a senior associate in the contentious trusts and estates team at Forsters LLP. She advises on a broad spectrum of contentious trusts and estates matters at both domestic and international level. She has represented a variety of clients across multiple jurisdictions, including both private individuals and professionals. Prior to joining Forsters, Maryam spent five years as an associate in the dispute resolution team at Herbert Smith Freehills, where she did a mix of commercial and private client work.

Dean, Warsaw Bar Association 

Speaking at Threats to the Rule of Law in 2022 and beyond on Saturday 26 November

Mikołaj Pietrzak is the former Chairman of the Human Rights Council of the Polish Bar Council. As of November 2016 he is the Dean of the Warsaw Bar Association. In 2016, he was appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as a member of the Board of Trustees of the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, and as of May 2018 he is the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees. In 2018 he was awarded the Human Rights Award of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE).

Mikołaj Pietrzak is a member of a number of international organizations for lawyers including the European Criminal Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defence Lawyers in the United States of America and the Legal Experts Advisory Panel for Fair Trials International. He was a permanent representative of the Polish Bar with the CCBE in the Human Rights Commission and the CCBE Permanent Deputation at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. He is a member of the International Criminal Court Bar Association. He is one of the founders of the Prof. Zbigniew Hołda Association, of which he is currently a member of the board of directors. 

He specializes in criminal law, constitutional law and protection of human rights. His experience includes legal representation in criminal cases and defence in cases regarding terrorism, espionage, murder, business crimes, corruption and fiscal crimes. 

No 5 Barristers' Chambers

Speaking at Climate leadership and influence at the Bar on Saturday 26 November

Nina Pindham is a specialist planning and environmental law practitioner. She has appeared in a number of leading environmental law claims, including the successful challenge to the Government’s Net Zero Strategy and the successful communication before the United Nations regarding the UK Government’s failure to comply with international environmental law. She is ranked as a Tier 1 barrister in the Legal 500 and a leading junior in Chambers and Partners. She serves as Vice-Chair of the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association and is a Committee Member of the Planning and Environmental Bar Association. Nina has also featured in The Planner’s Women of Influence list (2022) and the ENDS Power List of the most influential environmental professionals: “she is one of, if not the, leader in her field”.

At COP27 she was awarded a Climate Law Practioner Award for outstanding climate legal practice and law solutions working with the Bar Council and other Bar associations.

Chief Operating Officer, Quadrant Chambers

Speaking at Predicting industry trends and creating a financially sustainable chambers on Thursday 24 November

Peter joined Quadrant Chambers in 2016 having worked for the previous seven years as an independent consultant, specialising in providing strategic and operational support to barristers' chambers, law firms and other professional services organisations. Before that Peter was the first Chief Operating Officer at Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP (now Fieldfisher LLP). From 2000 to 2008, he was the Deputy Under Treasurer and Director of Finance of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. He has an MBA from London Business School.

Peter is a former Trustee of two national charities. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the LPMA.

4PB

Speaking at Secret Courts, Secret Justice on Saturday 26 November

Ruth has practised exclusively in family law and Court of Protection work for more than 20 years. The bulk of her work is in the Family Division. Ruth deals with all aspects of private and public children law – both domestic and international including: abduction; wardship and Inherent Jurisdiction cases including publicity and privacy issues and abandoned spouses; complex disputes concerning children and vulnerable adults; and difficult care and adoption proceedings. She has particular experience in representing high profile families and individuals in private law disputes.  Ruth is known for being a good judge of when cases can be settled without ever entering a court room but still achieving optimum results and when to achieve the best outcome for children by fighting proportionately and fairly, whenever court is unavoidable.

Practice Manager, 3VB 

Speaking at Building your practice: Opportunities for the Young Bar on Friday 25 November

Samantha joined chambers in June 2019. Prior to joining chambers Samantha spent 9 years at a leading multi-disciplinary civil set and a leading Shropshire Law firm. Samantha holds an LLB Law Degree from the University of Wales Aberystwyth and an ILEX Post-Graduate Diploma. Samantha is an active member of the Institute of Barristers Clerk (IBC) and sits on the Management and Education Committees.

Vice-chair Elect Bar Council of England and Wales, Keating Chambers

Speaking at Access denied: Fixing our broken justice system on Wednesday 23 November

Samuel is Vice-Chair Elect of the Bar Council and will be Vice-Chair in 2023. 

Samuel is a silk at Keating Chambers. Along with mainstream construction, energy and professional negligence work, his particular specialities are offshore construction and marine engineering including dredging, together with infrastructure and utilities. He regularly acts for clients in the courts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and has a thriving practice in international and domestic arbitration (recently acting in arbitrations to final hearing in Australia, Singapore, Paris, Dubai, the IDRC and a fully remote ICC arbitration), along with all forms of alternative dispute resolution.

Samuel was appointed Standing Counsel for the National House Building Council (NHBC), the market leading insurer of new and refurbished residential properties in the UK, for whom he acts for claims, recoveries and against personal guarantors. 

Samuel is an Accredited Mediator, Adjudicator and Dispute Resolution Board panellist and has acted as Mediator in domestic, international and remote mediations. He also regularly acts as mediation and negotiation advocate.

Treasury Solicitor, Government Legal Department

Speaking at Careers, retention and the modernisation of working practices at the Bar on Saturday 26 November

Susanna McGibbon was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in 1990 and spent 3 years in private practice before joining the Government Legal Service in 1993. She has worked in several government departments gaining experience in the full range of public law work: policy development, legislation, litigation, public inquires, EU law, human rights and national security.  As Treasury Solicitor and Permanent Secretary she heads up the Government Legal Department (GLD) in its provision of advisory, commercial, employment and litigation services to most central government departments. GLD is a national organisation of nearly 3,000 people of whom over 2,200 are lawyers, based in Leeds, Bristol, Croydon and London.   

Global Deputy Chief Information Security Officer, Dentons

Speaking at Cybersecurity and the Justice System on Thursday 24 November

Toks is responsible for the global delivery of information security at Dentons, the world’s largest law firm. He has over 20 years’ experience working in security, technology and privacy, across a number of industries.

Toks is an experienced and strategic business risk leader. He has a particular passion for strategy and team building and development.  His core skillset, developed over the years includes security operations and architecture, risk management and risk driven investment, data protection, compliance and audits, and enterprise culture, awareness and training.

Toks has contributed to the business and technology community through information sharing, groups, speaking engagements and multi-industry networking. As strong supporter of education and schools, he has provided advice in areas of security, data protection, user awareness and cloud transformation.

Vice President of the Ukrainian National Bar Association

Speaking at Threats to the Rule of Law in 2022 and beyond on Saturday 26 November

Valentyn Gvozdiy is Vice-President of the Ukrainian National Bar Association (UNBA) and the Bar Council of Ukraine, which are the managing bodies of self-governance and regulation of legal professionals in Ukraine. 
 
Valentyn is a practising lawyer and Managing Partner of GOLAW, the international law firm. His area of expertise is focused on litigation and dispute resolution, bankruptcy, and debt restructuring, as well as working with non-performing loans (NPL). He has a strong background in corporate governance, compliance, risk management, AML, anti-corruption, and tax. 
 
In 2019 Valentyn was elected as the Chair of the Supervisory Board at Ukrhydroenergo PJSC. In 2017 he was awarded the title of Honored Lawyer of Ukraine. He is also a Doctor of Philosophy in ‘Administrative Law and Process; Financial Law; Informational Law’ (2020).