Employed barristers celebrated

Government lawyers scooped three prizes at the inaugural Bar Council Employed Bar Awards at the Tower of London in July.

The Serious Fraud Office’s Camilla de Silva won the employed barrister of the year award in recognition of the central part she played in the UK’s third deferred prosecution agreement, agreed with Rolls Royce, which resulted in more than half a billion pounds being paid to the Treasury.

Matthew Johnston, Government Legal Department, won the young employed barrister of the year for his role in the government’s work in relation to the Mediterranean migration crisis.

David Browitt, also of the Government Legal Department, won the award for outstanding achievement by a public service barrister, but the sensitive nature of his work meant the details could not be shared.

The gong for outstanding performance by a HM Forces barrister went to Commander Carolyn Kenyon of the Royal Navy Legal Services, but security protocols prevented the audience learning about her work.

Hannah Laming, from London law firm Peters & Peters, won outstanding achievement by a barrister in a corporate organisation or solicitors’ firm, for her work in white collar crime compliance, fraud, corruption and bribery.

Employed advocate of the yearwent to Matthew Gowen from East Anglian law firm Birketts, for his elegant presentation skills, measured approach and consistently excellent advocacy.

Bar Chair, Andrew Langdon QC, said the winners and shortlisted nominees are a ‘demonstration of the exceptional quality’ of the employed Bar. ‘Much of their work, until now, has not been celebrated.’