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Visit to Kyiv and St Petersburg
The International Committee, supported by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), steered a trade mission from the Bar to Kyiv and St Petersburg from 17 - 21 March. Over 30 members applied for the mission and 19 were selected. The group was well mixed, demonstrating the wide range of expertise at the Bar (nine commercial/chancery practitioners, five criminal and one family barristers, one IP practitioner and one mediator). The programme included seminars for local law firms, breakfast meetings with in-house counsel, networking receptions and UKTI market briefings. Seminars covered subjects such as: an introduction to the Bar; commercial situations and regulatory affairs where barristers work with foreign lawyers and clients; asset protection through the criminal, commercial and matrimonial courts; and paying for legal proceedings in England and Wales. A meeting was held with the St Petersburg Bar to discuss future cooperation. The first joint event will be a seminar on criminal defence matters in May following the International Legal Forum.
Save the date: English Law Week, Moscow, 18-20 November 2013
Following the success of the 2011 English Law Week in Moscow and the 2012 Russian Law Week in London, the Bar Council’s International Committee, in partnership with the Law Society of England and Wales, will be holding the second English Law Week in Moscow from 18-20 November 2013. The theme of the Conference will be ‘Managing Risk’. The event will bring together leading Russian and English practitioners and promote professional links and legal business between the two jurisdictions. This is an excellent opportunity for any barrister wishing to develop their practice in relation to Russia.
Further information about the event and speaking slots will be advertised on the Bar Council website and in the International Committee’s fortnightly updates.
International Bar Association (IBA) Conference, Boston, 6-11 October 2013
Registration for this year’s IBA conference in Boston is now open. Further information regarding the event and registration is available on the conference website: http://www.ibanet.org/Conferences/Boston2013. aspx. The deadline for early bird registration is 19 July 2013.
The Bar Council will have a presence at this event and if you are attending, please email CMuorah@barcouncil.org.uk.
Promoting the Bar to the Brazilian legal market
Following an exploratory visit to Brazil in October 2012 we continue to develop the Bar’s profile in Brazil and engage the profession with the opportunities in that market (please see the article in the March edition of Counsel). We organised an information seminar at the Bar Council on 4 March and, with the Law Society, launched Lex Anglo-Brasil, a new bilateral law association. The launch event was on 12 March. It was attended by over 100 members of both professions and was sponsored by three organisations including a set of chambers. Barristers interested in joining should contact info@lexanglobrasil.com. Given the interest, we are forming a South America Interest Group and continue to work towards a mission to Brazil in the first quarter of next year.
Gain an insight into the Chinese legal market; build valuable contacts
From 17 June to 19 July 2013, the Bar Council will welcome the second cohort of 10 - 12 young Chinese lawyers to the Bar Council China Training Scheme. The programme will focus on international commercial law with a particular emphasis on arbitration and litigation work and will be delivered through practical placements in chambers and a bespoke academic programme provided by BPP Law School. This will be supplemented with legal seminars given by barristers and by social networking events.
The Bar Council is seeking sets of chambers that are willing to host these Chinese lawyers for the five weeks they are in the UK.
Chambers must have a solid international commercial practice (in the broader sense, including for example, international white-collar crime, construction, trust work, etc.), and should be able to offer at least one main mentor and an alternate to guide the Chinese lawyer through their placement.
Interested chambers should contact Natalie Darby for an application form at NDarby@BarCouncil.org.uk ahead of the deadline of 10 May 2013.
We would also like to hear from barristers who are interested in offering a homestay to a Chinese lawyer while the delegation is in the UK.
Save the date: English Law Week, Moscow, 18-20 November 2013
Following the success of the 2011 English Law Week in Moscow and the 2012 Russian Law Week in London, the Bar Council’s International Committee, in partnership with the Law Society of England and Wales, will be holding the second English Law Week in Moscow from 18-20 November 2013. The theme of the Conference will be ‘Managing Risk’. The event will bring together leading Russian and English practitioners and promote professional links and legal business between the two jurisdictions. This is an excellent opportunity for any barrister wishing to develop their practice in relation to Russia.
Further information about the event and speaking slots will be advertised on the Bar Council website and in the International Committee’s fortnightly updates.
International Bar Association (IBA) Conference, Boston, 6-11 October 2013
Registration for this year’s IBA conference in Boston is now open. Further information regarding the event and registration is available on the conference website: http://www.ibanet.org/Conferences/Boston2013. aspx. The deadline for early bird registration is 19 July 2013.
The Bar Council will have a presence at this event and if you are attending, please email CMuorah@barcouncil.org.uk.
Promoting the Bar to the Brazilian legal market
Following an exploratory visit to Brazil in October 2012 we continue to develop the Bar’s profile in Brazil and engage the profession with the opportunities in that market (please see the article in the March edition of Counsel). We organised an information seminar at the Bar Council on 4 March and, with the Law Society, launched Lex Anglo-Brasil, a new bilateral law association. The launch event was on 12 March. It was attended by over 100 members of both professions and was sponsored by three organisations including a set of chambers. Barristers interested in joining should contact info@lexanglobrasil.com. Given the interest, we are forming a South America Interest Group and continue to work towards a mission to Brazil in the first quarter of next year.
Gain an insight into the Chinese legal market; build valuable contacts
From 17 June to 19 July 2013, the Bar Council will welcome the second cohort of 10 - 12 young Chinese lawyers to the Bar Council China Training Scheme. The programme will focus on international commercial law with a particular emphasis on arbitration and litigation work and will be delivered through practical placements in chambers and a bespoke academic programme provided by BPP Law School. This will be supplemented with legal seminars given by barristers and by social networking events.
The Bar Council is seeking sets of chambers that are willing to host these Chinese lawyers for the five weeks they are in the UK.
Chambers must have a solid international commercial practice (in the broader sense, including for example, international white-collar crime, construction, trust work, etc.), and should be able to offer at least one main mentor and an alternate to guide the Chinese lawyer through their placement.
Interested chambers should contact Natalie Darby for an application form at NDarby@BarCouncil.org.uk ahead of the deadline of 10 May 2013.
We would also like to hear from barristers who are interested in offering a homestay to a Chinese lawyer while the delegation is in the UK.
Visit to Kyiv and St Petersburg
The International Committee, supported by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), steered a trade mission from the Bar to Kyiv and St Petersburg from 17 - 21 March. Over 30 members applied for the mission and 19 were selected. The group was well mixed, demonstrating the wide range of expertise at the Bar (nine commercial/chancery practitioners, five criminal and one family barristers, one IP practitioner and one mediator). The programme included seminars for local law firms, breakfast meetings with in-house counsel, networking receptions and UKTI market briefings. Seminars covered subjects such as: an introduction to the Bar; commercial situations and regulatory affairs where barristers work with foreign lawyers and clients; asset protection through the criminal, commercial and matrimonial courts; and paying for legal proceedings in England and Wales. A meeting was held with the St Petersburg Bar to discuss future cooperation. The first joint event will be a seminar on criminal defence matters in May following the International Legal Forum.
The Chair of the Bar reports back
Susie Griffin on the admin that keeps barristers from billable work
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how global events can influence the performance of pensions and ISAs, and why taking a long-term approach to investing is often the most effective strategy
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, discusses what family law professionals need to know about hallucinogens, from the main hallucinogenic drugs encountered in family proceedings, to their effects and the testing options available
Harmony Christian Ministries is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
By David Green
At the start of her term, Chair of the Bar 2026 Kirsty Brimelow KC set out a series of priorities for the year ahead. One of those priorities was children in the justice system
As the world becomes more digital, Barbara Vinagre Mota examines international research into the mental health consequences of judges’ exposure to graphic and immersive evidence, highlighting the importance of support systems
In an era of patient-centred care and growing concern over misconduct in medical settings, why do women still lack the right to choose women consultants for examination and treatment? Charles Davey investigates
Reviewed by Daniel Barnett
James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain until 27 September Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi until 23 August Reviewed by Stephen Cragg KC
