Christine Kings, Director of Outer Temple Chambers and Michael Brindle QC have received Lifetime Achievement awards for their significant and lasting impact on the legal profession at the 2018 Chambers and Partners Bar Awards. These awards are the culmination of thousands of interviews with solicitors, in-house counsel and peers at the Bar and are the only awards dedicated solely to the UK Bar.

Trailblazer

Christine Kings is described as a trailblazer and a true pioneer and was the first non-clerk to be appointed to a practice manager position in a set of chambers. She co-founded the legal Practice Management Association with Edith Robertson in 1996 and was joint Chair until its 21st anniversary last year. She has overseen the growth of the organisation from just a handful of women to a group of over 150 members and the organisation has been described as the natural home for all those involved in senior management roles who are running chambers at the highest level.Through her roles at Doughty Street Chambers and Outer Temple Chambers, as well as her position as co-chair of the LPMA, she not only opened doors for other non-clerking practice managers to take similar roles at other sets, but also proved a constant source of advice, support and inspiration to the numerous individuals now following in her footsteps in chambers management roles.

English law finance cases

Michael Brindle QC has had a legal career spanning over four decades (26 of which as a silk), in which he has been at the forefront of some of the most formative English law finance cases. Iconic cases such as Caparo v Dickman, British Bankers Association v FSA, Bank Mellat v HM Treasury, Springwell v JPMorgan and the Fiona Trust litigation cemented his standing as a heavyweight barrister with almost unparalleled experience.Versatility, no less than virtuosity, has characterised a career during which he has been regarded as a leader in numerous areas across the commercial Bar including finance, fraud and professional negligence. Described as a man of total integrity he was appointed Deputy High Court Judge in 2000. He is a former Chairman of the Commercial Bar Association and a former member of the Financial Reporting Review Panel and of the Financial Markets Law Committee. He also served as Chairman of the International Committee of the Bar Council (2008) and Chairman of the Bar Council Education and Training Committee (2002-04). He was appointed Special Advisor to the Attorney General of Singapore in 2015 and Chairman of Appeal Panel of Regulatory Authority of Abu Dhabi Global Markets in 2016.

Richly deserved

Commenting on the awards, James Cowdell, UK Bar Editor for Chambers and Partners said: 'Our Chambers and Partners Lifetime Achievers awards are given to lawyers and practice leaders who have had a significant and lasting impact on the legal profession, individuals who have made contributions to the Bar that go above and beyond the development of their own practice or the success of their chambers.' He concluded: 'The recognition that both have received from their peers is richly deserved.'