Hegarty is new head of St Philips Chambers

KEVIN Hegarty QC has been elected as the new head of Birmingham’s St Philips Chambers.

He succeeds James Burbidge QC who has completed his three-year term of office.
 
The 164 barristers at the chambers elected Mr Hegarty as the new head of chambers this week and he will lead it alongside two newly-elected deputies, Andrew Lockhart QC and Lawrence Messling.

Mr Hegarty was called to the Bar in 1982 and took silk in 2010. He is a prominent criminal and regulatory silk and  prosecutes and defends in some of the region’s most serious trials.

Mr Hegarty said: “I am honoured that my fellow members have elected me as head of chambers.

“it is a privilege but also a great responsibility. James Burbidge QC has been a terrific head of chambers with many great qualities which he has brought to bear over the last three years.

“The legal marketplace has gone through some immense changes over the past two years and is set to change even further with the introduction of the Legal Services Act and cuts in public expenditure.

“Barristers, like solicitors, have to change the way they work and are taking a more commercial approach to business operations.  Whilst St Philips remains one of the largest multi-disciplinary sets in the UK, St Philips is very fortunate in the strength of expertise which it is able to offer in the legal market.”

Chief executive Chris Owen added: “I know everyone at chambers wishes to extend our thanks and praise to James Burbidge QC for his hard work and efforts in leading chambers over the past three years and the fact that St Philips remain one of the leading sets in the country is testimony to his dedication.

“I am delighted Kevin has been appointed as head of chambers and I am very much looking forward to working alongside him during the next three years, building upon the success of the past and taking us into a confident future.

“This has been a great first half of the year for St Philips, many of our barristers have worked on some landmark cases and we have seen three barristers appointed to the rank of Queens’ Counsel.”