Raising the Bar

Contrasts mark a client’s first visit to the Inns of Court. Stepping off bustling Fleet Street, the quiet of the Inns is striking. For commercial lawyers, the seemingly archaic surroundings are a world away from the City and Canary Wharf. But the inhabitants of the Inns, conscious of their position as a referral profession, are alive to the need to appear progressive.

In a self-employed profession, keeping up with the business of your clients – and perhaps as importantly, the way they do it – is crucial.

Most partners over a certain age can recall the culture of deference towards barristers, and though one ex-senior clerk suggests that remnants of pomposity linger, it appears that the age of the ‘precious’ silk is on the way out.

This change is a point not lost on Fountain Court’s Tim Howe QC. ‘The culture of the commercial Bar has changed,’ Howe says. ‘We’re part of a wider legal services industry; part of a culture of assisting clients, working with their business issues on a 24/7 basis.’ His generation, he insists, ‘are more comfortable with this kind of environment’.

Barristers now make themselves more accessible, and are used to working with law firms as an integral part of large litigation teams. They have had to keep in step with their counterparts in Magic Circle firms. ‘In my view,’ Howe says, ‘there’s no good reason not to follow what they do. And we do so. Closely.’

Part of this involves following the investment that City firms make in support services and facilities. ‘The leading commercial sets are very aware of providing excellent client service,’ says Sonia Tolaney, a barrister at 3 Verulam Buildings. ‘Facilities are modern and supported by sophisticated IT systems.’ There’s visible evidence of this, with both Blackstone Chambers and Fountain Court completing extensive refurbishments in 2008.

To read the rest of this article subscribe to Legal Business.