As part of  London International Disputes Week (LIDW) 2025 the COMBAR Africa Committee welcomes you to a seminar and reception to hear and participate in a discussion by a panel of experts about AI, its impact on the future of practice of arbitration in Africa and what Africa can learn from the UK experience.

The event will run from 5pm to 6.30pm with drinks to follow in the Drawing Room at Inner Temple.

Panellists

Keynote: The Honourable Mr Justice Waksman

The Honourable Mrs Justice Joanna Smith

Professor Emilia Onyema – The University of London School of Oriental and African Studies

Sena Gbedemah – Ankura

David Quest KC – 3 Verulam Buildings

Moderator:  Abdul Jinadu, Keating Chambers

Please register here.

The lecture will take place in Lincoln’s Inn Ashworth Centre from 5.45pm to 6.45pm.

The event will be hybrid and recorded and will include a Q&A with Rebecca Sabben-Clare KC (Chair of BMIF).

The event is open to COMBAR members and clerks from COMBAR Member Sets only, pupils are welcome.

Please register here for in-person and online attendance. A link will be circulated closer to the event.

The Commercial Court Seminar on Equity in Commercial law will take place in the Ashworth Centre Lecture Theatre at Lincoln’s Inn on 8th May 2025, doors open at 5.30pm, the webinar will go live at 5.45pm.

Chair: Lord Sales

Mr Justice Henshaw: “Equity’s Support for Commercial Bargains”

Professor Graham Virgo, Professor of English Private Law, University of Cambridge:

 “The Accountability of Fiduciaries: Breach, Bribery and Profits”

Ruth Den Besten KC, Essex Court Chambers: “Equitable Recission following Patarkatsishvili v Woodward-Fisher”

The event will be hybrid and recorded.  All are welcome.

The event is now at capacity, non-COMBAR members who still wish to join online are requested to email admin@combar.com. A webinar link will be sent to online attendees just before the event.

Mr Justice Bryan will give a talk followed by questions.

The lecture will take place in the Inner Temple from 5:30pm to 6.30pm.

The event will be hybrid and recorded.

The event is open to COMBAR members only and pupils are welcome.

Please register here for in-person attendance.  Please do not register if joining online, a link will be circulated closer to the event.

On 11 March 2025, Junior COMBAR with the support of the COMBAR E&D Committee is hosting a breakfast to mark International Women’s Day. This will provide an opportunity to meet other barristers in an informal setting, network and share experiences. Juniors and pupils are strongly encouraged to attend.

The breakfast will be held at Gatehouse Chambers from 08:30. A range of continental breakfast options will be available.

Please register to attend the event here.

The third in the COMBAR, Chancery Bar Association and TECBAR series of online events for aspiring pupils will be focussing on the pupillage interview process.

Hear from a panel of Commercial, Chancery and Construction barristers discussing the interview stage of pupillage applications and providing their tips on how to develop and hone your skills before your first pupillage interview. This session will offer guidance on some ‘dos and don’t’s’ and provide some guidance on how to impress your interviewers.

Panellists:

Eleanor Campbell – One Essex Court (Chair)

Sheriar Khan – Atkin Chambers

Charles Connor – 20 Essex Street

Emma Germany – 5 Stone Buildings (Pupil)

This online event will start at 6pm

The event will run for one hour until 7pm with a Q&A chat function enabling questions to be taken by the panellists.

A ZOOM link will be circulated to participants on the day.

Registration has closed, if you would still like to received the ZOOM link to participate, please email admin@combar.com

Cockerill J will interview Professor Briggs on the Hague Judgments Convention, moderated by Joshua Folkard of Twenty Essex/UCL.

The talk will take place at Inner Temple from 17:30 to 18:30, followed by drinks.

The lecture will be hybrid and recorded. In person attendance is encouraged.

The lecture is open to COMBAR Members. Pupils welcome.

Registration for in-person attendance is now closed. Those attending online do not need to register.

Put another way, do judges have “room to manoeuvre” at first instance, and if so, what are the consequences? In this lecture, Mr Justice Waksman will explore this important issue by reference to topics such as the assessment of evidence, contractual interpretation, the exercise of discretion, and the role of AI as a useful predictor of judicial outcomes. There will be time for questions and discussion after the lecture and those attending may submit questions in advance if they wish.

The lecture will take place in the Ashworth Centre Lecture Theatre at 5.45pm, followed by Q&A.

The lecture is open to all members of COMBAR, ChBA and TECBAR.

Pupils are welcome.

Please register here for attendance (in-person only for this event) and to upload a question.

“Corruption in international arbitration: practical advice from three leading practitioners”

Inspired by the issues arising from the decision of Robin Knowles J in Nigeria v P&ID [2023] EWHC 2638 (Comm), this panel session, chaired by Philippa Hopkins KC, will discuss the practicalities of dealing with issues of bribery and corruption in international arbitration. We will hear from three leading practitioners about steps that counsel, solicitors, arbitrators and institutions can and should be taking. A number of spaces will be held for solicitors to attend and drinks will be served after the lecture.

Panellists:

Richard Lissack KC, Fountain Court Chambers

Michael O’Kane, Peters & Peters

Professor Dr Jacomijn van Haersolte-van Hof

The lecture will take place in the Ashworth Centre at Lincoln’s Inn from 5:45pm to 6.45pm.

The event will be hybrid and recorded.

Save by invitation, this event is open to COMBAR members only and pupils are welcome.

Please register here for in-person attendance.  Those joining online do not need to register.

Hear from Commercial and Chancery barristers on the ‘dos and don’ts’ of completing a pupillage application form and receive a one-on-one CV review with a barrister.

The Chancery Bar Association, COMBAR and TECBAR, are delighted to jointly host a pupillage panel and CV workshop for those interested in pupillage at the commercial and chancery bar. We would especially welcome those from under-represented and non-traditional backgrounds and a number of such barristers will also be taking part.

The Panel will discuss and provide some guidance in relation to the pupillage application process in general.

The panel details are as follows:

Lucie Briggs (Atkin Chambers) – Chair
Laurie Brock (Fountain Court Chambers)
Narinder Jhittay (Maitland Chambers)
Michael Ryan (7 Kings Bench Walk)

There will then be a CV workshop undertaken on an individual basis with at least twenty commercial/chancery KCs and junior barristers, all of whom have relevant experience in a wide range of commercial and chancery practice; many of whom act as pupil supervisors or mentors to aspiring pupils. This is an invaluable opportunity to hear from those experienced in reviewing pupillage applications and to receive a one-on-one CV review from a barrister specialising in commercial/chancery practice. Barristers from a wide range of sets will be taking part including Atkin Chambers, Fountain Court Chambers, Maitland Chambers, Serle Court Chambers, Twenty Essex, 4 Pump Court, Five Paper, 7 KBW and others.

All are welcome. Membership of ChBA, COMBAR or TECBAR is not required. Participation in the CV workshop is limited and will be run on a first come basis.

The registration is now closed, but if you would still like to participate in the main webinar, please email admin@combar.com

16 Dec update: All the CV clinic slots have now been allocated and the CVs have been passed to the barristers taking part.  If you sent your CV in but haven’t received an email with a link to a clinic please email admin@combar.com

A ZOOM Webinar link will be sent on the day of the event, to those who have registered to take part in both the application tips panel and for those selected to attend the follow on CV workshop.  It is anticipated that 2 CV workshop sessions will run back to back at 5.45pm and then again at 6.00pm. Separate meeting links will be sent to those taking part in the CV clinics.

If you have any questions please email admin@combar.com