Message from the Chair
Welcome to Combar’s website.
Combar is the specialist Bar Association for commercial barristers advising the international business community. We represent over 1850 commercial barristers and 39 member sets providing specialist advice, advocacy and mediation services in relation to commercial law for businesses, individuals and other organisations. A good deal of this work is heard in the Commercial Court, which has just recently celebrated its 125th Anniversary, but Combar members appear as counsel in all the courts of England and Wales as well acting in dispute resolution processes in all forms – litigation, arbitration and mediation – taking place all over the world. Our members work closely, not just with solicitors in this jurisdiction, but with law firms and co-counsel in every corner of the globe. Further information on how to instruct a Commercial barrister is found here.
I hope that you will find our website useful and I am extremely grateful to the senior Officers, the entire Executive and all those give up time to work tirelessly on delivering our important programme.
On the website you will find extensive information about the work of Combar and its members, important upcoming events including Combar’s expanding programme of international work, covering the USA & Canada, off-shore jurisdictions, Europe, India, the Gulf and Africa.
Combar is committed to Equality and Diversity and is actively pursuing a number of initiatives to ensure that exceptional individuals can apply to, progress and succeed at the Commercial bar, regardless of background or personal circumstances: click here for more information. Consistently with this, Combar is actively working to help provide targeted scholarships, and to encourage exceptional students from all and any backgrounds to apply for a career at the English Commercial Bar. Any students interested in finding out more about becoming a commercial barrister should click here.
Combar is also committed to supporting its members, assisting them with their professional education, helping them to develop their practices and promoting their wellbeing. To that end this year, Combar has launched a successful mentoring scheme: click here. Combar is also in the process of taking over an existing scheme which will look to assist those looking to apply to the Commercial Bar from disadvantaged backgrounds. Combar also offers ongoing professional education through its monthly and annual lectures on key issues in commercial law, which are provided by leading commercial practitioners, academics and senior members of the judiciary. Combar is also looking to initiate a wider discussion at the Commercial Bar to help barristers at all levels enjoy a successful career whilst balancing the demands of life outside of work and also cope with the ever increasing stress imposed by the job itself.
Despite the difficulties still caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Combar’s members have been at the forefront of the use of technology to allow our predominantly international work to be undertaken effectively. Some of these techniques may change forever the way work is undertaken after the pandemic. Further information about protocols for remote Court hearing protocols and other related matters can be found here.
If you would like to learn more about Combar’s work, or have any queries, please contact Combar’s administration team here.
Alex Gunning KC, Chair of Combar