The Bar

Top of the game

Catherine Calder, joint chief executive of Serjeants’ Inn Chambers, tells UK Bar editor John van der Luit-Drummond how her set offers a bespoke client care service to the benefit of both instructing law firms and clients

’d be wary of ascribing special skills to either gender, but I do sometimes wonder if there is something special about female friendship, and whether that provides a particular support to women in the workplace,’ replies Serjeants’ Inn Chambers’ Catherine Calder when asked if women can ‘Ibring different expertise to leadership roles at the Bar. ‘Certainly I feel lucky to be able to call on the advice of some very clever, canny, and funny female friends both inside and outside chambers,’ she continues, ‘and I’m definitely better at my job as a result. I try hard to provide the same back to my colleagues and contacts.’

2019 will mark two decades since Calder began her career in chambers. After qualifying and practising as a at in the early ’90s, she turned to the advertising sector, spending several years as an account manager at the Bates Dorland agency (part

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team which, as Calder explains, she care team differ from a traditional "I draw on my legal background every created to work alongside clerking setup? Isn’t client care what in tailoring the ‘perfect service’ for lay clerks are responsible for? ‘Although day but it is my time in advertising that clients. The feedback from instructing the teams have separate remits there firms speaks for itself. Described as ‘a is some overlap,’ explains Calder. ‘For really informs my approach" marvel’ in the latest UK Bar edition, example, we may get involved on major Calder has ‘set new standards in client fee negotiations and, of course, the care and is to be highly commended for clerks have their own relationships of the Saatchi Group) where she awards in just three years the results she has achieved in recent with clients and are building those in worked on the campaign relating to the has been dubbed ‘the Calder effect’ years’. Or as another solicitor said: hundreds of conversations with our formation of Halifax plc and assisted in some quarters). ‘[They are] at the top of their game and solicitors every day. But the addition of Amnesty International with its refugee also at the forefront, particularly with this unique team gives us insight and campaigns. However, in 1999 the law Blessed with ‘a longstanding, BD being led by Catherine Calder. You resource to work in partnership with once again beckoned and she joined well-deserved, reputation as one of know from the first point of contact with clients in a new and different way.’ Radcliffe Chambers in a client care the best clinical negligence sets in the them that you’re in safe hands and they role, becoming one of the first former UK’ and known as ‘an ever-growing are expert at what they do.’ Currently a team of three – comprised solicitors to work in a set of chambers. police set with excellent juniors and of Calder, client care manager and nationally recognised silks’. Serjeants’ ‘It fits the set and follows from the ‘name to note’ Isabel Biggs, and client Few other senior clerks or chief Inn climbed this year’s The Legal 500 nature of our work and approach,’ says care executive Bronwyn Gray – the set executives can rely on such a UK Bar rankings to challenge the ever- Calder. ‘Clients choose us to steer brings in additional resource for specific range of experience to the benefit impressive 39 Essex Chambers in our them through crucial cases, such as the projects. ‘For example, we retained a of their chambers. ‘I draw on my Court of Protection (CoP) guide. The Deepcut and Westminster and former City litigation partner earlier this legal background every day but it rise to the top tier follows the set’s Bridge terrorist attack inquests. It year to conduct a three-month review of is my time in advertising that really involvement in some of the most high- informs our “trusted when it’s critical” our processes,’ says Calder. ‘She worked informs my approach – it was an profile CoP cases in recent years and branding, but more importantly I hope with us to assess how we handle a excellent education in clients and the recruitment of the talented Nageena clients see the difference it makes on a case, from the first telephone inquiry to communications,’ she says. ‘I feel very Khalique QC and Emma Sutton – day-to-day basis. Barristers at Serjeants’ the invoicing at the end, and identified fortunate to have found a way to apply both previously of – Inn acted in the recent Charlie Gard how we might improve the process for the commercial and creative approach to add greater strength in depth, in and Alfie Evans proceedings, which clients, barristers, and clerks.’ I learnt at Saatchi to the profession I London and on the circuits. This were highly challenging for all involved. always wanted to work within. And it’s comes as part of a strategy of Our work has legal, human, and ethical While Serjeants’ Inn has received the law, it fascinates me.’ ‘intelligent expansion’ which has seen importance, and I’m glad to be part of a plaudits for this innovative approach, the set recruit 13 barristers in 13 team supporting counsel, solicitors, and Calder is at pains to explain that the In the summer of 2014, after more than months, including a further silk in Dijen lay clients with that.’ new team’s introduction was ‘a natural a decade at Radcliffe Chambers, Calder Basu QC and a former judge in His development of the very client-focused made the move from the Chancery set’s Honour Brian Barker CBE QC. The set’s clerks’ room ‘has always been approach’ which chambers had taken home in Lincoln’s Inn to Fleet Street strong’, and has a ‘great understanding long before she arrived four years and common law set Serjeants’ Inn. If there is one thing which sets of solicitor needs and time pressures’, ago, under the guidance of ‘brilliant’ It’s a move she has not regretted, and Serjeants’ Inn apart from other according to instructing firms in this senior clerk, Lee Johnson and others. ‘I neither has chambers (23 legal industry chambers it’s its bespoke client care year’s research. So how does the client suppose it would have been difficult if

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the clerking team had felt undermined premises which are such a crucial if the latest Bar Council statistics are with professional clients”.’ Serjeants’ in any way by the creation of the new part of our success.’ accurate (57% of mothers at the Bar Inn has already put this into practice team, but that didn’t arise – the clerks were primary carers, compared to just by supporting the First are held in hugely high regard within Calder and the former chambers’ 4% of fathers at the Bar) then we have 100 Years project, run by charity chambers and had the confidence to business director Martin Dyke were some way to go before such a policy is Spark21, of which Calder is a embrace the idea. It is undeniably an appointed the set’s new joint chief distributed evenly across the sexes. trustee. Backed by the Law Society investment in salaries but, for us, it executives earlier this year. While and the Bar Council, the project has proved worthwhile.’ the duo combine forces to deal with Nevertheless, Calder’s own experience tracks the journey of women in management and business planning, in chambers is heartening: ‘My heads law since the Sex Disqualification For those sets thinking of replicating Calder notes that the set is led overall of chambers agreed to my working (Removal) Act enabled women to the Serjeants’ Inn experience, Calder by the joint heads of chambers, Angus mainly from home for two months enter the profession for the first time says the starting point is ensuring your Moon QC and John Beggs QC, who last year when my twins were taking in 1919. client care and clerking teams are fully provide ‘immense vision and direction’. their GCSEs,’ she says. ‘And my aligned: ‘Our teams have always got on experience in interviewing applicants ‘It holds numerous events – such well but we don’t take that for granted: From her new leadership position, for our set is that men are just as likely as a recent debate featuring female there is no magic to this but we do try Calder (who is also now co-chair to raise flexible working as women, Supreme Court judges from to take every opportunity to encourage of the Legal Practice Management which may be a small sign of progress jurisdictions around the world – communication – for example, we Association) is keen to empower more in itself.’ to introduce, inform, and inspire knocked down walls to put us all in women to work in chambers: ‘A priority women within the profession. the same space; we have weekly all- is to develop and promote individual Despite its history of being a difficult Serjeants’ Inn has seen the staff meetings; we circulate a monthly talent both among barristers and staff. place for women to work and get benefits both socially and bulletin on what we have achieved In two years at Serjeants’ Inn, four ahead – especially in a leadership commercially and I’m sure other together; we solicit comments and female tenants have taken silk and we function – the Bar is beginning to sets would do too.’ complaints via an anonymous online have been able to promote key women modernise. Looking back on her feedback facility; we have Friday drinks in the clerking and client care teams. almost 20 years in chambers, I ask Having had the benefit of almost a in the clerks’ room and other social Calder what has changed for the year in her new role, I ask Calder what events. ‘This is important for the set as a whole better and what is still in need of she believes are the biggest challenges as well as the individuals concerned: reform? facing a chambers’ CEO. ‘There are ‘As a next step we plan to create a they are role models and mentors for many! But a key challenge for the chambers common room – we want to others in turn and their success helps to ‘The Bar Council identified some Bar is how to modernise while encourage people to gather, chat, and address the unconscious bias which the key steps following its most recent preserving its identity and relax. It will promote wellbeing but Law Society’s recent Women in the Law report on equality and diversity issues independence. Of course, clients also we know that it will facilitate the survey identified as the biggest barrier (Snapshot: The Experience of Women expect us to be absolutely at the exchange of views and ideas within the to equality within the legal profession.’ at the Self-Employed Bar, 2015) so cutting edge in terms of legal skills set. It will take up expensive space and that seems a good place to start. One and service delivery, but I don’t think is difficult given our recent expansion, A genuinely flexible approach to of the recommendations is that the anyone wants us to homogenise but I know my co-chief exec, Martin working is also key and it is important Bar “promote[s] women’s marketing into standardised corporate machines. Dyke, will find a way to make it work. to highlight how such a policy can networks for barristers … specifically That’s a difficult, delicate line to n He deserves the credit for our modern benefit men as well as women. However, focused on developing relationships steer.’

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