UK barrister admitted to practice foreign law down under

A UK barrister has been granted an Australian registration certificate by the New South Wales (NSW) Bar Association in what is said to be a first in the country.

Adam Aldred, a member of Kings Chambers in the UK, is now able to advise Australian solicitors and their clients on competition law issues that have a UK or European Union dimension, including merger control, regulatory investigations, dominance, global litigation, international trading arrangements, and compliance.

The NSW Bar has confirmed to Australasian Lawyer that Aldred is entitled to practice foreign law in Australia.

“I am pleased to be able to extend my practice so I can help Australian businesses too,” Aldred said. “Competition law is global. A huge number of Australian businesses, both large and small, operate on the global stage. With the Australian registration certificate, I can readily help Australian businesses and their solicitors when the competition law issues they face have a UK or EU element, as they often will.”

Gary Young, chief clerk at Kings Chambers, said that the development is fantastic news.

“We are a globally minded set and we’re lucky to have barristers such as Adam who specialise in niche areas of practice and are committed to offering the best service to a high professional standard,” Young said. “Adam is very easy to work with. His advice can be sought on an ad hoc basis or he can be readily incorporated into a team for longer term projects.”

Aldred has more than 25 years of experience in EU and competition law. He was first called in NSW in 1987 and qualified in England and Wales in 2014. He has extensive litigation, arbitration, and mediation experience, having handled matters before the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority and Competition Appeal Tribunal, the European Commission, and other UK and EU courts.

Adam Aldred