For the third year running, only one solicitor appears in the annual list of new King’s Counsel. She is Sheila Ahuja, co-head of the India Group at A&O Shearman. Based in Singapore, Ahuja advises clients on complex international commercial arbitration and investor-state disputes in Asia Pacific and South Asia, including India, according to firm’s website.
The independent King’s Counsel Selection Panel announced today that 105 out of 326 applicants had made the grade, a 32% success rate. Ahuja was the only successful applicant among five solicitor candidates.
Of the new silks 72 are men, 30% of the men who applied , and 33 are women (39%). Eighteen new silks declared an ethnic origin other than white (30% success rate) while eight declared a disability (42%).
Monisha Shah, chair of the Selection Panel, said: ’ I am particularly pleased to note the many successful applicants from a range of diverse backgrounds including minoritised communities and those with disabilities. However, we continue to be concerned about the lack of success of black applicants and the challenges they face to demonstrate their excellence in the higher courts of England and Wales in the course of their careers.’
None of the 10 Black applicants and none of the five employed applicants was successful in this round. Commenting, Bar chair Barbara Mills KC said: ’We are pleased to see 17% (18 of 105) of the new silks are from a minority ethnic background but it is concerning that this year none of the Black applicants was successful. There is a need to better understand the factors that impact the success of Black applicants, as well as ensuring the right support is available for those wishing to apply to demonstrate their excellence in advocacy. Our Race Panel is keen to develop a programme of work to support this and would welcome the opportunity to talk to Black barristers who have applied, or considered applying, for silk.’
She added: ’For employed barristers taking silk as a sign of career progression remains a key challenge given that the KC scheme is so heavily focused on advocacy. This is something that I will work closely with our employed barristers’ committee to explore.’
A&O’s Sheila Ahuja said: ’I am truly honoured to receive this recognition and am deeply grateful to my family, friends, colleagues and clients for their unwavering support.’
Marie Stoyanov, global co-head of arbitration at A&O Shearman, added: ’I am so pleased that Sheila has been awarded silk. She is an exceptionally gifted lawyer and very talented advocate, a star of arbitration. If anyone deserves this mark of recognition, it is Sheila.’
More soon.
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