8 New Square loses Kitchin to the bench

Patent star David Kitchin QC has capped off a brilliant year with an appointment as a High Court judge in the Chancery Division, it was announced last week.

Kitchin is one of five new High Court judges appointed by the Department of Constitutional Affairs (DCA). Also joining him on the Bench are Cloisters Chambers’ Brian Langstaff QC, Keating Chambers’ Vivian Ramsey QC, Brick Court Chambers’ David Lloyd Jones QC, and Caroline Swift QC of Manchester set Byrom Street Chambers, all appointed to the Queen’s Bench Division.

Kitchin, who bills over £1m per year, will be a major loss to his set, 8 New Square but he will be a boost to the court following the recent resignation of patent specialist Mr Justice Laddie.

The announcement comes after a particularly successful 12 months for Kitchin, The Lawyer’s Barrister of the Year 2005. Kitchen secured victory for Aventus and TKT in the the groundbreaking House of Lords case of Kirin-Amgen v Aventis & Transkaryotic Therapies (TKT) in October 2004.