Commercial Bar Assoc elects William Blair QC as chairman

The Commercial Bar Association (Combar) has elected William Blair QC, a tenant of 3 Verulam Buildings, as its new chairman.
Blair, a part-time judge and visiting professor of law at the London School of Economics, as well as being the prime minister's brother, replaces Fountain Court's Michael Brindle QC.
Blair is regarded as a forward-thinking barrister who is expected to build the UK bar's reputation overseas.
During his tenure, Brindle made headway in attracting in-house counsel in Continental Europe to instruct the bar direct, a move mimicked by several leading chambers.
Blair must take a stand on the future of the Commercial Court, which Brindle believed should be paid for by government, as well as the shake-up of the silks system.