Ex-Richards Butler chief joins 3-4 South Square

A former head of Richards Butler's finance and banking department has joined Michael Crystal QC's specialist insolvency chambers 3-4 South Square.
Colin Bamford will specialise in advising on capital markets, financial transactions and regulatory matters, at a time when 3-4 South Square is developing its international advisory work in these areas.
The Bar Council has provided an exemption allowing Bamford to do only three months of the usual 12 months required for pupillage. He will then become a full-time tenant at the set.
From 1993 to March 2002, Bamford was chief executive of the Financial Law Panel, an independent body that provided guidance on legal matters affecting financial markets. In March the body ceased operations after a drop in private funding.
Before joining the Financial Law Panel Bamford spent five years leading the finance and banking team at Richards Butler.
Bamford said: "The obvious thing to do was to go to a law firm after my experience at Richards Butler, but law firms are geared up to doing transactional work, so partners have to drive transactions at the head of a large team. I did not want to do that anymore as my expertise has become very specialised and technical."