High Court judge returns to Maitland

Blackburne joined the Chancery Bench in 1993 from 13 Old Square, which later evolved into Maitland.

He was involved in one of the highest-profile cases of 2005 when he was selected to preside over a copyright dispute between Simon Cowell of The X Factor fame and Simon Fuller, creator of the Pop Idol series. That matter settled out of court.

The judge retired in 2009 and will now become an arbitrator at Maitland.

Senior clerk John Wiggs said: “As well as the ­commercial expertise that Sir William has gained at the bar and on the bench over the years, he also has expertise in areas such as company actions, trusts, partnership and real estate.”