Chambers has, throughout its history, seen a proportion of its senior members appointed to the Bench. In its earlier days, two members joined the Senior Circuit Bench as “Official Referees” (now Judges of the TCC). More contemporary appointments to the Bench began with the appointment of Patrick Garland QC to the High Court in 1985. He was followed in 1991 and 1993 by Anthony May QC and Lord Justice Dyson, both of whom were former pupils of Patrick Garland. The most recent appointments have been Vivian Ramsey QC to the High Court Bench in 2005 and Peter Coulson QC to the Technology and Construction Court in 2004, followed by his elevation to the High Court Bench in 2008.
Donald Keating QC did not become a full time Judge but sat as a Recorder, frequently in the TCC, from 1971 onwards. He also sat regularly as an arbitrator in both domestic and international cases and can be said to have founded Chambers’ now extensive international practice. There follows a short account of Donald Keating’s life and practice and of the professional career of other former members of chambers now on the Bench.