//Welcome to BACFI

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BACFI represents the interests of employed and non practising barristers providing legal services in commerce, finance and industry - the CFI Bar. It also welcomes student members and members of the Inns of Court who are interested in a career outside Chambers.

BACFI was founded in 1965 and merged in 2004 with the Employed and non practising Barristers' Association (ENPBA). BACFI provides representation, education and support to barristers working in a commercial environment and works to promote "one Bar", to ensure that the status and interests of our members are fully recognised and taken into account by the Bar Council and the Bar Standards Board (BSB).

In 2000, employed barristers were granted equal practising rights with the self employed and gained 14 elected seats on the Bar Council. BACFI is a recognised Specialist Bar Association and though it remains independent of Bar Council, members sit on the Council and many of its Committees. BACFI is also represented on the BSB and some of its committees and through its Professional Standards Committee contributes on members' behalf to both BSB and Bar Council consultations. If you are interested in contributing  to BACFI's work or in standing for election to the Bar Council or appointment to the BSB, please contact us.

BACFI also focuses on professional development and career opportunities for its members and hosts a variety of CPD seminars and social networking events throughout the year. Our flagship Denning Lecture and Christmas party is the highlight of our social year.

Membership is open to all barristers and student members of the Inns of Court. To join BACFI, click HERE.

BACFI aims to provide equality of opportunity for anyone who comes into contact with the organisation and to ensure that no-one is discriminated against. BACFI is committed to developing an organisation in which all service users, workers and visitors enjoy equal rights. 

Next Event

Monday 11th December - Russian Sanctions - prohibition on the 'Provision of Legal Services' and what it means for practising lawyers, particularly in commerce, finance and industry
Time: 5.30pm
Location: Remotely via MS Teams
Cost: Attendance is free for BACFI members, £20 others

Speakers: Andrew Hood (Partner specializing in Trade, Regulatory, Public Affairs and Public International Law in Fieldfisher's London office); Gareth Underhill (Consultant (barrister) for Financial Crime, Sanctions and Embargoes, Societe Generale); and Sinead Goss (General Counsel for AML, Anti-Bribery and Sanctions Legal across the UK, Europe and Middle East and Africa at Citi)

Chaired by Alexandria Carr (Head of Financial Services Regulation, Societe Generale)

• The prohibition prevents a person from directly or indirectly providing “legal advisory services” to any non-UK person in relation to, or in connection with, any activity which would be prohibited by the UK Russia Regulations if done by a UK person or carried out within the UK.
• The drafting has caused considerable uncertainty and raised practical difficulties.  This webinar will explain the issue and give attendees the opportunity to discuss the practical consequences of the unexpectedly wide-ranging prohibition.

 Register HERE for this event.

Latest News

BSB Regulatory Update - Review November's Regulatory Update from the Bar Standards Board HERE.

2022 Denning Lecture - We were delighted to be back at The Athenaeum after a three year break! Sara Lawson KC, General Counsel at the SFO, spoke on “The Future for a Changing Bar” where she discussed the growing fluidity between the employed and self-employed Bar, the public and private sector and new opportunities. She touched upon issues which continue to be championed by BACFI such as pupillages, KC appointments and judicial appointments.

BACFI Business Plan 2023 - BACFI’s current business plan can be found HERE.

Judicial Careers Portal - The Judicial Careers site brings together information and resources for people who are considering a position in the judiciary. This portal supports the work of the Judicial Diversity Committee and the Judicial Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. There are shadowing and mentoring opportunities for candidates from diverse backgrounds along with details on how to become a magistrate. To help bring roles to life, there is a section on day in the life of different types of judges. There is a vacancies page where candidates can search for various judicial positions, from District Judge to Circuit Judge and other positions in the senior judiciary. Vacancies will be published as and when roles are available. Please visit the site to find your next judicial role along with useful links from the Law Society, the Bar Council, Cilex and Judicial Appointments Commission.

New 4.6 edition of The BSB Handbook (updated 31 December 2020) now available HERE.

Masters of the Bench Candidacy - BACFI, with the help of the Inns, has put together an article on the processes and procedures of becoming a Bencher. All of the Inns are keen to attract more Benchers who are employed barristers so please read the article HERE and consider putting yourself forward. Please contact Sandra if you require any further details. 

Corporate membership of BACFI - BACFI offers corporate membership to firms employing barristers. For 2023/24 this will cost £300 and will enable your legal department to send 10 barristers or solicitors to BACFI seminars during the year. Further details can be found HERE. Our current corporate members are:

The Legal Directorate of the Bank of England
Fieldfisher

Assuring the Competence of Barristers - The Bar Standards Board have developed a regulatory framework that supports the profession to take greater responsibility for its own professional competence and, therefore, to limit regulatory intervention to where it is most needed. There are three main ways in which the regulatory framework assures the competence of barristers: By considering the effectiveness of the regulatory controls that the BSB has put in place to assure competence; By considering the effectiveness of the work by other organisations to assure competence; By encouraging referrals of reports on individual performance, so that we can work with individuals to raise standards and identify trends. Further details can be found HERE.

Read BACFI’s The A-Z of Offering a Pupillage in Commerce and Industry HERE.

New Situations & Vacancies

Payment Systems Regulator is recruiting a Junior Regulatory Lawyer to join the Compliance - Regulatory Relations Team (see additional details HERE)

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) is seeking to appoint additional independent panel members to provide the services of Chairs, Lay Panel Members, Accountant Panel Members, Legal Advisers, Disciplinary Assessors and Regulatory Assessors (see details - HERE)

Find legal jobs in the Civil Service and central government organisations - Civil Service Jobs - GOV.UK

Judicial Appointments Commission (see details of current and forthcoming vacancies - HERE)