One of the country’s leading sets of barristers’ chambers is celebrating major achievements by two of its members, both of whom are old boys of St Mary’s College in Crosby.
Liverpool Exchange Chambers barrister Paul Clark has just become Lord Mayor of the city after 12 months in the role of Deputy Lord Mayor. Mr Clark, a Liberal Democrat, has been a Liverpool City Councillor for 30 years and represents County Ward. He said: ‘I am delighted and proud to be taking up this prestigious role. It is both a challenge and an honour to be Lord Mayor at a time that coincides with the 800th anniversary of the city’s founding charter in 2007 and the Capital of Culture Year in 2008’.
Meanwhile Paul Burns, another barrister at Exchange Chambers in Liverpool, has received a commendation from the Chief Constable of Merseyside Police for his role in successfully obtaining anti-social behaviour orders against 11 prominent members of a notorious Liverpool street gang. The commendation - for commitment, professionalism, dedication and motivation’ - is the first time that a barrister’s work has been recognised in this way by Merseyside Police. Paul Burns, who is now a Governor at St. Mary’s - said: ‘I was honoured to receive this commendation which reflects the effort and commitment of all the members of our litigation team who were involved in this case.’
Exchange Chambers Director Tom Handley - yet another old boy of St Mary’s College - commented: ‘We are all absolutely delighted at what these members have achieved. Their success is a great credit to themselves and to Chambers as a whole’. St Mary’s College Principal, Jean Marsh, added: ‘It is always very gratifying to hear about the success of our former pupils and I would like to congratulate Paul Clark, Paul Burns and Tom Handley on their distinguished achievements’. Other former St Mary’s pupils include poet Roger McGough, media mogul Lord John Birt, broadcasters Laurie Taylor and Will Hanrahan, comedian Tom O’Connor, Archbishop of Birmingham Vincent Nichols and Sir Ivor Roberts, President of Trinity College Oxford and former British Ambassador to Italy. In April another old boy, Andrew Mitchell from Formby, was appointed as the new British Ambassador to Sweden at the very young age of 40.
