Hefin Rees KC

By DLSAA Student Reporter, 3rd year UG and 2023/24 Employability Course finisher, Jack Ashurst.

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Hefin Rees KC. The wide-ranging interview focused on his time in Durham, his career at the Bar as well as his experiences as a Recorder and arbitrator. The article concludes with Rees’ role as a Recorder and his wider role in providing greater opportunities for those interested in the law from disadvantaged backgrounds. Rees is currently a tenant at Three Verulam Buildings, one of the leading commercial sets of chambers in the UK.

Early Experiences and Durham

The Bar had always appealed to Hefin Rees KC from a young age due to the opportunity to advocate and make a genuine difference to people’s lives. Furthermore, the vocational nature of the profession, with something new to learn on every case appealed. Finally, the varied nature of the work and independence were also important to Rees. These reasons culminated in Rees deciding to study Law at University.

Durham appealed to Rees primarily for two reasons; the beauty of the city and the unique benefits of the collegiate system. Rees described the Law School as a friendly place with a personal approach to teaching. He notes that there were only around thirty to thirty-five students in his year group. Such a small group allowed Rees to develop close personal relationships with his fellow students and professors.

One particular experience which Rees recalls fondly is his role as President of the Inner Temple Association. This role involved organising various events throughout the year, including an annual dinner each November. The dinner was attended by barristers from both London and circuits across the UK. One of the attendees was Sir John Laws, a future Lord Justice of Appeal.

Having decided upon Durham as a result of the collegiate system, Rees served as JCR President for Van Mildert. Rees was the last person to complete the role at the college without taking a year out of studying. The role appealed to Rees for much the same reason as the Bar did; the opportunity it gave to represent people.

The Bar

Whilst at University, Rees was proactive in taking opportunities to learn about life at the Bar. He undertook four mini-pupillages in a variety of Circuits as well as judicial marshalling. He eventually settled on London due to the variety of opportunities there.

The Commercial Bar appealed for two main reasons; the varied nature of the work and the opportunity for travel. Indeed, around 90% of Rees’ work is now international and brings opportunities to travel to places such as the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands as well as locations in the Far East.

For those seeking pupillage in the upcoming cycle, Rees highly recommends focusing on demonstrating a genuine commitment to the Bar. He recommends undertaking a variety of mini- pupillages to get a true understanding of the different practices available at the Bar. He also recommends other experiences such as judicial marshalling and developing the necessary advocacy skills through debating and mooting. Most of all however, Rees believes it is crucial to have a great deal of determination to get through the long process.

In 2013, Rees took silk. This had a major impact on his career as he was now at the head of the litigation team. This role comes with a huge amount of pressure given the large financial nature of the disputes which Rees is dealing with. This, combined with the complex nature of the work, which can often span upwards of four or five jurisdictions, gives Rees the opportunity to lead a large team towards the goal of winning the case.

For those senior juniors looking to make the step up to silk in the next few years, Rees recommends focusing on getting as much advocacy experience in the High Court and Court of Appeal as possible. He also recommends demonstrating your commitment to the wider community at the Bar and wider community more generally.

Arbitration Work

Due to the international nature of Rees’ work, he has developed an extensive arbitration practice. He also regularly sits as an arbitrator. Rees describes arbitration as being an interesting learning opportunity due to the fact that it often involves applying foreign law. This brings the unique challenge of applying law which has developed based on different public policy principles to the law of England and Wales. Rees also particularly enjoys the opportunity the work brings to meet new people and work within different cultures. The ability to learn from a range of cultures has been extremely useful for Rees to develop his own approach to cases and clients.

Wider Contributions to the Bar and Communities

Rees has sat as both a civil and criminal recorder for ten years. This has given him the opportunity to see advocacy from the other side of the bench. From this experience, Rees recommends being as structured and conscience as possible when making submissions before a judge. Rees also particularly enjoyed sitting as a criminal judge in the Crown Courts due to the great civil duty it brings to guide the jury through the intense process of a criminal trial.

Rees was also responsible for founding the Association of London Welsh Lawyers in 2011. This Association grew out of the growing development of Welsh Law under the devolved powers given to the Senedd in 2006. The Association has wide-ranging activities including contributing to Consultation Papers and hosting an annual lecture delivered by distinguished speakers focusing on Welsh Law. Due to the prominence of the society, and its distinguished members, the Association founded the Lord Edmund Davies Legal Education Trust which gives disadvantaged young people from Wales the opportunity to learn about the Bar in London through a week of activities across Chambers, the Inns of Court and the Royal Courts of Justice every July.

At Durham, Rees has generously established a scholarship to help those from underrepresented groups to have a practical connection to the Law. The fund is designed to help recipients be able to attend functions with the Bar or solicitor’s firms. More information on this scholarship can be found here.

Acknowledgements

I would like to conclude by extending my thanks to Hefin Rees KC for an engaging and insightful interview.

I would also like to extend my gratitude to Professor Phillip Bennett, the Law School’s first Professor in Practice, and David Patient, Chair of the DLSAA Executive Committee, for giving me this opportunity.