Rainbow view over the Keeper's Pond above Blaenavon to the "Sugar Loaf" mountain, Y Fâl. The pond, a 19th century iron industry supply pond for the Garnddyrys foundry, was dug by local men including my great-great and great-great-great grandfathers, who were father and son successive Keepers of the Llanover estate and the Blorenge grouse moor.

Home life and education

I grew up in Blaenavon, a small though historically significant mining town in (old) Monmouthshire, whose "industrial revolution landscape" was later designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site - in large part through the efforts of the group led by my cousin Neil Lewis, a long time councillor and leader of the town council. 

 

I went to a local state grammar school in Pontypool, West Mon. School, and obtained BA, MA and LLM law degrees from Jesus College, Cambridge, where I was a 1st XV and 1st VIII colour and briefly played university rugby. After studying for the Bar at the Inns of Court School of Law in London, I was called to the Bar by Lincoln's Inn as both Hardwicke Scholar and Denning Scholar, and in 1986-7 I began in practice as a barrister from chambers in Cardiff. At both University and Bar School I was fully grant-aided by the Gwent Education Authority (yes, it's that long ago!); I wouldn't have been a barrister at all but for that financial support and the emotional and intellectual support of my fantastic mother, brother and sisters.

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Career

I practised throughout England & Wales, initially as a "general common lawyer" covering all types of case, and later specialising in personal injury, industrial disease and clinical disputes, working from Cardiff at 30 and 33 Park Place Chambers and, from 2008, as a founder member of Civitas Chambers.  I had "taken silk" to become a QC in 2011 (now KC under King Charles III), when I was almost immediately appointed by the Queen as Counsel General for Wales, the Welsh Government's Law Officer. 

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I served as Counsel General for the full term of government during the "Fourth Assembly", until May 2016, when I returned to full-time private practice, then primarily from Doughty Street Chambers in London though remaining a "door tenant" (ie. an associate member) of Apex Chambers in Cardiff.  I am pleased to remain an Associate Member of Doughty Street since moving to sole practice from St David's Day 2021.

 

During my service as Counsel General, I led for Welsh Government in four cases in the UK Supreme Court, the first of the devolution constitutional cases heard there, notably leading Lord Justice Lewis and Lady Justice Laing (as they later became).  Altogether I have made submissions in the Supreme Court five times, and many times in the Court of Appeal, so that appellate work has become a significant part of my practice.

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In 2012 I was elected a Master of the Bench ("Bencher") of my Inn of Court, Lincoln's Inn, and I regularly contribute to the Inn's Education Programme, delivering speeches and lectures.  And sometimes meeting famous people...