New chair of the Bar Standards Board announced

Sir Andrew Burns KCMG is set to succeed Baroness Ruth Deech QC as the chair of the Bar Standards Board (BSB).

On his appointment, Burns said he was excited to lead the BSB to becoming a more modern and efficient regulator. "I am committed to working with the Bar to help it modernise and flourish in the face of change, while maintaining quality standards and safeguarding the client."

Reflecting on her time at the regulator, Burns' predecessor said: "These past six years as chair of the BSB have been exciting, challenging, and rewarding. There has never been a dull moment throughout my tenure, and I shall look back on this period with great pride."

Deech said she looked forward to working with Sir Andrew over the upcoming months to ensure a smooth transition. Deech has served the maximum possible six year term of office as chair will finish at the end of 2014.

Burns is also the current UK envoy for post-holocaust issues and chair of the international holocaust remembrance alliance. He is due to serve for an initial term at the BSB of three years with effect from 1 January 2015.

The new chair praised the "highly talented and dedicated board" whom he was looking forward to working with.

Both the Legal Standards Board (LSB) and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) anticipate a positive working relationship with the new chair. "I am pleased to hear of Sir Andrew's appointment and look forward to working with him," said Sir Michael Pitt, LSB chairman.

"The BSB is preparing for important changes to its regulatory regime - most notably its recent application to the LSB to allow it to regulate entities - and strong leadership will be vital. Sir Andrew's experience in a number of challenging environments means he is well-equipped for the task," he added.

The SRA said that they and the BSB shared similar challenges in terms of responding to a changing legal services market.

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