Dr Mirza Ahmad > Chambers of Sara Lewis KC > Birmingham, England > Barrister Profile

Dr Mirza Ahmad

0121 246 7000 mahmad@st-philips.com View profile

Position

Called to the Bar in 1984, Mirza is nationally recognised as an expert in local authority and employment law, with a strong record of transformational leadership in local governance, extending over 26 years. From 2000 – 2011, he was the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Director of Governance of Birmingham City Council, with leadership of over 800+ staff. Mirza remains the only barrister in St Philips Chambers (London, Birmingham & Leeds), since October 2013, to be ranked in Chambers & Partners Directory for expertise in Public & Administrative Law. Since joining chambers in November 2011, he has built up a highly successful, privately funded, practice focused on: judicial reviews (for and against local authorities and other public bodies); compulsory purchase/planning matters, including land/property disputes; employment (including discrimination, equal pay, dismissal, redundancy and TUPE cases); commercial, partnership, contractual and procurement matters (including State Aid); and clinical and professional negligence and personal injury cases, with effective advocacy in the Rolls Building, Royal Courts of Justice, High/County Courts and Employment Tribunals. In addition, he has dealt with a number of appeals and delivered successful outcomes for a number of members of the public under the Bar’s Public Access rules, including pro bono work (from time to time). For more information on his current areas of practice, along with positive feedback from major clients, please view his profile on www.st-philips.com.

Career

Called 1984, Gray’s Inn. Publications of note: As general editor of two legal publications ‘Knight’s Guide to Best Value & Public Procurement’ (2007 to 2014) and ‘Local Authority Employment – Law & Practice’ (since 2005), Mirza continues to further best practice in local governance.

Languages

In addition to English, he can communicate in Urdu and Punjabi.

Memberships

President of the Association of Council Secretaries & Solicitors (2009/2010); chairman of the Bar Association for Local Govemment and the Public Services (since 1998); member of Birmingham Law Society; Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; the Institute of Asian Businesses.

Education

University of Keele (1983 degree in Law and Politics); Inns of Court School of Law (1984); Manchester Metropolitan University (1992 MBA); University of Leicester (1998 LLM); Manchester Metropolitan University (2008 Honorary Doctorate, LLD).

Leisure

Squash, cycling, motorcycling.