Compliance

Click here to find out more about the services we offer, who we can accept instructions from, our fees, timescales and the Bar Standards Board’s register of barristers.

From 31 January 2013, the Bar’s Standard Non-Contractual Terms (Annexe G1 to the Bar’s Code of Conduct) were no longer deemed to be the applicable terms on which instructions are accepted. Instructions that were accepted prior to 31 January 2013 will continue to be governed by the Standard Non-Contractual Terms upon which they were accepted.

The professional bodies of the Commercial Bar and city law firms, COMBAR and The City Of London Law Society (CLLS), have negotiated and agreed a set of specimen terms and conditions which seek to balance the interests of barristers and solicitors. These terms are known as the ‘General Terms and Conditions for the Supply of Legal Services by Barristers to Solicitors in Commercial Matters’, are now in their fourth version (“the Terms”). A full copy of the terms is available here.

New instructions to members of Fountain Court Chambers, unless otherwise agreed, will be accepted and any work undertaken by members will be pursuant to the Terms and subject to Basis A (Solicitor Liability) under clause 9 of the Terms. Limitation of general liability is set at £75 million save where a different limit is expressly agreed.

A modified version of the Terms will, unless otherwise agreed, apply for members based in our Singapore office. Further information relating to this can be found here.

In accordance with our professional obligations, members of Fountain Court Chambers will, on request, also be prepared to accept instructions in accordance with the Standard Contractual Terms for the Supply of Legal Services by Barristers to Authorised Persons 2026, prepared by the Bar Council, referred to at Rule rC30.9c of the BSB Handbook and available online.

If you have an enquiry in relation to the terms on which members of Fountain Court Chambers will accept instructions, please contact the clerks on +44 (0)20 7583 3335.

Fountain Court Chambers has a policy on information barriers to ensure that the confidentiality requirements of the Bar Code of Conduct are met and that confidentiality is maintained by barristers, clerks and other members of staff.

1. General

1.1. Clerking

When a barrister is instructed on a new case, a clerk or clerk team are allocated (which will normally be the barrister’s usual clerk/clerk team, subject to paragraph 2.1. below) and the barrister’s instructing solicitors are informed as to who their point of contact within the clerking team is.

Clerks/clerk teams have access to private rooms if they have to make telephone calls that are confidential. Clerks/clerk teams will maintain the confidentiality of all confidential information about a case.

1.2. Distribution of papers

We ensure that care is taken so that papers are kept confidential to the barrister working on the case; papers/ faxes are promptly delivered to the barrister in question and placed in his/her room: please note it is not acceptable for the clerks to leave papers in barristers’ pigeon holes unless the papers are in a pack or sealed.

It is also the duty of any barrister not to leave sensitive documents in a position where they might be viewed by another person. Members each:

• Have individual email addresses and direct lines so that they can be reached at any time on a confidential basis,
• Have the ability to print documents to Chambers’ printers using a pin operated mailbox system and
• Often have their own printers in their rooms which should be used for confidential printing particularly for smaller scale printing.
• Have the ability to arrange for documents (e.g. working drafts) to be shredded prior to secure disposal.

The clerks operate a regular sweep of Chambers’ printers, whereby any papers left on a printer are removed unread and placed in the barrister’s room or destroyed. Note that is a fail-safe system, and no papers should be found on any sweep. The primary sources of protection are set out above. All printing must use secure methods which do not involve confidential documents being at risk of being read by third parties.

1.3. Diaries

We maintain an electronic diary system which is in common use across the Bar.

Each member only has access to his/her own individual diary.

Where papers are sent to a barrister but the barrister is not able to accept the instructions (for example because they are conflicted, unavailable etc) then the barrister will not be shown on the diary system as an active barrister on the case and the barrister will not be able to access any confidential information about the case.

Access to barristers’ diaries by members of staff is limited to appropriate personnel only.

Chambers do not print a daily diary page.

1.4. Returning papers

Right up to the conclusion of a case Fountain Court take care to ensure that confidentiality is not breached by things not being securely disposed of; we will always contact the instructing solicitor in advance and offer either a secure shredding service (suitable where the documents are not required to be held by the solicitor under the Solicitor’s professional duties) or return the papers to the instructing solicitor.

2. Specific provisions applicable when Fountain Court’s barristers are instructed on opposite sides in the same case, or act as arbitrators in cases where members of our chambers are involved as counsel for one or other of the parties

Fountain Court’s barristers often find themselves instructed on opposite sides in the same case, or a member may act as an arbitrator in a case where members of our chambers are involved as counsel for one or other of the parties. We maintain a strict policy in relation to client confidentiality both at member and clerk level, and we recognise the need to be careful to protect each client’s best interests and each client’s confidential information.

2.1. Clerking

When a case comes into chambers it is identified as to whether or not it is a case where a barrister(s) in Chambers is/are already acting for another part(ies) in the case, or as arbitrator(s) in the case. Where this occurs a clerk, or clerk team are allocated to the new case (which must be a different clerk or clerk team to the clerk(s) or clerk team(s) already allocated to the barrister(s) acting for other part(ies) in the case) and all parties’ instructing solicitors are informed as to who their point of contact within the clerking team is. We operate an information barrier between each clerking team.

Please be aware in some instances a party will not want the opposing party to know that they have instructed counsel and/or that they have instructed counsel in Chambers. The clerking team and the barrister(s) in question will preserve any such wish for confidentiality. We have a list of cases where there are members of chambers acting for one or more different parties which is held confidentially so that Reception / other clerks and staff know where to direct calls and who to pass papers to so that our service to the client is carried out to the highest standard possible, and protecting confidentiality. Please note, as stated above, clerks also have access to private rooms if they have to make telephone calls that are confidential.

Should a member of the clerking team be away from Chambers ‘out of office’ email and voicemail accounts inform the sender or leaver of a message of that fact. Clerks do not have access to the email or voicemail accounts of other clerks.

In arbitration cases members of chambers will inform those appointing them if they are aware that another member of chambers has already been appointed as an arbitrator or is already acting for a party in the case. The same applies in cases where an Arbitrator is being appointed after Counsel has already been instructed.

2.2. Diaries

We encourage solicitors where there are particular sensitivities to give a case a project name, so that in the barrister’s diary the project name is all that will appear.

2.3. Discussions amongst members of Chambers

Barristers on opposing sides of the case will not discuss the matter, unless on a formal basis in accordance with their duties under their instructions. When communicating with their clerk or another member of Chambers precautions are taken to ensure that discretion is used and the conversation takes place outside of a common place and in private so that the contents of the discussion remain confidential.

Our Clerking teams are happy to discuss your requirements in confidence, and will promptly and efficiently deal with any enquiries you may have. Please contact Alex Taylor, Senior Clerk on +44 (0)20 7842 3706, email alex@fountaincourt.co.uk.

How to make a complaint

A copy of our complaints procedure can be found here.

Further information on the application of this policy to members based in our Singapore office can be found here.

1. PURPOSE

1.1 This notice explains how Fountain Court Chambers, each of the tenants, door tenants and pupil barristers who practice from these chambers (“Barrister”) and our Singapore office collect, store, use, disclose and safeguard personal data. It further explains how you can access or change the personal data that we hold about you.

1.2 Fountain Court Chambers operates through various different entities, as explained below. This notice is provided on behalf of the following:

• each Barrister;
• Fountain Court Chambers, an unincorporated association operating through the Head of Chambers from time to time (“FCC“);
• FCC Operations Limited (which mainly provides services to the Barristers) is an English registered company (number 1005227), whose registered office is at First Floor, Medway House, 18-22 Cantelupe Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 3BJ (“FCCO“);
• FC Operations Limited (which acts as a management company for the purpose of employing staff of Chambers) is an English registered company (number 8809235), whose registered office is at First Floor, Medway House, 18-22 Cantelupe Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 3BJ (“FCO“);
• FC Operations (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. (which acts as a management company for the purposes of providing services to our Singapore office) is a Singaporean registered company (number 201425661K), whose address is at 77 Robinson Road, #16-00, Robinson 77, Singapore, 068896 (“FC Singapore“);
• Andrew Pullen Law Practice Private Limited (which is a company through which Andrew Pullen practises in Singapore), is a Singaporean registered company (number 201716210G), whose address is at 10 Collyer Quay, #40-36, Ocean Financial Centre, Singapore 049315 (“APLP“). For the purposes of this notice, APLP is included within the term “Barrister” insofar as it relates to Andrew Pullen;
• HaersolteHof Beheer B.V. (which is a company through which Jacomijn van Haersolte-van Hof practises) is a Dutch registered company (number 27349173), whose address is at Delistraat 27, 2585 VX The Hague, The Netherlands (“HB“). For the purposes of this notice, HB is included within the term “Barrister” insofar as it relates to Jacomijn van Haersolte-van Hof.

1.3 As is apparent, the controller of your personal data might be an individual Barrister, an English company, or if you deal with our Singapore office, a Singapore company or companies, or if you deal with Jacomijn van Haersolte-van Hof, a Dutch company.

1.4 This notice is governed by applicable data protection laws and regulations, including the Data Protection Act 2018 (“DPA”) and the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (“UK GDPR”).

1.5 We will review this notice periodically, with any updated notice posted to the Fountain Court website. This notice is effective from 25 May 2018 and was last updated on 5th December 2025.

2. DEFINITIONS USED IN THIS NOTICE

2.1 These words and terms are defined in the UKGDPR and in the DPA, and are briefly explained here:

• “personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable living person.
• “special category personal data” means personal data relating to a person’s racial or ethnic origins, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs or trade union membership, or a person’s genetic data, biometric data used to identify the person, health data or data concerning a person’s sex life or sexual orientation.
• “controller” is the person or entity which determines the purpose and means of the processing of personal data.

2.2 We use the term “Chambers” to mean any of the controllers identified above.

3. PERSONAL DATA THAT WE HOLD

3.1 If you instruct Chambers to provide legal services, we will hold the information you have given us to enable those legal services to be provided. This may include your contact details, your payment details (including any payments made) and the information contained in any instructions you, or your solicitor, provide. Personal data may also be obtained relating to clients or other parties from a range of other sources, such as other legal professionals, lay and professional clients of Barristers, witnesses and experts (and potential witnesses or experts), external service providers, prosecution and regulatory authorities, courts and tribunals and publicly available information. We may also hold your personal data if it has been given to us by our clients, or if we have obtained it from another source, in order to provide legal services to our clients.

3.2 If you apply to Chambers for a job, mini-pupillage, pupillage, tenancy, secondment, work shadowing or mentoring opportunities, we will hold the information you provided to us for the purposes of that application and any personal data collected in the course of taking references in support of an application or undertaking other checks in connection with the application.

3.3 We may ask you to provide your personal data when you request information through the Fountain Court website, or register for an event, which we may then store and use. The details we may ask for, or gather, include:

• Name
• Job title
• Contact details, e.g. business address, email and phone numbers
• Company name
• Health or dietary requirements
• Disabilities
• The nature of your interest in Chambers’ events and marketing
• Your attendance at events

3.4 The information provided may be used to contact you by email or post and in order to facilitate your access to, or involvement in, the relevant events.

3.5 For information on what is collected through cookies on our website, our cookies policy is available here.

4. WHO CONTROLS YOUR PERSONAL DATA?

If your information is being used by a Barrister in connection with the provision of legal services, your information will be controlled by that Barrister.

Otherwise, your information will be controlled by one or more of the entities described in section 1 above. We have appointed a single point of contact for data protection concerns in relation to any of them. You can find these contact details in section 12 below.

5. THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH THE BARRISTERS AND OTHER CONTROLLERS MAY USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA

5.1 Where the processing is undertaken by one of the Barristers:

• the Barrister processes personal data in order to manage his or her professional practice, in order to provide legal services to clients (including acting as arbitrator, expert determiner, early neutral evaluator or mediator) and/or for the purposes set out in section 5.4 below; and
• Barristers are controllers in respect of personal data that they are responsible for in the course of their practice and in the course of carrying out any of the activities set out in section 5.4 below.

5.2 Where Chambers allocates a particular instruction to a Barrister, FCC, FCCO and/or FCO is the controller of the data that it holds, and the Barrister then becomes a controller in respect of the personal data passed to him or her, and for the personal data the Barrister collects in the course of providing legal services.

5.3 The legal basis for such processing in the cases referred to in section 5.2 is:

• consent of the data subject where that has been given; any other processing will be on the basis of FCC, FCCO and/or FCO, and/or the Barrister, having a legitimate interest in running the Barrister’s own practice or in the provision of legal services;
• where FCC, FCCO and/or FCO, and/or a Barrister, processes special category personal data, that is done on the basis that such processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, and for the provision of legal advice or in the context of litigation.

5.4 Processing undertaken by one or more of the Barristers and/or the other controllers may also be for the purposes of:

• administering Chambers, Barristers and staff;
• recruitment and employment, including to assess applications for tenancy, door tenancy, pupillage, mini-pupillage, secondment, work-shadowing and mentoring opportunities and to respond to requests for references;
• managing instructions that have not yet been allocated to Barristers;
• managing and administering your or your organisation’s business relationship with Chambers or any of its Barristers, including processing payments, accounting, auditing, billing and collection, and to keep accounting records and carry out office administration;
• complying with our legal and regulatory obligations including, but not limited to, complying with:
  • Court orders;
  • professional obligations;
  • record keeping obligations;
  • obligations under anti-money laundering and anti-fraud laws.
• analysing and improving our services and communications to you;
• promoting and marketing our services;
• obtaining and administering professional indemnity and other insurance;
• establishing, exercising or defending legal rights;
• monitoring and assessing compliance with our policies and standards;
• responding to potential complaints or to make complaints and for use in the defence of legal proceedings or fee disputes and/or exercising a right to a lien;
• checking for potential conflicts of interest in relation to any instructions or prospective instructions;
• procuring goods and services;
• publishing legal judgments and decisions of courts and tribunals;
• protecting the security of and managing access to our premises, IT and communication systems, online platforms, websites and other systems, preventing and detecting security threats, fraud or other criminal or malicious activities;
• training barristers, pupils, mini-pupils or secondees or providing work shadowing or mentoring opportunities;
• and for any purpose related and/or ancillary to any of the above, or as otherwise required or permitted by law.

5.5 The legal basis for such processing in the cases referred to in section 5.4 is:

• the processing of data relating to staff, applicants, and workers generally is necessary for the performance of an employment or similar contract to which the controller and the person are parties. Any special category personal data is processed only for employment purposes, or for occupational health purposes;
• you may have expressly consented to Chambers processing your data;
• it may be necessary to provide the requested legal services or to otherwise perform a contract with you or to take steps prior to entering into such a contract;
• it may be necessary in order to comply with our legal obligations; or
• the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

5.6 We may also lawfully process your information for the purposes of a legitimate interest of the person controlling your data, or another person, except where such interests are overridden by your fundamental rights and freedoms which require the protection of your personal data. These legitimate interests include:

• Where a Barrister has been instructed to provide legal services, the legitimate interests include providing those legal services, running their practices (including carrying out administrative and operational processes), handling complaints, checking for potential conflicts of interest, ensuring security, marketing and business development, monitoring and assessing compliance with our policies or standards, complying with legal and regulatory obligations, for insurance purposes, training barristers, pupils, mini-pupils and secondees, providing work shadowing or mentoring opportunities and establishing, exercising or defending legal rights.
• Where you have provided information to Chambers for another purpose, including to apply for employment, tenancy, pupillage, mini-pupillage, secondment, work-shadowing or mentoring opportunities, or to register for an event, the legitimate interests include assessing your application, planning and organising any event for which you have registered, marketing and business development, ensuring security, complying with legal and regulatory obligations, for insurance purposes, monitoring and assessing compliance with our policies and standards, analysing and improving our services and communications to you and establishing, exercising or defending legal rights.
• Where someone else has provided your information to Chambers, the legitimate interests include providing legal services to our clients, ensuring security, monitoring and assessing compliance with our policies or standards, complying with legal and regulatory obligations, for insurance purposes, training barristers, pupils, mini-pupils and secondees or providing work shadowing or mentoring opportunities and establishing, exercising or defending legal rights.

6. WHO MAY ACCESS YOUR PERSONAL DATA

6.1 The personal data we obtain will be accessed by Barristers, clerks and other employees, support staff and agents of Chambers, as far as is necessary for the purposes described above. In addition, we may disclose your personal data to:

• third parties to whom you have expressly agreed we can disclose your information;
• courts, tribunals, arbitral institutions or any arbitrator, mediator or expert adjudicator;
• lay and professional clients;
• other parties or their representatives in the matter to which the Barrister’s instructions relate, or other legal professionals acting in such matter;
• witnesses or experts (and potential witnesses or experts);
• regulatory or governmental authorities such as HM Revenue & Customs, the Bar Standards Board, the Bar Council, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Information Commissioner and the Legal Ombudsman;
• providers of professional indemnity insurance;
• business associates, professional advisers, trade bodies and banks;
• external service providers;
• mini-pupils, secondees or those engaged in work shadowing or mentoring opportunities;
• current, past or prospective employers;
• education and examining bodies;
• the public in relation to the publication of judgments and decisions of courts or tribunals; and
• the extent required by law.

6.2 Except as provided in this privacy notice, we will not supply your personal data to third parties.

7. HOW LONG WE STORE YOUR PERSONAL DATA

7.1 If there is no legal requirement for us to store your personal data, we will delete it:

• in accordance with Chambers’ retention policies, which are detailed here;
• when you withdraw your consent (if our use of your information relies on your consent); or
• if you have the right to have your information deleted (see section 11 below).

7.2 Where we are legally required to store your personal data, we will store it for as long as we are required to do so. We may also retain documents which contain your personal data for the purposes of legal research where it is not practicable to remove your personal data.

8. FAILURE TO PROVIDE PERSONAL DATA

8.1 If you are a client or a prospective client of Chambers or any Barrister, your failure to provide personal data when requested may result in the Barrister being unable to provide you with the legal services you seek.

8.2 If you apply to Chambers for a job, mini-pupillage, pupillage, tenancy, secondment, work shadowing or mentoring opportunities, your failure to provide personal data when requested may result in Chambers being unable to consider or progress your application.

9. SECURITY OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA

9.1 We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. We take appropriate technical and organisational precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal data.

10. WHERE YOUR PERSONAL DATA WILL BE SENT

10.1 This notice is of general application and as such it is not possible to state whether it will be necessary to transfer personal data outside the UK in any particular case.  In some cases, we may transfer personal data to another country, for example where the Barrister’s instructions come from abroad or it is necessary to communicate with someone outside the UK in relation to those instructions.

10.2  If we need to process your data for the purposes of our Singapore office, or legal services provided from that office, we may transfer it to Singapore (or from Singapore to the UK). If we do so, it will be transferred to FC Singapore (and/or APLP if the Barrister instructed is Andrew Pullen in Singapore) on terms which provide equivalent data protections to those your data would have if it were held in the UK.

10.3 Similarly, if we need to process your data for the purposes of HB (or if the Barrister instructed is Jacomijn van Haersolte-van Hof), we may transfer your data to the Netherlands (or from the Netherlands to the UK), on terms which provide equivalent data protections to those your data would have if it were held in the UK.

11. YOUR RIGHTS

11.1 Subject to certain legal conditions, you have the right to:

• Ask for a copy of the information we hold about you;
• Have incorrect or incomplete information corrected; and
• Object to or restrict our use of your personal data.

11.2 If you have given us your consent to use your information, you also have the right to withdraw your consent at any time, although this will not affect the lawfulness of any processing activity carried out prior to the withdrawal of consent or prevent us from processing your data if we have another basis for doing so.

11.3 We may not be able to give you access to your personal data if doing so would infringe the rights or freedoms of others. In particular, we will not be able to give you access to your personal data if we hold it under an obligation of confidentiality to our client, or in circumstances where legal professional privilege applies.

11.4 All of your rights are fully set out in GDPR and the DPA, which also explain any conditions that attach to your rights, and any exemptions that might apply.

11.5 Please note that, if you request to exercise any of the rights set out above, we will first require you to provide appropriate evidence of your identity: we will usually accept a photocopy of your passport or driving licence photocard, plus a copy of a utility bill (dated within the last 3 months) showing your current address.

11.6 If you are dissatisfied with the way we respond to your request, you should first complain to the Head of Chambers, and you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner.

12. WHO YOU SHOULD CONTACT ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL DATA

12.1 Any queries about personal data held by Chambers, any of the controllers identified above, or any of its Barristers (including any requests to exercise the rights set out above), or any questions, comments or requests regarding this privacy notice, should be made to:

Data Protection Manager
Fountain Court Chambers
Fountain Court
Temple
London
EC4Y 9DH

or by email to privacy@fountaincourt.co.uk.

12.2 You have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner about the way we process your personal data. The Information Commissioner’s contact details are:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Tel: 0303 123 1113

The Information Commissioner’s website is at: www.ico.org.uk.