Leading commercial and public law set Blackstone Chambers has bolstered its EU law capabilities by hiring a senior lawyer from the European Commission's (EC's) legal services department.
Nicholas Khan, who joins the chambers next week, has spent the last 10 years working for the EC and regularly represented it before the European Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance.
Among the high profile cases Khan has appeared in are the UK's challenge to the working time directive (Marshall v Southampton) and British Airways' challenge to the Commission's authorisation of state aid to Air France.
Khan was unavailable for comment, but his move is understood to have been fuelled by concerns that the more senior he becomes at the Commission the less advocacy he will do.
Blackstone Chambers is primarily known for its pure commercial and public law work, rather than as an EC specialist chambers.
But joint head of chambers, Presiley Baxendale QC said that
Khan's insight into the Commission's workings will prove invaluable "to those grappling with the many domestic legal issues which are now heavily-based on the EC model".
Co-head of chambers, Charles Flint QC said: "European Union law is an area that is important across our practice.
"Our public, employment and commercial lawyers are all dealing with issues that have an EU element."