Committee Biographies

Felicity McMahon
Committee Chair 2023
Felicity McMahon was called to the Bar by Middle Temple in 2008 and since 2012 has been a tenant at 5RB specialising in defamation, privacy, data protection, reporting restrictions and related areas of law.
Felicity is also a member of the Membership Committee, and has been involved in organising Middle Temple’s Survive & Thrive Programme. Having benefitted from a Middle Temple scholarship, she is pleased to be able to contribute to the Inn and work for the membership.
Felicity can be found on Twitter

Andrew Dakoutros
Committee Vice Chair 2023
I’m BAME, gay, dyslexic, have ADHD and hail from a working class background. I am an employed immigration barrister at GLD and joined Middle Temple well after I was Called. Yet I have never felt as accepted anywhere as much as at Middle Temple. The staff and members treat me like family, welcoming me into an inclusive environment that cherishes diversity and uniquity.

James Keeley
Committee Vice Chair 2023
I have done the following for the Inn:
Ran three London marathons raising money for scholarships.
Ran 5km a day at the start of lockdown to help younger members of the Bar who were in financial difficulties. I raised over £1,000.
Participated in scholarship interviews.
Devoted a lot of time to teaching advocacy to pupils, new practitioners, at Cumberland Lodge on the vulnerable witness course.
Given many mock pupillage interviews.
Brought many young people to Open Days.
I was brought up on benefits and was homeless for a short time. My background was rich because of incredible diversity I experienced in inner city Birmingham.

Kate Balmer
Kate specialises in Employment, Discrimination and Tax at Devereux Chambers (2009 call). As the grateful recipient of a Middle Temple scholarship, she has remained actively involved in the Inn, including performing in Revels; doing mock interviews; delivering Qualifying Sessions/training on Equality, Diversity and Ethics and assisting in a response to a BSB Consultation paper. Kate is passionate about the Inn’s values and as a member of the Hall Committee aims to develop even better student training, improve the engagement of senior members at more Inn events and encourage initiatives to

Christopher Bates
Called to the Bar in 2015, Chris commences pupillage in 2018 at Lamb Building. Having benefited from a Middle Temple Scholarship, Chris is keen to help empower people from underrepresented backgrounds to succeed at the Bar. In his spare time, Chris volunteers with the Temple Music Foundation as well as indulging in his favourite hobby, cooking.

Giles Bedloe
Giles was called to the Bar in 2001 and specialises in white collar crime, regulatory and related commercial law. He is an enthusiastic participant in the Inn’s social life as a committed Reveller and avid Burns-Nighter. He and his wife married at the Inn in 2007.

Elizabeth Bowden
Elizabeth was called to the bar in 2001. She started her practice in London and at the criminal bar, but after parental leave, she moved her practice to civil and family at College Chambers in Southampton on the Western Circuit. Elizabeth produced Revels from 2000-2004 and ran the mooting competition when she was a Bar School. Elizabeth is committed to finding ways of connecting circuiteers with Middle Temple.

Vincent Coughlin
A Londoner and law graduate of Queen Mary (UL), I’ve been a criminal barrister since 1980, taking silk in 2003. I was a founding member of Furnival Chambers where I developed a busy practice over 25 years, moving on in 2010, latterly to 7 Bedford Row before being appointed Chief Criminal Counsel at the Financial Conduct Authority in 2017. I have held door tenancies in Cardiff and Nottingham. I live in Suffolk, I enjoy walking my lurcher, playing classical and jazz guitar, horse-racing, sailing solo on the East Coast but most of all the company of my irreverent family.

Mark Fraser
Mark was called to the Bar in 2000 and practice in crime. He received the Harmsworth Scholarship, and it made a huge difference to him both in terms of finances and confidence. He comes from a non-professional, working class background.
The Inn has made a difference to the lives of many and can help many more - but too many do not see the Inn as relevant to their lives professionally, or at all. This is not just a shame, but a waste. Much also remains to be done to increase diversity and inclusivity at the Bar.

Michael Harwood
Michael is an elected member of Hall, and former President of the Middle Temple Young Barristers' Association (MTYBA) (2018, 2019). Michael is currently a lawyer at HM Treasury, and has served in several roles as a legal adviser in government. He is the Co-Chair of the Inn’s Employed Bar Working Group, an elected member of the Bar Council and the Young Barristers’ Committee. Michael is committed to representing the interests of all the Inn's junior members, with a particular focus on promoting positive mental health and wellbeing.

Rebecca Hawkes-Reynolds
Rebecca Hawkes-Reynolds was called in 2016 and was very fortunate to have been awarded the Lord Diplock Scholarship for her BPTC and is excited to be able to give back through being on Hall Committee. As a wheelchair user she would like to increase awareness of disabilities at the Bar but also encourage those with disabilities to consider such a career.

Caroline Horton
Caroline was called to the Bar in 1993 and practises as a tenant in family law at Fenners Chambers, Cambridge specialising in financial relief and private law children cases. As an experienced member of the Bar Caroline takes a keen interest in supporting junior members and those seeking to enter the profession. Caroline joined the Hall Committee to help in keeping the Inn relevant, engaged and working at its best for all its members.
Aya Imzilen
Aya Imzilen is the current President of the Middle Temple Students’ Association. Following completion of her LLB, she is now currently studying her Bar Course at The City Law School. Alongside her studies, Aya is a volunteer for the National Justice Museum where she attends the Rolls Building to teach and host students from underprivileged backgrounds. She also assists at the Medico-Legal society.

Thomas Mallon
Thomas Mallon is a barrister at Henderson Chambers. He was called in 2019 and specialises in commercial and property law. Having received significant assistance from the Inn, he joined Hall Committee in order to contribute in his turn. He is particularly keen on improving the experience of student members and on expanding the Inn’s talent retention efforts. He won the Middle Temple Rosamund Smith Moot in 2018 and is also a member of the Revels troupe.

Eleena Misra
Eleena Misra is a tenant at Old Square Chambers specialising in Employment, Disciplinary & Regulatory and Public Law. She was called in 2001 and has been involved with her Inn for many years, most recently as an Advocacy Trainer and supporting qualifying sessions online. She is Vice Chair of the Law Reform Committee of the Bar Council and a mentor to a number of women barristers (including maternity returners) over the years. Eleena is passionate about equality and diversity, especially the retention of women at the Bar.

Michael Polak
Michael is the current President of the Middle Temple Young Barristers' Association (MTYBA).

Shanzé Shah
Shanzé is currently a pupil barrister at the GLD. She is a recipient of the Queen Mother Scholarship from Middle Temple as well as the Harold G Fox Scholarship and Anglo-Israel Scholarship. She is also a coach for the Bridging the Bar academy and extremely passionate about making the Bar a profession welcoming to all. Outside of law, she loves travelling and has lived and worked in several countries. She has a food blog and likes writing about food in her spare time.

Darren Snow
Darren is a member of Libertas Chambers, specialising in criminal, regulatory and professional disciplinary work. He was called in 2000. He completed pupillage at 4 Kings Bench Walk and was a member of Charter Chambers until it dissolved in 2020. He attended his local state school and was the first in his family to gain a degree. Like many he’s often felt like an outsider in this profession but he’s benefitted from positive changes and growing diversity during his time at the Bar. He sits as a chair on various tribunals including two terms sitting on the Bar’s disciplinary tribunal.

Lauren Suding
I am a tenant at Field Court Chambers and was called by Middle Temple in 2015, having joined in 2012. I have been honoured to serve on the committees for Hall, MTYBA, and MTSA for a combined nine years and on the Finance and Resources Committee for over five years. As a grateful recipient of a Middle Temple scholarship, I am now committed to keeping the Inn financially flexible and maintaining its relevance to all members.

Lady Gifty Tetteh
Lady Gifty Tetteh is a barrister and the Head of Chambers at Chambers of GD Tetteh-UK, she is a member of the Honorable Society of the Middle Temple and the first black woman to set up her Chambers in the Middle Temple. She is also a Solicitor and Barrister of the Supreme Court of Ghana, and the CEO of Rehoboth Chambers’ (Tetteh and Tetteh Advocates)-Ghana.
She holds a law degree LLB (Hons) from the London Guildhall University, a postgraduate certificate from the University of West of England –UWE and a Master of Laws Degree in Oil and Gas (LLM) from the Robert Gordon University – Aberdeen. She is (among other areas of law) a criminal and a commercial law barrister. She has handled cases of rape, murder and attempted murder. Lady Tetteh is a listed Counsel/Advocate at the International Criminal Court – The Hague. She regularly participates and speaks at workshops across the UK on trafficking & safeguarding children. She is a registered pupillage supervisor in England and Wales. She is a girl child mentor with the Menfyd foundation and others. She is the advisor for the Diaspora Africa Forum, a board member and the UK Chairperson of the Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa Foundation.
She is a trustee and a Board member both in the UK and Africa. She is the founder and President of the Africa Women in Energy-AWIE and the Africa Women in Farming. She serves as a Patron of the Kyabobo Girls School (Ghana Education Project).