Balkar Bains - General Counsel

Balkar is Ashtons General Counsel.

His role includes overseeing risk management and compliance at the firm. He also provides support to the firm’s management as a whole and to colleagues who are responsible for day-to-day operations, client management, information management, business systems and innovation, and HR.

Balkar was in private practice for 26 years, having worked for one firm where he trained and qualified, becoming Managing Partner (and latterly Managing Director) in 2010. He trained as a Medical Negligence lawyer and was the firm’s COLP and MLRO. He was responsible for managing projects to achieve ABS status and Lexcel accreditation, as well as overseeing a couple of acquisitions along the way.

In 2020, Balkar stepped away from private practice and joined Teal Compliance Limited, initially as an Associate and latterly becoming Head of Partner Services, where he was part of a team providing risk and compliance consultancy services to a broad range of law firms.

Outside of work, Balkar plays 7-a-side football, enjoys reading, Nordic-noire and foreign language crime drama, fair-weather skiing, and more generally doing nothing!