Current vice-chair’s priorities include growing the profession and social mobility
David Bailey-Vella is to take over as the next chair of the Association of Costs Lawyers, in succession to Jack Ridgway.
Mr Ridgway will formally hand over to him at the extraordinary general meeting on 12 March, with Mr Bailey-Vella taking sole control from 1 April.
Mr Bailey-Vella has been on the ACL Council since 2021 and became joint vice-chair the following year.
He has been in costs for approaching 12 years and has worked in costs firms, solicitors’ firms and in-house – including a spell as national legal costs manager at housing charity Shelter.
He will shortly leave his role as a senior Costs Lawyer at Shakespeare Martineau to join a specialist litigation law firm as a legal director.
Mr Bailey-Vella said: “I take over an association in rude health. Jack Ridgway has done a superb job in modernising the ACL, reversing a declining membership and ensuring that Costs Lawyers have a prominent voice when it comes to the many debates about costs.
“The role of a Costs Lawyer and our value to the legal profession has changed a lot since the ACL opened its doors in 1977. The legal landscape has changed significantly since, but we have always managed to adapt and learn on the job.
“The future will bring different challenges, but we will approach these with the same motivation and willingness to grow and develop as our predecessors. In two years, we will celebrate 50 years of our association, and there is still a lot to achieve in this time.”
He said his priority as chair was to grow the profession through promoting the necessity of regulated and qualified costs professionals in the legal industry.
“The recent judgment of Costs Judge Jenny James in Kapoor v Johal highlights the importance of this, not only to hold us accountable for the work we do, but also remind others that Costs Lawyers are one of the eight regulated legal professions, of equal status with solicitors, barristers, legal executives and the rest.”
Mr Bailey-Vella has made social mobility a particular focus of his time on Council and he said this would continue with the help of ACL Training, the Costs Lawyer Standards Board and movements such as Women in Costs.
“We have also increased visibility in the profession with funding for two scholarships every year onto the Costs Lawyer Professional Qualification, providing opportunities to those who need that extra helping hand.”
The ACL has recently persuaded legal awards organisers to celebrate Costs Lawyers, and this year will sponsor the Costs Lawyer of the Year category at the Modern Law Awards. This will continue at the 2026 Modern Law Awards, amongst others.
He added: “In response to members of the association, I will re-introduce a gala dinner for the membership and ensure we celebrate 50 years of our profession’s progress and achievements in 2027.
“As we aim to grow the membership – also welcoming the first costs apprentices in the next 12 months and widening our reach to costs professionals – we look forward to achieving this together. Of course, none of this will be possible without the hard work and dedication of my fellow Council members, and the support of the membership.”
Jack Ridgway, who was recently promoted to partner at London law firm Bolt Burdon Kemp, said: “I am proud of the progress the ACL has made in my time as chair and David played a key role in that. It is reassuring to pass the reins to such safe hands, knowing that he will maintain the momentum generated over the past three years. I look forward to seeing the new heights the Association reaches under David and the Council.”