NLJ PROFILE: Sheikh Bilal Khan, McCarthy Denning

What was your route into the profession?

My route into the legal profession has been one of hard work and respect for the law. Taking the traditional academic route, I studied law at the University of Leeds.  

With a Masters in Islamic Banking and Finance, the Corporate LPC and the Masters in Business Administration, my love of studying has never left me—I went on to teach Year One and Two students on the LLB course at Leeds Metropolitan University for two years.

I joined Linklaters as a trainee, and while at the firm, I was appointed as a special adviser to the Lord Mayor of the City of London. I have served on numerous high-profile boards including being vice chairman of the Mosaic International Leadership Programme of the UK Prince’s Trust and as senior adviser to various chairs of all-party parliamentary groups.

I am delighted to have been appointed as partner and global head of Islamic finance at leading next-generation law firm McCarthy Denning, and I am also chief Islamic finance officer at the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). I am also a panel member of arbitrators at the AIFC International Arbitration Centre along with nine other British senior judges and Queen’s Counsel barristers.

What has been your biggest career challenge so far?

There are two major hurdles that I have had to overcome in my career.

The first is the challenge living everyday visibly as a Muslim man. I have had to become accustomed to being treated with suspicion by some and have to work twice as hard to expel pre-conceived ideas people might have about me.

The second challenge is the tragedy of my father’s death. He was a major figure in my life—both of my parents were—and I owe them so very much. Losing him when I did, just as I reached the prime of my career, was particularly painful because it meant he didn’t get to see all of his hopes and work pay off.

Both of these challenges can teach you a lot. From my father’s passing in particular, I learnt the importance of treasuring family and defining success on my own terms.

Which person within the legal profession inspires you most?

A personal hero is Sir Muhammad Iqbal, widely known as Allama Iqbal: a poet, philosopher and politician, as well as an academic, barrister and scholar in British India, who is widely regarded as having inspired the Pakistan Movement and is called the ‘Spiritual Father of Pakistan’. He is considered one of the most important figures in Urdu literature, with literary work in both Urdu and Persian. In the 1922 New Year’s Honours he was made a Knight Bachelor by King George V. He went to Trinity College, Cambridge and was a member of Middle Temple. I am in awe of his work and contributions so much so that I have memorised literally hundreds of his poems and would consider him as one of the most influential persons in my life and career.

If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you choose as an alternate career?

Stemming from my admiration of Sir Iqbal as a poet, philosopher, historian and lawyer, I have a great passion for poetry, philosophy, world history and international relations. I would probably have a career in international relations and academia.

Who is your favourite fictional lawyer?

I am a fan of John Grisham’s novels and I enjoy so many of his lawyer characters, so it would be difficult for me to put one above the rest. Therefore, I would have to say any of his characters.

What change would you make to the profession?

The cost of education and training can be prohibitive for people from less privileged backgrounds to come into the legal sector. Too many students are sold the dream of a legal job waiting for them as soon as they finish their studies, which is not possible given the sheer number of graduates coming out of universities these days.

Providing greater access for gifted students based on merit rather than privilege continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing those entering the legal profession. Enabling more funding support for these people from within the sector as a priority, to bring about more diversification would create a wealth of opportunity and hope for the future of the legal profession.

How do you relax?

I have a small family with my lovely wife Rabia and my gorgeous baby daughter Aishah who are my universe. I love spending time with them: enjoying their company and my wife’s amazing cooking. I cherish unwinding with my two-year-old daughter, who never ceases to amaze me with odd words from English, Urdu, Punjabi, Arabic and the occasional gibberish. I also enjoy catching up with my mum, my younger brother and my sister, as family means everything to me.

I have a passion for poetry—something that has led me to memorise the works of Sir Iqbal, the most celebrated poet of Pakistan and the wider sub-continent. That passion goes back to my childhood when, every evening, as soon as we got home from school, we would sit together and my father would test us on poetry—turning it into a game where whatever letter he ended a poem on, we had to reply with a poem starting with that letter. I am also a keen Manchester United fan, so going to the games is a great way for me to relax and unwind too.

Sheikh Bilal Khan joined McCarthy Denning in February 2019 as partner and global head of Islamic finance.