David Patient

When David Patient stepped down as managing partner of Travers Smith in 2021, one role quickly led to another. As he recalls, "I was tapped up by Simon Davis, a former President of The Law Society of England and Wales, and a senior partner at Clifford Chance, who had been involved in reshaping the Law Society Council and creating a new seat to represent what are known as the 'Major Corporate' firms. I was asked if I'd put my hat in the ring - and I decided to go for it. I was elected in a contested election in the autumn of 2021, and became the first representative of these members on the Council." That role also brought David onto the board of the City of London Law Society as the Law Society Council's representative. It was here that another opportunity surfaced. At a dinner, he found himself sitting next to Stephen Denyer, a former Allen & Overy partner, who David had known for many years, and who was at that time Director of Strategic Relationships at The Law Society. When David mentioned that he had studied History at Durham, Stephen, a fellow Durham alumnus, told him about plans to appoint new members to the University Law School's advisory board. David was keen to help. He was introduced to the Dean and invited to join the advisory board, bringing with him a private practice and firm leadership perspective that complemented the academic and judicial voices already involved. The board's chair was Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division of the High Court. Alongside the Dean and Professor Philip Bennett - Durham's first Professor in Practice and a former Slaughter and May partner - a broader idea began to take shape: creating a Durham Law School Alumni Association. It would be deliberately inclusive, open to anyone who had studied at Durham and gone on to a legal career, regardless of their degree subject - an association for all "Durham lawyers", not just law graduates. David agreed not only to help get the Association off the ground, but to chair its executive committee. Over six months, he and Philip worked through the practicalities: drafting a constitution, selecting 40 founding members and planning a launch in Durham and a celebratory dinner at Durham Castle. The signing ceremony was attended by the Vice-Chancellor and Association co-presidents Lord Hughes of Ombersley and Lady Black of Derwent, both former Supreme Court judges and Durham alumni. From the outset, the aim was to build something credible and lasting, with clear governance and a close link back to the University, complementing the existing University and College alumni networks. Accessibility mattered from the start, and over the following 12 months the Association grew to over 1,000 members from private practice, the Bar, and in-house, and from around the world. For a second dinner in Durham, in September 2025, this time to celebrate the anniversary of the launch, David persuaded ten law firms he knew well, each to contribute the sum of £750 to the costs of holding the dinner, keeping ticket prices low enough for those at the beginning of their careers to be able to afford to attend. The intention was simple: to bring younger alumni, trainees and early-career lawyers into the room alongside senior figures, and to make intergenerational connection the norm rather than the exception. The Durham Law School Alumni Association was set up with a clear purpose. Its members understand what employers are really looking for - whether in law firms, chambers, in-house teams or academia - and use that insight to support students through mentoring, employability skills and career guidance. The Association helps keep teaching and research connected to practice and acts as a bridge between the University and the legal profession, in the UK and overseas. That connection supports strong graduate outcomes and makes a real difference to how Durham is seen by prospective students, particularly those coming from abroad. All of this feeds into Durham's wider reputation and success, including its position in the rankings and recognition in this year's Times and Sunday Times rankings as University of the Year. For David, it comes back to legacy. Durham had been a formative part of his own life. With more time, strong networks and decades of experience, he has been able to help build something that will continue long after his own involvement.