Former Attorney General Lord Goldsmith KC will rejoin Fountain Court after leaving Debevoise
Fountain Court Chambers has announced that Lord Peter Goldsmith KC, a former Attorney General in Tony Blair’s administration, will return to the set in January 2026 following his retirement from Debevoise & Plimpton.
Lord Goldsmith, who is currently co managing partner of Debevoise’s London office and chair of its European and Asian litigation practice, will rejoin Fountain Court, where he previously practised as a silk from 1972 to 2001.
He joined Debevoise after leaving government in 2007, having served as Attorney General from 2001 to 2007. He is also a former chair of the Bar Council.
At Debevoise, Lord Goldsmith has led the firm’s disputes practice across multiple jurisdictions. Under his leadership, the firm has built a strong bench of partners, including Samantha Rowe, Tony Dymond and Jeff Sullivan KC, who joined from Gibson Dunn in 2023 as co chair of the international arbitration practice.
Announcing his return to Fountain Court, Lord Goldsmith said he would continue to practise as both leading counsel and arbitrator. “I practise globally in arbitration and litigation, and the opportunity to return to Fountain Court to sit both as counsel and arbitrator at this juncture aligns perfectly with both my experience and the evolving needs of international disputants,” he said.
Debevoise presiding partner Peter Furci paid tribute to Lord Goldsmith’s career with the firm. “Peter has been an outstanding lawyer and colleague since joining Debevoise, and we are grateful for his many contributions to the firm and our clients,” he said.
“As a leader of our London, European and Asian disputes team, he helped build the practice into one of the foremost in the market. Known by colleagues and clients for his keen legal mind and remarkable generosity, Peter will be missed by all. We wish him the best in his future endeavours, and we look forward to continued collaboration with him in his new role.”
Debevoise declined to comment on who would take over Lord Goldsmith’s leadership responsibilities. He currently shares management duties in London with tax partner Richard Ward.
Alongside his practice, Lord Goldsmith has played a prominent role in promoting access to justice. He founded the Bar Pro Bono Unit, now known as Advocate, and initiated the Attorney General’s pro bono committees. In September, he was appointed chair of the board at the national pro bono charity LawWorks, which recently celebrated Pro Bono Week.
He is also a founding member of the Access to Justice Foundation, previously chaired by Mr Justice Mansfield, who stepped down on appointment to the bench earlier this year. Andrew Seager is currently serving as interim chair.
Lord Goldsmith also serves as vice chair of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, which is co chaired by his former Debevoise colleague and former International Bar Association president David Rivkin.
Fountain Court will also welcome Sir Nicholas Underhill, the former Lord Justice of Appeal and vice president of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal. Sir Nicholas, who practised at Fountain Court for nearly three decades before joining the bench, will return to chambers to practise as an arbitrator and mediator.
Sir Nicholas became a High Court judge in 2006, serving in both the Queen’s Bench and Chancery Divisions. Between 2009 and 2011, he was president of the Employment Appeal Tribunal before being appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2013 and later serving as vice president in 2018.
Welcoming the appointments, Fountain Court’s head of chambers, Richard Handyside KC, said: “On behalf of chambers, I am delighted to welcome Sir Nicholas Underhill and (in due course) Lord Goldsmith KC back to Fountain Court. Sir Nicholas and Lord Goldsmith are hugely distinguished, experienced and respected legal figures, and together they will significantly enhance our ability to serve clients in the most complex global disputes.”