Farewell celebration for Professor Richard Fentiman
Alumni, Fellows and friends bade Professor Richard Fentiman a fond farewell at a special drinks event on the 19th April to celebrate his upcoming retirement after many years of teaching Law as a Fellow and Director of Studies at Queens'. The Oxford and Cambridge Club provided a venue for the evening, which was attended by over fifty alumni and friends of Queens' and Fellows Dr Federica Paddeu (the Derek Bowett Fellow in Law) and Rowan Kitt.
Speeches were given by Professor Fentiman, Dr Paddeu and James Palmer (1982), one of Professor Fentiman's first students, all of whom shared their memories from over the years. James also shared some quotations from Professor Fentiman's former students.
"It was always a joy to be in his company, and of course, his teaching skills were exquisite. Always a witty remark and a unique talent in the legal profession. I often think back to the wonderful times I had that year."
L-R: Nora El-Muttardi (2007), Mark McGuire (2007), Ram Mashru (2008), Fatima Shawaf (2007) and Helen Zhou (2007)
L-R: Nora El-Muttardi (2007), Mark McGuire (2007), Ram Mashru (2008), Fatima Shawaf (2007) and Helen Zhou (2007)
L-R: Joe Tarbert (2013), Nour Kharma (2013), Eliza Jones (2013) and Karl Anderson (2012)
L-R: Joe Tarbert (2013), Nour Kharma (2013), Eliza Jones (2013) and Karl Anderson (2012)
L-R: Seun Adekoya (2015), Nathalie Edwardes-Ker (2018) and Archit Sharma (2018)
L-R: Seun Adekoya (2015), Nathalie Edwardes-Ker (2018) and Archit Sharma (2018)
L-R: Dr Federica Paddeu (Fellow), Dhruv Kanabar (2018), Jeevan Hariharan (2018) and Aarushi Sahore (2018)
L-R: Dr Federica Paddeu (Fellow), Dhruv Kanabar (2018), Jeevan Hariharan (2018) and Aarushi Sahore (2018)
About Professor Fentiman
Professor Richard Fentiman is Professor of Private International Law, and Arthur Armitage Fellow in Law at Queens'. Between 2015 and 2018 he was Dean of the Faculty of Law. He is a King's Counsel honoris causa.
He is the author of International Commercial Litigation (2nd edition, 2015), and Foreign Law in English Courts (1998), both published by Oxford University Press, and of numerous articles on private international law and international commercial litigation.
Professor Fentiman was elected to the American Law Institute in 2007, and to the International Academy of Comparative Law in 1996. He has been awarded honorary doctorates by the University of Athens (2018), and the University of Cyprus (2022). He is a member of the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Private International Law.
"The alumni community remains incredibly grateful for all the teaching and guidance he has given us, both during our time as undergraduates and beyond."
He has taught the Faculty's postgraduate course on International Commercial Litigation since its introduction in 1993. In 2014 he was awarded the University's Pilkington Prize for Excellence in Teaching.
Amongst recent invited lectures and presentations, Professor Fentiman spoke on 'Amending Service Out: Observations About Principle' at the conference on Reframing Jurisdiction, BIICL, London (2022), and on 'Going it Alone: Litigation in London Post-Brexit' at the invitation of University of Basel (2021). He delivered an address on 'Principle and Pragmatism in Private International Law' on the occasion of receiving an honorary doctorate at the University of Cyprus (2022).
"I remember sitting in the very plush armchair in his room and somehow managing to forget that I was undergoing an interview. He deftly put in place an authentic conversation by proposing legal puzzles and diving in and out of problems..."
Professor Fentiman has been extensively involved in law reform, nationally and internationally, in the areas of private international law and international civil procedure. He has given evidence to UK Parliamentary committees, and has advised the UK Government, the American Law Institute, the Financial Markets Law Committee, and the European Commission. His work is frequently cited in cases before English and foreign courts, and he is regularly involved in major transnational disputes in England.
"He was a sharp, good-humoured and patient teacher... the six lawyers in my cohort all agreed he was an excellent and supportive Director of Studies."
Professor Fentiman, Professor Derek Bowett and Professor John Tiley in C1, Old Court
Professor Fentiman, Professor Derek Bowett and Professor John Tiley in C1, Old Court
Professor Fentiman in his office
Professor Fentiman in his office
Professor Fentiman at the 2020 Queens' Bench Dinner
Professor Fentiman at the 2020 Queens' Bench Dinner
Professor Fentiman at the July 2021 graduation
Professor Fentiman at the July 2021 graduation
The Richard Fentiman Fellowship in Law
Queens' is delighted to be endowing our fourth major Law Fellowship in the name of Professor Richard Fentiman. The Richard Fentiman Fellowship in Law will sit alongside our existing Fellowships, which bear the names of Arthur Armitage, Derek Bowett and Stuart Bridge. Thanks to the kindness of our Queens' community, we are now in the final stretch of endowing this Fellowship, which will ensure that small-group teaching of Law at Queens' will continue for generations to come, cementing our reputation as a centre of excellence in the subject. It will also act as a fitting celebration of Professor Fentiman’s contribution to Queens' as a Fellow for over forty years.
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