 He was appointed a Recorder in 1995 and a deputy judge in 2008.He is a Freeman of the City of London and his chambers are at One Hare Court, Temple.He made headlines in 2006 by heading a business consortium named AV06, one of the parties interested in taking over the ownership of Aston Villa F. C. Following a bid from American businessman Randy Lerner of approximately £63 million, AV06 revealed their intentions to submit a £70 million offer.