Spotlight on: Ben Chowdhury
When asked, “How did you end up with a career in costs?” Ben smiles and replies:
“Like most Costs Lawyers and Draftspersons, you kind of fall into it. Costs finds you – you don’t find costs.”
Ben’s curiosity about law began at a young age, inspired by watching lawyers in movies – albeit through an American lens. However, he soon realised real life law wasn’t as glamorous as Hollywood portrayed. There’s a lot more paperwork! From an early age, he enjoyed a good debate, although his parents didn’t always share his enthusiasm.
As a first-generation immigrant with parents from Bangladesh, Ben grew up with the values of hard work and dedication deeply instilled in him. This drive led him to obtain a law degree and eventually completing the Legal Practice Course (LPC).
Like many law graduates, Ben initially set his sights on becoming either a barrister or a solicitor, seeking a training contract with the hope of working in commercial litigation. However, competition was fierce. While searching for opportunities, he stumbled across an advert for a “law costs draftsman” role. His reaction?
“Costs draftsman? What’s that?”
The concept of costs law was only briefly touched upon during his LPC, with the focus mostly on basic orders like “costs in the case” or “no order as to costs”. It seemed like an afterthought – far from the core aspects of law. But Ben, eager for legal experience, applied for the role and got the opportunity.
That’s where he had his first real taste of costs law, discovering it was far more expansive than he initially thought. While he started with personal injury cases, it was a solid training ground.
Over time, Ben moved between firms, still working within personal injury, but always craving the complexity of commercial disputes. Eventually, a role opened up at Masters Legal Costs Services – a firm renowned for handling large, high-value commercial cases. Ben jumped at the opportunity and was soon involved in those cases and worked on the high-profile phone-hacking litigation. The high-pressure environment and steep learning curve at Masters helped Ben refine his skills and realise that costs law could offer the challenge and fulfilment he had been searching for.
After five years at Masters, where he also qualified as a Costs Lawyer, Ben was presented with another exciting opportunity: an opportunity to consider working again with his former supervising partner, Francis Kendall, at Kain Knight – a firm with a strong reputation and deep roots in the costs field. The chance to help build their City office appealed to Ben’s entrepreneurial spirit.
Kain Knight’s family-oriented culture was a refreshing change. Established by Michael Kain and now led by his son, Matthew, the firm had a supportive and forward-thinking environment. Long before COVID-19 made flexible working mainstream, Kain Knight had already embraced it, which resonated with Ben.
As the City office grew, Ben became part of a talented team handling some of the most complex, high-value cases in costs law. He found satisfaction not only in the work but also in mentoring and training junior team members, helping them navigate the same path he once took.
Reflecting on his journey, Ben says:
“Although I didn’t take the traditional path to becoming a lawyer, I’m happy with where I’ve ended up. Costs law has challenged me and I’ve been fortunate to enter the field during a time of significant change and development that has shaped the entire legal sector.”
Ben believes there is a significant opportunity for the costs industry to better recognise its own value. Costs Lawyers and Draftspersons possess specialised knowledge that is crucial to clients, yet many are not charging in line with their true worth.
“We should see it less as a race to the bottom in terms of fees and more as an opportunity to highlight the immense value we bring to the legal sector. In many cases, we help clients recover or save substantial sums of money.”
Costs law, once a secondary consideration, is now increasingly central to the legal process. With the right retainers, budgets, and Bills of Costs, clients can avoid unnecessary financial strain. Ben is encouraged by the fact that law schools and firms seem to be placing more emphasis on costs law today—something that wasn’t as prevalent when he began his career.
“Law firms are businesses at the end of the day. Like any business, they need the money to keep flowing.”
Ben has witnessed the evolution of the costs lawyer role during his career. Costs Lawyers now advise clients throughout a case, rather than just stepping in after the conclusion. Budgeting, introduced as part of the Jackson reforms, has become a crucial aspect of the legal process, bringing transparency to both parties and their clients.
However, budgeting brings its own challenges. Ben has noticed that while many clients prepare a budget, they often fail to monitor it, leading to difficulties in recovering costs. That’s why Ben and his team offer a budget monitoring service, alerting clients if they’re at risk of exceeding their budget and offering solutions to manage their costs effectively.
As Ben reflects on his career, he feels confident about the future of costs law.
“Costs law may be a niche field, but it’s an ever-growing and vital part of the legal sector. With its origins dating back to the 13th century, I don’t think it’s going anywhere anytime soon!”
Ben Chowdhury, Managing Associate and Costs Lawyer at Kain Knight
