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DIRECTOR
DAVID MAITLAND BIRCH (born 1950 in London;
educated at Arnold House School, London and Shrewsbury School) began his professional
career, after obtaining a law degree at University College London in 1971, with City of
London law firm, Herbert Smith, practising insurance litigation (1972-78). Leaving London
in 1978 to join Wragge & Co in Birmingham, he established what has since become a
significant insurance practice.
In recent years David Birch has spent increasing time on the development of Wragge &
Co's international practice, with specific responsibility for North America. He has served
as Chair of Wragge & Co's Litigation Department (1984-92), Chair of Wragge & Co's
International Committee (1991-99), and Chair since inception in 1991 until dissolution in
1998 of the Americas Group of the former Norton Rose M5 Group of independent legal
practices.
Amongst various outside appointments David Birch holds or has held, he was the first
(January 1993 - June 94) non-London or South-East based President of the Canada-United
Kingdom Chamber of Commerce in London, and he remains a member of its Council and is the
Chamber's Honorary Representative for the Midlands. In 1995 David Birch was appointed by
Order in Council by the Canadian Government as Honorary Consul for Canada at Birmingham,
with jurisdiction in the West Midlands region, the only such consular appointment by the
Canadian Government in England (and until 1999 in Wales).
He was one of two founder Directors (early 1996) of the British-North American Business
Group in the Midlands (re-named in 2000 the British American Business Council of the
Midlands), was Chairman (1998-2000), Honorary President (2000-2003) and was re-elected
Chairman at the 2003 Annual Meeting. Board Member (since 1998) of the British-American
Chamber of Commerce for the Midwest, Inc. (Chicago). In April 1998 David Birch was elected
to the Executive Committee of the British-American Business Council, New York ("the
BABC") in the newly constituted capacity of Chairman of the U.K. Region. Elected in
April 2002 as Vice President of the BABC for the term 2002-2003 and in April 2003 as
President of the BABC for the term 2003-2004, being re-elected for a second term
2004-2005.
Awarded the OBE (Diplomatic and Overseas List) in the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours for
services to UK/North American relations.
He was a member for many years both of the former Americas and Caribbean Panel and of the
Overseas Trade Panel of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry and served on its
International Trade Steering Group.
David is a Trustee of Canada House Arts Trust and Member of the Board of Directors of the
Canada Memorial Foundation.
Married (1974) to Diana; 2 children (Toby, 28 and Emily, 24); lives in the
Northamptonshire village of Yelvertoft.
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DAVID BIRCH OBE, Partner,
Wragge & Co.
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