Christian “Kit” Cunningham is eager to positively impact Bermuda’s legal community, after being Called to the Bar on Friday.

Family, friends and colleagues from BeesMont Law Ltd watched on as the 26-year-old from Flatts became the island’s newest lawyer, in a ceremony before Chief Justice Ian Kawaley in Commercial Court 1.

“I recognise that to practise law is a privilege, not a right,” said Mr Cunningham, who becomes a barrister and attorney in BeesMont’s corporate department.

“Although it has been a long road to get where I am, I know this is just the beginning,”

His father, John Cunningham, who is also a lawyer, said he was “immensely proud of my son for all his efforts” — adding that he had been banned from telling any stories about him.

In return, the younger Mr Cunningham thanked his father for his support and “continuous lecturing”.

It was noted during the ceremony that, for now, BeesMont has the most senior and the most junior member of Bermuda’s Bar.

“Kit has been a joy to be around. He is dedicated and appears to love law as much as we do,” said Saul Froomkin, the company’s head of litigation, who was Called to the Bar in December 1961.

Brenda Lehmann, head of banking and secured financing, also praised Mr Cunningham’s talent and “innate common sense”. She added that he had been “a huge asset to the practice”, since beginning his pupillage in litigation and corporate law at BeesMont in November 2015.

Chief Justice Kawaley said that it was “always a special occasion” to see a father watch his son being Called to the Bar.

“Be sure not to underestimate the importance of your distinctive personality,” he advised Mr Cunningham, who completed an accelerated two-year law degree at the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom.

“There’s a sense of accomplishment, of reaching what I set out to do years ago,” Mr Cunningham said after the ceremony. “It begs the question what next, but I hope to develop myself as a well-respected lawyer on this island.”