Sheikh Bilal is a key member of the global Islamic finance and insurance practice at the magic circle law firm Linklaters LLP.  

He has almost two decades of Shari'ah law experience and specialises in structuring and drafting Shari'ah-compliant products in the medium of Arabic, English and Urdu and enjoys unique and special relationships in the industry globally.

Sheikh Bilal recently won the Religious Advocate of the Year award at the inaugural British Muslim Awards 2013. This award recognises "a religious teacher who is able to balance Muslim teachings with a British way of life". Moreover, he received the 'Young Takaful Scholar of the Year' award at the 2012 International Takaful Summit and the ‘Zaki Badawi Shari’ah Scholar of the Year’ award at the 2011 London Sukuk Summit as well as being nominated by the Securities Commission Malaysia as the 2012-2013 Oxford Visiting Fellow of Islamic Finance.  

He is affiliated with various bodies and international think tanks of industry leaders  including his position as a key Takaful Panel member of the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF) and Shari’ah Scholar and Co-Chairman at Dome Advisory. 

He has regularly conducted specialist executive training programs and has organised bespoke in-house workshops for clients including governmental, quasi-governmental and multi-lateral organisations and frequently chairs and speaks at international conferences, summits and round-tables across the globe.

He is a traditionally trained Shari'ah Scholar of Islamic Sciences, having completed the unique traditional Dars Nizami program. Sheikh Bilal memorised the Holy Quran at the age of 12. He has studied with many senior traditional scholars including the much revered Justice (R) Sheikh Taqi Usmani at Darul Uloom Karachi, Pakistan and has received special authorisation (Ijaaza) from scholars with unbroken chain of transmission (Sanad) to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in numerous classical Islamic disciplines including Quranic exegesis (Tafseer), Prophetic traditions (Hadeeth) and Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh).

He is currently co-authoring and editing two multi-volume legal treatises: Legal Practitioners' Guide to Sukuk and Legal Practitioners' Guide to Takaful and ReTakaful (Islamic Insurance and Reinsurance) as well as regularly contributing in industry journals and magazines and being quoted in the electronic and press media