The Law Society Excellence Awards 2008
Principal sponsor
Award winners
Celebrating excellence
The Excellence Awards were celebrated in spectacular style at a gala dinner at Old Billingsgate on 23 October 2008.
Hosted by BBC presenter Kirsty Wark, winners were announced in a range of categories showcasing excellence across every facet of the profession. The event, which was attended by more than 550 people, was a huge success and firmly established the Excellence Awards as a prestigious date in the legal calendar.
The Law Society would like to thank the sponsors of the event, particularly principal sponsor Mercedes-Benz, as well as the judges, nominees and guests who helped make the night such a success.
Award winners - firms and teams
LCS Award for Excellence in Client Service
Sponsored by Conveyancing Liability Solutions Ltd
Open to all in the legal sector.
This award highlights excellence in client care and innovative approaches to maintaining and developing client-focused services. The judges look for practices that demonstrate a leading edge commitment to client care and examples of real efforts in going the extra mile for a diverse range of clients.
Winner: PJH Law Solicitors
In the judges' view, what set PJH Law Solicitors apart was the extent to which they went the extra mile for their clients. Examples of their innovative services include client training facilities, online educational tools, and an employment law e-wizard and blog to provide up-to-date information – together with offering an annual retainer with discounted rates. The extensive feedback surveys showed just how effective this was – a superb example to any firm of how a genuinely proactive approach to client care reaps rewards.
Shortlist
- Ashurst LLP
- Fox Williams LLP (highly commended)
- Harkin Lloyd Solicitors
- Jackson Barrett & Gass Solicitors
- London Borough of Brent Legal Team
- Lovells LLP
- PJH Law Solicitors (winner)
Excellence in Equality & Diversity
Sponsored by BT
Open to all in the legal sector.
The most innovative and successful examples of best practice in the promotion of equality and diversity in the solicitors' profession are sought for this award. We look for examples of clear benefits to organisations, employees and clients, from embracing equality and diversity policies and practices in the widest sense, to recruiting and retaining the most talented and motivated lawyers.
Winner: Eversheds
Eversheds stood out in a field of very strong contenders because it was crystal clear from their entry the extent to which they have embraced equality and diversity, and that it is integrated into all that they do. They've established a multi-faith network group and an LGBT group, are engaging with disabled students to consider a career in a major law firm, and have set up a programme of E&D training for all staff – from trainees to partners. A staff member at each of their offices is dedicated to diversity work. They overhauled their graduate recruitment process, significantly increasing the proportion of ethnic minority trainees and have one of the highest number of female partners of the top 10 firms.
Shortlist
- Clifford Chance LLP
- Eversheds LLP (winner)
- Interlaw Diversity Forum (highly commended)
- Lovells LLP
- Pinsent Masons LLP
- Simmons & Simmons
Excellence in Social Responsibility – Community Engagement
Sponsored by City AM
Open to all in the legal sector.
To highlight best practice and innovation in social responsibility and community engagement, the judges look for original ideas and significant outcomes from initiatives across the spectrum, from small-scale community involvement to large-scale pro bono projects.
Winner: Eversheds
What impressed the judges most about Eversheds was the sheer breadth and depth of their community investment activities. Whether it was pro bono work, public legal education or non-legal volunteering, training, work placements, fundraising or gifts in kind, their whole program is strategic; delivered measurable results; and got everyone throughout the firm thoroughly engaged and involved. This provides a huge range of opportunities to develop staff, enabling them to contribute to their local communities. It has also produced long term sustainable partnerships for projects which receive year round support.
Shortlist
- 1 Pump Court Chambers
- Addleshaw Goddard LLP
- Cripps Harries Hall LLP
- Eversheds LLP (winner)
- Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (highly commended)
- Hopkin Murray Beskine
- Linklaters LLP
Excellence in Social Responsibility - Pro Bono
Sponsored by City AM
Open to all in the legal sector.
To highlight best practice and innovation in social responsibility and community engagement, the judges look for original ideas and significant outcomes from initiatives across the spectrum, from small-scale community involvement to large-scale pro bono projects.
Winner: Watson Farley Williams – Competition Law Project
Watson Farley Williams – Competition Law Project caught the judges' eye for many reasons. It demonstrated how pro bono work helps people in far more ways than most people ever imagine. It successfully helped small businesses, therefore helping local communities all over the country. And it's been such a success that the firm expect it to be replicated elsewhere in the EU. Watson Farley Williams – Competition Law Project established a partnership of 38 different service providers offering free competition law advice.
Shortlist
- Clifford Chance
- Lovells LLP (highly commended)
- Dean Manson Solicitors
- Queen Mary University – Department of Law
- Ridley & Hall Solicitors
- St Luke's Advice Service
- Watson Farley & Williams (winner)
Excellence in Marketing & Business Development
Sponsored by the Gazette
Open to all in the legal sector.
This award goes to the most innovative, creative and inspiring business development campaign executed by a law firm or in-house legal department. The entry has to identify the objectives, outline campaign elements, explain how the campaign was integrated into the wider marketing and business development of the law firm or in-house legal team, describe the rollout of associated marketing activity, and quantify measurable results.
Winner: Taylor Wessing
The judges were very impressed by Taylor Wessing's highly innovative approach across the full mix of marketing activities. It was an impressive example of integrated marketing and business development, from initial research through to launch and execution, and the work is already being used to develop new business for the firm. Taylor Wessing integrated marketing and business development through the launch of a Global Intellectual Property Index, a statistical comparison of intellectual property protection and enforcement across 22 economies.
Shortlist
- Kent County Council
- Pannone LLP
- Phillips Solicitors
- Taylor Wessing LLP (winner)
- Thomas Eggar LLP
- Walker Morris (highly commended)
Lexcel Award for Excellence in Practice Standards
Sponsored by Lloyds TSB
Open to Lexcel-accredited practices only.
This rewards excellence in practice management and service delivery from practices that have successfully implemented the Lexcel standards. The judges look for practices that have effectively incorporated the Lexcel framework into their business strategies to drive continuous improvement.
Winner: The Projects Partnership Limited
The Projects Partnership Limited really put the mantra 'employees are a business's most important asset' at the heart of everything they do. The judges felt their commitment to personnel management in particular was far beyond a mere tick in a box – adopting Lexcel only just after the firm was created, and upgrading to Lexcel Version 4 when it was only optional to do so. The firm is also unique in one other way in this evening's awards. The testimonials in their entry included one from a client who said that the firm were so good, they said they actually enjoyed paying the bills!
Shortlist
- Birkett Long LLP
- Corby Borough Council Legal Services (highly commended)
- Fiona Bruce & Co LLP
- Kinsey & Co Solicitors
- Peters Langsford Davies Solicitors
- Staffordshire County Council
- The Projects Partnership Limited (winner)
Excellence in Pioneering Legal Services
Sponsored by TFB
Open to all in the legal sector.
Entries are sought from innovative teams across the legal services sector who can demonstrate cutting edge business practice and client service. These include innovative approaches to standardisation or commoditisation, or the creation of new suites of high value-added services or means of delivery to meet client needs.
Winner: Pinsent Masons
At a time when firms of all sizes are working out how best to use the internet as a tool, the judges thought Pinsent Masons' business idea was not only creative and cutting edge but most of all relevant, providing real value for their clients. Pinsent Masons developed a product that enables HR professionals to keep up with all the developments in employment law through specially produced video and transcripts.
Shortlist
- Allen & Overy LLP (highly commended)
- Brethertons LLP
- Eversheds LLP
- Legal Hobbit
- Pinsent Masons LLP (winner)
- The Law Shop
Excellence in Exporting Legal Services
Sponsored by UKTI
Open to all in the legal sector.
This award goes to a law firm that can show it has broken new ground in the export of legal services. The entry has to demonstrate the strategic nature of the firm's exporting objectives, the active development of new export markets (either geographical or sectoral) which have turned into results impacting on the firm's turnover, and the coherent integration of this export activity into wider business development plans.
Winner: Cobbetts LLP
Cobbetts LLP has demonstrated how a law firm's entire business can benefit from focussing on export markets. Their entry described a strategic approach to the expansion of alternative investment market financing and the mining sector. Underpinning the firm's success has been an emphasis on building strong relationships outside the legal sector, which has in turn helped to market the firm's expertise alongside their UK offering. The team has a strong client focus and is a good example of cross-sector working. The judges particularly liked that this entry showed how international work transforms the business of the firm. In this case, Cobbetts have opened a new office in London on the strength of their export services.
Shortlist
- Allen & Overy LLP
- Aughton Ainsworth
- Cobbetts LLP (winner)
- Lovells LLP
- Miller Rosenfalck LLP
- Trowers & Hamlins - KSA Legal Practice
- Walker Morris (highly commended)
Award winners - individuals
The following awards are presented to individual lawyers who have set themselves apart from their peers. They might have done this by making an outstanding positive impact on the reputation of the legal profession during the year or be making an unusually significant impact in their practice area or in the service of clients. The judges have wide discretion.
Legal Executive of the YearSponsored by Ilex Open to legal executives only. Winner: Jill Read-Brown, Hartnell Chanot & Partners 
Seeking justice for victims of domestic abuse and violence is not a particularly glamorous area of work. Jill Read-Brown's commitment really goes above and beyond the call of duty, campaigning tirelessly on behalf of abused women to raise awareness, influence public policy and improve services for victims. The judges felt that Jill is an absolute credit to the profession, and a truly worthy first ever winner of legal executive of the year. Shortlist
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Barrister of the YearSponsored by Logica Open to barristers only. Winner: Parosha Chandran, 1 Pump Court Chambers 
Parosha Chandran has acted in precedent-setting human trafficking and immigration cases, and works with a number of NGOs providing support to victims of sex trafficking, forced labour and torture – in addition to giving lectures and providing training. In what is an under-supported area of law, the judges felt the glowing testimonials in her entry summed up her outstanding commitment and what a remarkable talent she is. Shortlist
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Junior Solicitor of the YearSponsored by Zurich Open to potential members of the Law Society's Junior Lawyers Division only - students, trainees and solicitors with up to five years' post-qualification experience. Winner: Gulley Shimeld, Lovells LLP 
Gulley Shimeld has made an outstanding contribution to the profession through his work as a legal adviser to ParalympicsGB. The judges were impressed at the sheer scope of his commitment. In addition to a demanding commercial caseload in his day job, he has billed over 300 hours for ParalympicsGB in the last year, and very quickly acquired a wide range of expertise – from commercial agreements to intellectual property issues. His personal commitment has clearly gone above and beyond expectation: he staffed information stands on weekends and was asked to travel to Beijing to provide on-site advice to the team. He convinced Lovells to adopt ParalympicsGB as their Charity of the Year and put together a global fundraising effort via a dedicated website. Shortlist
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Solicitor of the YearSponsored by DX Open to solicitors only. Winner: Saimo Chahal, Bindmans LLP 
Hard-working, tenacious and committed, Saimo Chahal is widely respected and recognised as a leader in her field. Specialising in mental health and social care law, she works on behalf of vulnerable and disadvantaged clients in difficult and often precedent-setting cases – making national headlines. The British Institute of Human Rights called her a 'trail blazer' for her cutting-edge work and use of the Human Rights Act. The tremendous recommendations written for her by clients, colleagues, other legal professionals and members of the wider community are a tribute to the outstanding contribution she has made. Saimo is the head of the civil liberties and social welfare team at Bindmans. Shortlist
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For further information contact Julie Lovell, Communications, The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL or e-mail awards@lawsociety.org.uk.