This award was open to potential members of the Law Society's Junior Lawyers Division only including 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.
A dedicated, talented lawyer with a record of developing trusting, productive relationships with clients, Katherine has made a valuable contribution to the actions against the police and public law departments at Christian Khan. In addition to her legal work, she campaigns to raise awareness of human rights issues through her association with various committees and domestic and international NGOs, as well as acting as a mentor for other young lawyers.
Lynne has achieved a national profile as an expert in asset protection for vulnerable individuals after only a few short years of practice. A widely published author and conference speaker on subjects including personal injury trusts, care fees and asset preservation, Lynne is also active in a number of organisations promoting the interests of carers and the elderly and provides extensive pro bono advice for local charities.
A talented and committed lawyer in the field of refugee rights, in 2008 Adam obtained an important judgment from the High Court relating to the denial of medical treatment to seriously ill former asylum seekers which has had a significant impact on thousands of individuals. His policy work and contribution to charities, training, advocacy and support has been widely recognised, as has his skill with clients in this complex and difficult area of law.
Shortlisted: Udo Onwere, Thomas Eggar
Before joining Thomas Eggar in March 2006, Udo had a twelve-year career as a professional footballer. He has made a significant impression as a trainee not only by introducing many high-profile sporting and media clients to the firm, but also through his confidence, ability to perform under pressure and natural willingness to work within a team environment. He regularly works with young footballers from diverse backgrounds promoting the benefits of education and career planning.