The Law Society Excellence Awards

This award celebrates excellence and outstanding achievement in access to justice. Access to justice is a fundamental right, and legal aid performs a crucial role in providing fair and equal access to those most at risk of being excluded from our legal system.

We celebrate the teams and firms who go above and beyond to combat this issue.

The nominees:

• Child Poverty Action Group
• Dechert LLP
• Dentons – Poplaw
• Duncan Lewis Solicitors
• Fenchurch Law
• Griffin Law and Dawson Cornwell
• LexisNexis
• McMillan Williams Solicitor, trading name of Taylor Rose TTKW Limited
• Rights of Women – Sexual Harassment at Work Legal Advice Line
• Turpin & Miller LLP

This award recognises that business environments and client expectations constantly evolve, and firms are finding new and innovative ways to secure new business and deliver legal services.

The nominees:

• DAC Beachcroft
• Duncan Lewis Solicitors
• D2 Legal Technology
• Lovetts Solicitors
• Royds Withy King
• Winslows Tax Law

This award celebrates commitment and service excellence in client care.

The nominees:

• Bolt Burdon
• CFG Law
• Fenchurch Law
• JD Spicer Zeb Solicitors
• J M Allen Solicitors Ltd

This award showcases the successful and innovative examples of best practice in the promotion of diversity, inclusion and social mobility, which is so important, now more than ever.

The nominees:

• Accenture Legal
• Black Solicitors Network
• Clifford Chance
• Dentons
• Latham & Watkins
• MSB Solicitors
• Thrive Law
• Travers Smith LLP

This award acknowledges the outstanding achievements from an in-house team, recognising those who applied their skills to the benefit of both the legal function and the overall organisation.

The nominees:

• Air Charter Service
• Canary Wharf Contractors Limited
• Cornerstone
• Cumbria County Council
• Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education
• LendInvest
• OakNorth Bank
• Zoological Society of London

This award recognises law firms which have demonstrated an innovative approach to the delivery of legal services in today's international marketplace.

The nominees:

• Addison Aaron
• Baker McKenzie
• LCN Legal Limited
• Mackrell.Solicitors
• Rodl and Partner Legal Limited
• SLIG Law LLP
• Zaiwalla & Co

This award showcases firms and teams who have shown how their learning and development practices have enhanced their business, either through improved service or increased efficiency.

The nominees:

• Dentons
• King & Spalding International LLP
• LCN Legal Limited
• Rayden Solicitors
• Thrings LLP
• Travers Smith LLP

This award recognises those solicitors who are leading the way in finding innovative means to communicate with clients, staff and stakeholders.

The nominees:

• Berwins
• Brachers LLP
• Howard Kennedy
• Paris Smith LLP
• Parker Bullen LLP
• Rayden Solicitors
• Slater and Gordon Lawyers
• Whitestone Solicitors
• Wilson Browne Solicitors
• Wollens

This award focuses on those who excel and set themselves apart in the world of wills, probate and trusts.

The nominees:

• Barrett & Co Solicitors LLP
• Harrison Clark Rickerbys LLP
• Shoosmiths LLP
• Simpson Solicitors

Whether the pro bono work is for clients, the local community or a non-profit organisation, this award showcases examples of innovation and best practice in providing pro bono legal work.

The nominees:

• AltraLaw
• Brick Court Chambers and Arnold and Porter
• Dechert LLP
• Duncan Lewis Solicitors
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
• Greece Pro Bono Collaborative, a joint effort of Orrick, Dentons, Allen & Overy, Ashurst, White & Case, Charles Russell Speechlys, European Lawyers in Lesvos and Refugee Legal Support
• Hogan Lovells
• Maxwell Hodge Solicitors
• MTC Solicitors
• Reed Smith; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and Latham & Watkins

This category celebrates the innovative marriage of technology and law in the provision of services for clients.

The nominees:

• DAC Beachcroft
• D2 Legal Technology
• LCN Legal Limited
• McClure Solicitors
• Osborne Clarke Solutions ('OC Solutions') and Vodafone Group Services Limited
• Poole Alcock LLP
• Reed Smith
• Societe Generale
• Travers Smith LLP

This award celebrates the successes of small firms over the last year, whether from stand-out events or overall performance. These firms have demonstrated excellence through business improvement, staff engagement and development, and client service.

The nominees:

• Dias Solicitors
• DR Solicitors
• Emmersons Solicitors
• iLaw
• In-House Legal Solutions Ltd
• McClure Solicitors
• Mooneerams
• LCN Legal Limited
• Starford Legal HR

This award celebrates the successes of medium firms over the last year, whether from stand-out events or overall performance. These firms have demonstrated excellence through business improvement, staff engagement and development, and client service.

The nominees:

• Brightstone Law
• Collins Solicitors
• Hall Brown Family Law
• Morecrofts LLP
• MSB Solicitors

This award celebrates the successes of large firms over the last year, whether from stand-out events or overall performance. These firms have demonstrated excellence through business improvement, staff engagement and development, and client service.

The nominees:

• Dentons
• Duncan Lewis Solicitors
• Harbottle & Lewis
• Paul Hastings
• Trethowans LLP

This award celebrates excellence and outstanding achievement in human rights. We celebrate solicitors whose sheer determination and dedication has made an exceptional contribution to the promotion, protection and advancement of human rights.

The nominees:

• Ahmed Hassan Aydeed, Duncan Lewis Solicitors
• Jules Carey, Bindmans LLP
• Matthew Evans, Aire Centre
• Milla Walker, Luqmani Thompson & Partners

This award celebrates those who have demonstrated an exceptional standard of work as well as great dedication in their role as a junior lawyer. This year's award will be in memory of Aya Hachem.

The nominees:

• Alex Buckeridge-Hocking, Latham & Watkins
• Callum Scott, Nottingham Law School Legal Advice Centre
• Lauren Bowkett, Cohen Cramer Solicitors
• Richard Burnham, Lee & Thompson LLP
• Sengova Kailondo, Hogan Lovells
• Suzanna Eames, Farrer & Co
• Yinsey Wang, BlackRock

This award celebrates individuals who have introduced innovative change management initiatives which have produced significant performance improvements.

The nominees:

• Arun Birla, Paul Hastings
• Lubna Khan, Woodhall Solicitor
• Robin Smith, Carr & Co Solicitors
• Steve Bradley, Greenhalgh Kerr Solicitors

This award celebrates excellence and outstanding achievement by an individual solicitor working in an in-house role.

The nominees:

• Christopher Allen, London Electric Vehicle Company Limited
• Carlos Pierce, Cornerstone
• Isabelle Meyer, Just Eat Holding Limited
• James Darbyshire, Financial Services Compensation Scheme
• Jelena Madi , Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
• Joel Cohen, Motorsport UK
• Kristofer McGhee, Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education
• Lucy Moore, Swansea Council
• Marshal Ahluwalia, MPS
• Sandy Macherla, TUI Group
• Wayne Spillett, Vodafone Group

This award recognises an outstanding contribution made by a solicitor in private practice, someone who has gone that extra mile.

The nominees:

• Chloe Jay, Shentons Solicitors & Mediators
• Christopher Linton, Wollens
• Des Collins, Collins Solicitors
• Elissa Thursfield, Gamlins Law Ltd
• Emilie Cole, Irwin Mitchell LLP
• Kevin Rogers, Wilson Browne Solicitors
• Sam De Silva, CMS
• Tom Bohills, Chronos Law

With regulatory, legislative and financial management challenges, this award celebrates passionate and pioneering sole practitioners who stay on top of the ever-changing industry.

The nominees:

• Arun Chauhan, Tenet Compliance & Litigation
• Kem Masinbo-Amobi, KMA Solicitors
• Sarah Franklin, Sarah Franklin Solicitors
• Tom Bohills, Chronos Law
• Hasan Hadi, Southgate Solicitors

This award recognises female solicitors who have achieved significant results, either in business or for the benefit of society. She will have opened doors historically closed to women, inspiring other female solicitors to pursue a career in law.

The nominees:

• Anu Balasubramanian, Paul Hastings
• Helen Lamprell OBE, Vodafone UK
• June Venters QC, Venters Solicitors
• Lucy Lewis, Lewis Silkin
• Nur Zorlu, Johnson Matthey PLC
• Vivienne Artz, Refinitiv

This special award recognises a solicitor who has made an effective contribution towards the work of the profession and/or the Law Society.

The nominees:

• Abda Bibi Khan, Khan Legal Limited T/A Khan & Co Solicitors
• James Thornton, ClientEarth
• Naomi Angell, Osbornes law
• Michael Payton (QC) Hon, Clyde & Co
• Jacqueline Emmerson, Emmersons Solicitors
• Gillian Bishop, Family Law in Partnership Ltd
• Nicola Jones-King, McMillan Williams
• Frances Swaine, Leigh Day

Entries to this category have been selected by the senior editorial team of the Law Society Gazette.

The nominees:

• Charles Brasted, Hogan Lovells
• Cyrilia Davies Knight, Saunders Law
• Mark Beer OBE, Keystone Law
• Nasrin Sotoudeh
• Polly Sweeney, Rook Irwin Sweeney
• Sue James, Hammersmith & Fulham Law Centre