CLS are delighted to confirm that the independent judging panel chaired by Ian Mather has concluded its deliberations.
There were more than twice as many applicants as 2019 and many more entries than last year. All the entries were of a very high quality. The Committee has therefore decided not to issue a shortlist as previously advertised. The winners and those who have been ‘Highly Commended’ will be announced on the big night, which is Friday 23rd April starting promptly at 7:00pm. The venue will be Zoom.
We are delighted to confirm that Stephanie Boyce (President of the Law Society of England and Wales) and The Rt Hon Lucy Frazer QC MP (Solicitor General) will be joining us for the evening.
Our charity partner is LawCare and we are delighted to confirm that Elizabeth Rimmer, CEO of LawCare will join us for the evening. LawCare is an independent charity offering a free, confidential, emotional support service to all legal professionals, their support staff, and concerned family members in the UK. It listens through helpline calls, emails and online chats answered in confidence by trained staff and volunteers who have first-hand experience of working in the law. It also has a network of peer supporters. All funds donated will help to fund its support service, which costs over £200,000 a year to run and has been running for over 20 years.
Following what has been a very challenging year for many of our members, and despite the excellent support offered by firms, I am sure we all appreciate knowing that there is somewhere to turn to for extra help when things are difficult. Members will have the opportunity to make a donation to LawCare during the evening.
Similar to last year, we will be holding networking sessions on Zoom after the formal part of the Awards ceremony has ended.
The Committee wishes to express its thanks to Ian Mather for chairing the Judging Panel and to the members of the Judging Panel, who are Mark Winchester (Rathbones Investment Management), Greg Mueller (AstraZeneca), Paul Smith (Handelsbanken), Graham Martin (Barclays Corporate), Fiona Hotston Moore (FRP Advisory). We also wish to thank our Platinum Sponsor, which is Rathbones Investment Management and all our other sponsors without whose generous support the event could not go ahead.
The award categories are as follows:
Individual Awards
★Trainee Lawyer
★Rising Star (<10 years PQE)
★Senior Lawyer of the Year (>10 years PQE)
★Lifetime Achievement
Team Awards
★Commercial Property Team
★Corporate and Commercial Team
★Family Law Team
★In-House Team
★Injury Litigation Team
★Legal Aid Team
★Private Client Team
★Residential Property Team
Firm Awards
★Excellence in CSR and Pro Bono
★Excellence in Equality Diversity and Inclusion
★Excellence in Technology and Innovation
★Law Firm
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