CLS - Legal Excellence Awards 2021

CAmbrIdGesHIre LAw soCIeTy LeGAL exCeLLenCe AwArds 2021

Kate Harris Senior Associate, Birketts

The Cambridgeshire Law Society (CLS) held its annual Legal Excellence Awards virtually on 23 April 2021 for the second year running as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. However, this did not deter Cambridgeshire’s legal community from celebrating excellence throughout the county; 100 lawyers attended the virtual awards ceremony, together with their families and friends.

Emma Bowman, Honorary Secretary of CLS hosted the ceremony together with its President, Michael Frape. They were joined by I. Stephanie Boyce, President of the Law Society of England and Wales, who presented the awards to the winners. Also in attendance were Lucy Frazer QC MP, Solicitor General for England and Wales and Elizabeth Rimmer, CEO of LawCare CLS’ chosen charity for the awards ceremony.

Chair of the Judging Panel, Ian Mather (Cambridge United CEO and a solicitor who practised in Cambridge for 36 years) said “I and my fellow Judges (Fiona Hotston Moore, FRP Advisory, Graham Martin, Barclays, Greg Mueller, AstraZeneca, Mark Winchester, Rathbones and Paul Smith, Handelsbanken) were, as ever, impressed by the standard of applications and the calibre of legal professionals and services in Cambridgeshire”.

The Award winners..

• Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Symphony Legal – Caroline Stenner, Birketts LLP

• Commercial Property Team of the Year, sponsored by Handelsbanken – Howes Percival LLP

• Corporate and Commercial Team of the Year, sponsored by Gemstone Legal – Hewitsons LLP

• Family Law Team of the Year, sponsored by Conscious Solutions – Fenners Chambers

• Injury Litigation Team of the Year, sponsored by Fenners Chambers – Slater & Gordon Ltd ( Highly commended: Irwin Mitchell LLP and Tees Law )

• In House Team of the Year, sponsored by Temple Legal Protection – AstraZeneca UK Ltd ( Highly commended: Cambridge University and PPD )

• Legal Aid Team of the Year, sponsored by Baskerville Drummond – Irwin Mitchell LLP

• Private Client Team of the Year, sponsored by Wilberforce Chambers – Birketts LLP ( Highly commended: Greenwoods GRM )

• Residential Property Team of the Year, sponsored by Geodesys – Tees Law

• Excellence in CSR and Pro Bono, sponsored by AstraZeneca – Anglia Ruskin University

• Excellence in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, sponsored by Lockton – Mills & Reeve LLP ( Highly commended: Irwin Mitchell LLP )

• Excellence in Technology and Innovation, sponsored by Nuix – Tees Law ( Highly commended: Appleyard Lees and Ashtons Legal )

• Law Firm of the Year, sponsored by Errington Legal – LGSS Law Ltd ( Highly commended: FM Family Law and Appleyard Lees )

• Trainee Lawyer of the Year, sponsored by Badenoch and Clark – Kate Ciborowski, Mills & Reeve LLP ( Highly commended: Jill Wright, Mills & Reeve LLP and Jessica Hitchcock, Ashtons Legal )

• Rising Star of the Year, sponsored by Barclays – Chris Hoole, Appleyard Lees ( Highly commended: Kate Parkinson, BDB Pitmans and Chris Claxton-Shirley, Tees Law )

• Senior Lawyer of the Year, sponsored by ThoughtRiver – Guy Forster, Irwin Mitchell LLP ( Highly commended: Claire Sleep, Ashtons Legal and Julia James, PPD )