We are pleased to announce the shortlist for our 2020 Legal Awards, celebrating the successes and achievements of the Midlands’ legal community over the past year.
Selected by a panel of judges from the professional and academic legal sectors in the region, the shortlist represents the best of the entries received across 12 award categories by nominated firms and individuals practising in Birmingham and the surrounding areas.
Shortlisted nominees will be interviewed by a series of judging panels over the coming weeks, with the overall winners announced at the 2020 Legal Awards ceremony on Friday 27 March 2020 at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham.
Now in its 19th year, the annual Legal Awards event has become a permanent fixture in the Midlands business calendar, attracting a capacity crowd year-on-year to showcase the successes and achievements of the region’s legal community over the past 12 months.
Guests at the black-tie event will enjoy a drinks reception, followed by a four-course meal and entertainment from broadcaster, writer and self-professed ‘modern vicar’ Reverend Richard Coles.
Widely known as co-host of BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live and for his guest appearances on everything from Have I Got News For You to Strictly Come Dancing, Richard first found fame as one half of 1980s band The Communards.
The multi-talented Richard has since turned his hand to everything from writing and presenting to penning music for film and TV. He is also a Church of England priest, a Fellow of King’s College London and Chancellor of the University of Northampton.
The event compere will be Phil Upton, radio presenter at BBC Coventry & Warwickshire.
A balloon raffle will be held on the night to raise money for two charities selected this year by the President of Birmingham Law Society: the Central England Law Centre and Citizens Advice Birmingham.
Book tickets online now for the 2020 Legal Awards.
Spaces for the event are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so book early to avoid disappointment!
BIRMINGHAM LAW SOCIETY 2020 LEGAL AWARDS SHORTLIST
| Award category | Sponsor | Shortlisted nominees |
| Law Firm of the Year (National) | St Philips Chambers | DWF Law LLP
Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP Gateley Legal Pinsent Masons LLP Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP |
| Law Firm of the Year (Regional) | Landmark UK | Enoch Evans LLP
QualitySolicitors Davisons Sydney Mitchell LLP The Wilkes Partnership |
| Law Firm of the Year (Sole practitioners and up to 5 partners) | Index Property Information | Adcocks Solicitors Limited
Averta Employment Lawyers KJ Conroy & Co TRP Solicitors |
| Excellence in Client Service – Business Clients | Gallagher | Funding and Finance (Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP)
Real Estate Team (DLA Piper UK LLP) DWF International Arbitration and Litigation (DWF Law LLP) Business Services Team (Harrison Clark Rickerbys – Birmingham) Employment Team (Irwin Mitchell LLP) Dispute Resolution Team (Sydney Mitchell LLP) |
| Excellence in Client Service – Private Clients | Executor Solutions | Private Client Team (Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP)
Clinical Negligence (Irwin Mitchell LLP) Personal Advisory Division (Shoosmiths LLP) VWV Private Client team (VWV) Wills, Trusts, Estates & Court of Protection (Weightmans LLP) |
| Partner of the Year | Common Purpose / Quantuma | Martino Giaquinto (Mills & Reeve LLP)
Kirsty McEwen (Higgs & Sons) Karen Moores (Sydney Mitchell LLP) Richard Morgan (Harrison Clark Rickerbys) Clive Read (VWV) Emma Rush (Irwin Mitchell LLP) |
| Barrister of the Year | Birmingham City University | Esther Gamble (No5 Chambers)
Jason Hadden (St Ives Chambers) Elizabeth Isaacs QC (St Ives Chambers) Vanessa Meachin QC (3PB) Iqbal Mohammed (St Philips Chambers) |
| Solicitor of the Year | Cornwall Street Barristers | Kishma Bolaji (Shoosmiths LLP)
Christina Georgiou (Squire Patton Boggs [UK] LLP) Simon Grimshaw (Hogan Lovells International LLP) Alice Kinder (Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP) Samantha Miller (Eversheds Sutherland [International] LLP) |
| Trainee Solicitor of the Year | The University of Law | Anna Dearden (Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP)
Mischa Howell (Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP) Demi Hughes (Squire Patton Boggs [UK] LLP) Jastinder Samra (Mills & Reeve LLP) Rachel Sutcliffe (Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP) |
| Paralegal of the Year | Michael Page Legal | Jess Allan (Irwin Mitchell LLP)
Rebecca Kennedy (Pinsent Masons LLP) Isha Khatun (Shoosmiths LLP) Emily Morris (DWF Law LLP) Marie Newton (Irwin Mitchell LLP) |
| Apprentice of the Year | Sharp Business Systems | Michelle Blackwell (Bevan Brittan LLP)
Laura Brown (Irwin Mitchell LLP) Aimee Haden (Bevan Brittan LLP) Brogan Maxwell (Irwin Mitchell LLP) Beth Walters (Eversheds Sutherland [International] LLP) |
| Pro Bono Award | Midlands Air Ambulance | Birmingham Legal Advice Clinic (Squire Patton Boggs [UK] LLP, Eversheds Sutherland [International] LLP, Bevan Brittan, Gowling WLG)
The Litigation Programme (The University of Law) Emma Hardman (Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP) The Birmingham Pro Bono Network Nadine Mansell (Capsticks Solicitors LLP) |
A Lifetime Achievement Award (sponsored by No5 Chambers) will also be presented at the 2020 Legal Awards ceremony.
A huge thank you to all of our category sponsors and additional event sponsors:
TM Lewin; St Ives Chambers; Eminent Group; Bottega; Oosha Ltd; Greens Solicitors; Eudonet.
