We profile the winners and runners-up in the Law Society Excellence awards 2007
The outstanding achievements of solicitors throughout England and Wales were celebrated by the Law Society at a prestigious ceremony in London last week.
BBC broadcaster Jeremy Vine hosted the gala at the Honourable Artillery Company. The awards rewarded outstanding achievement in the profession in the key areas of: practice standards; innovation in business; quality of life; equality and diversity; and social responsibility.
Awards were also presented to the individuals judged to have made the greatest positive impact on the perception of the profession, in the categories of Solicitor of the Year and New Solicitor of the Year.
All awards were judged by Andrew Holroyd, President of the Law Society, Vice-President Paul Marsh and Deputy Vice-President Bob Heslett. Each award also had an extra ‘specialist’ judge.
Lexcel Excellence in Practice Standards Award
Sponsor: Fraser and Fraser
Winner: Foot Anstey
The judges were impressed that Plymouth-based Foot Anstey has demonstrated its commitment to excellence by establishing a quality directorate. The judges took particular note that a ‘client experience project’ was implemented to understand and improve the service received by clients.
Innovation in Business Award Sponsor: Jordans
Winner: Awdry Bailey & Douglas
Awdry Bailey & Douglas impressed judges because of its response to changes in the conveyancing market and ability to act on them.
The south-west firm has created a home information packs (HIPs) department to make the process easy and convenient for both property sellers and estate agents.
The HIPs arrangement that the firm has put in place provides a ‘one-stop shop’, enabling HIPs and conveyancing to take place in one company.
Quality of Life Award
Sponsor: Towry Law
Winner : Shoosmiths
The firm has experienced the benefits both internally and externally of championing a great working environment. It provides opportunities for staff at every level to get involved, and encourages training, coaching and one-to-ones.
The list of benefits for staff was impressive and included: quarterly ‘holiday-of-a-lifetime’ draw worth £10,000; weekly fruit deliveries; stress management sessions; free flu jabs; a counselling service; and an employee forum.
Equality and Diversity Award
Winner: Allen & Overy
The judges were impressed by Allen & Overy’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Initiatives include a diversity week, a special newsletter on diversity, and a booklet setting out the firm’s approach to diversity and inclusion. In particular, the judges commended the fact that diversity issues are led from the top by the City firm’s senior partner.
Excellence in Social Responsibility Award
Winner: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s range of projects, including supporting charity Crisis on its urban village scheme to provide free legal advice on housing issues, made its entry stand out.
Most notable was a programme designed to break the cycle of homelessness and social exclusion through providing work experience, job coaching, informal support schemes and pro bono legal advice. The City firm offers 20 placements a year and to date has employed 14 people on a permanent basis.
The Law Society New Solicitor of the Year Award
Joint Winner: Meinir Evans
Meinir Evans practises in Pontypridd, one of the poorest and most deprived areas in South Wales. She is committed to ensuring that legal advice is provided to the most vulnerable in society, especially the large elderly population.
Ms Evans set up and runs the free legal clinic at the Rhondda Taff Ely Community Cancer Centre and as a result has developed strong links with Age Concern, as well as with groups concerned with Parkinson’s, heart disease and diabetes. Her empathy, and warm and friendly manner have helped to put at ease those sometimes wary of dealing with professionals.
Joint winner: Daniel Carey
For more than six months, Daniel Carey has been an international observer with the human rights charity Peace Brigades International. He provides support for Guatemalan human rights lawyers and others, helping to transform a country scarred by a brutal 30-year armed conflict which has cost 200,000 lives.
Daniel demonstrated great solidarity with fellow professionals, struggling where the rule of law is not observed. His determination to bring to Guatemala some of the basic principles of justice and human rights, which people all too often take for granted in the UK, particularly impressed the judges.
The Law Society Solicitor of the Year Award
Sponsor: The Gazette
Winner: Phil Shiner
Phil Shiner’s tenacious and courageous commitment to the rights of those for whom access to justice would otherwise be denied impressed the judges immensely. Phil has tirelessly dedicated himself to controversial cases such as Al-Skeini. This case resulted in a landmark ruling in the House of Lords on behalf of bereaved Iraqi families, whose relatives had been killed in incidents in which British soldiers had been implicated. He has also acted for British soldiers.
LAW SOCIETY EXCELLENCE AWARDS - SHORTLISTED FIRMS
Lexcel Award for Excellence in Practice Standards
The judges sought to identify practices that effectively adopted the Lexcel framework into their business strategies to drive continuous improvement and prove their commitment to best practice. Also judged by: Alan Bannister, vice-chairman, Lexcel Assessment Panel.
Winner: Foot Anstey
Shortlisted: Bott & Co
This Cheshire firm has used Lexcel as an agent for change, and through employee engagement has systems in place to ensure excellence across all areas of the practice. Bott & Co’s initiatives in IT, such as client Internet access, were of particular note to the judges.
Durham County Council legal department
Durham County Council’s legal department demonstrated a passion to go beyond the Lexcel standard. To achieve this, it has implemented a bespoke quality assurance system, which not only guarantees compliance with practice management but also ensures the highest quality of work provided by the service.
Pannone
Pannone demonstrated a long-term commitment to the pursuit of excellence. The Manchester firm has firmly embedded excellence in practice standards as part of its culture. The judges were impressed that Pannone is developing bespoke case management systems to suit individual client requirements.
Thring Townsend Lee & Pembertons
This south-west and London firm demonstrated a real commitment to Lexcel. Since receiving this accreditation, the culture of the firm has changed. Staff at all levels are involved and thrive on providing the best possible client care. The judges were impressed that, following an independent risk audit, the firm is in the process of building an IT package on risk management.
Innovation in Business Award
This award showcases cutting-edge business practice and client service by innovative teams. Initiatives ranged from original approaches to standardisation or commoditisation to the creation of new services or means of delivery to meet client needs. Also judged by Stephen Mayson, director of the College of Law’s Legal Services Policy Institute.
Winner: Awdry Bailey & Douglas
Shortlisted: Birmingham City Council legal services
Birmingham City Council legal services has worked with police and other agencies, using civil law, to secure civil injunctions against offenders in the city. This has helped to give witnesses confidence in coming forward, and has resulted in a reduction in the number of offences committed.
First Law Limited
First Law Limited is the only firm that advises on the conduct of competitive tender exercises for legal services. Judges were impressed that the London-based firm has identified a niche market by providing local authorities with the necessary research to make informed decisions when seeking tenders.
Leeds Legal
Leeds Legal was designed to highlight Leeds as the largest legal centre outside London. Its objectives are to attract more national and international clients to the city and to recruit and retain the best legal talent. The judges were impressed with this marketing initiative, which demonstrates a community joining together.
Reynolds Porter Chamberlain
City firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain has developed an Internet-based service which allows reinsurers to make rapid automated scans of reinsurance contracts for legal risks. The service also allows reinsurers to review and evaluate contracts, using a benchmarking system to compare and contrast component clauses used within standard reinsurance contracts. The judges were impressed with the innovative application of technology to this specialist area.
Scott-Moncrieff Harbour & Sinclair
Scott-Moncrieff Harbour & Sinclair undertakes publicly funded work, and has devised a business model that saves on administration, thereby increasing the number of cases worked on. The judges were impressed by the London firm’s commitment to meeting the needs of vulnerable people by implementing this model.
Quality of Life Award
This award celebrates commitment to employee engagement through innovative approaches to motivating and retaining professional staff. The judges looked for originality in the policies and practices adopted by firms, and organisations which recognised that achieving employee engagement requires more than offering flexible working, or competitive salaries and benefits packages. Also judged by Rosaleen Blair, chief executive, Alexander Mann Solutions.
Winner: Shoosmiths
Shortlisted: Allen & Overy
Allen & Overy is dedicated to providing a workplace that provides a good quality of life for all staff. One of its initiatives was to establish an associate working party, comprising eight associates at varying stages of their careers, who met the management team to address issues of retention and career progression. As a result, a career and reward structure for London associates was introduced. In the last 12 months, turnover of London associates has dropped by 9%.
Keoghs
By bringing together a team of representatives from each business unit, Bolton-based Keoghs has developed seven shared behaviours, which sum up its culture and ‘open’ attitude to staff and the way it does business. These shared behaviours focus on how individuals should act and behave towards each other, contributing toward a positive, friendly and rewarding workplace. Staff have responded favourably and are ‘proud’ to work at Keoghs.
Nicholas Moore
This Somerset firm has undertaken many initiatives to ensure it retains and attracts high-calibre staff. There is no written flexible working policy, but rather a common understanding of shared professional values and trust, with personal and professional needs being regularly reassessed. Lawyers can work up to three days a week remotely. The firm also uses psychometric profile analyses to help recognise and satisfy individual motivators and develop the team contribution.
Pannone
Pannone provides staff with innovative training by subsidising course fees for those wishing to pursue a legal qualification. The firm has also developed leadership and development programmes and non-legal training for lawyers. An information and consultation group of elected staff has been established to encourage open communication. Pannone achieved staff turnover of just 8% in 2006.
Excellence in Social Responsibility Award
This award highlights best practice and innovation in social responsibility and community engagement. The judges looked for original ideas and noteworthy impacts. Also judged by Stephen Howard, managing director, Business in the Community.
Winner: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Shortlisted: Allen & Overy
Allen & Overy recognises that responsible corporate behaviour is central to what the firm does. The sheer breadth of its activities in this area is what most impressed the judges. Activities include supporting local schools with education projects; working with vulnerable young people on mentoring schemes; helping small businesses to understand how to engage and pitch to large law firms and companies; and providing pro bono legal advice to charities.
DLA Piper UK
DLA Piper has a dedicated corporate social responsibility team operating a global programme of activities. These include a sustainability awareness exercise, incorporating a Cooling the Planet conference and a three-month pro bono secondment to the UN World Food Programme. The firm also helps homeless people back to the workplace by providing employability skills and work placements.
Fisher Jones Greenwood
The judges were impressed by how this Colchester firm uses its resources. Projects include: Lawyers for Young People, which provides innovative legal advice services for people in the care system; Tendering Outreach, which provides drop-in advice services for disadvantaged groups in the community; and ProHelp, which provides professional advice and support to charities and community groups in Colchester.
Linklaters
Linklaters undertakes many community engagement and social responsibility activities. One of these provides financial grants and mentoring support to help homeless people realise their vocational ambitions and return to work. Some 38 homeless people have received funding to establish their own business and all have reported an increase in motivation to achieve their vocational goal. The City firm’s community investment strategy focuses on supporting enterprise-related projects as a means of addressing social and economic deprivation.
Excellence in Equality and Diversity Award
This award showcases the most innovative and successful examples of best practice in the promotion of equality and diversity in the profession. The aim is to highlight the importance of being proactive in embracing diversity policies and practices, both as employers and as providers of legal services. Also judged by Anthony Robinson, legal case worker, Equality & Human Rights Commission.
Winner: Allen & Overy
Shortlisted: CPS West Yorkshire
The judges were impressed by CPS West Yorkshire’s Hate Crime Scrutiny Panel, the first of its kind. This scrutinises how CPS West Yorkshire deals with hate crimes involving race, religion, homophobia and disability. By working with scrutiny panel members, the staff are better able to engage with the community. This has resulted in lower rates of hate crime cases and an increase in prosecutions.
Thaliwal Bridge
The judges were impressed that Thaliwal Bridge, a mental health practice in Leicester, has undertaken initiatives to forge relationships with specialist advocacy groups which deal with black and ethnic minority issues. The firm has also liaised with Leicester City Council and the Leicestershire ethnic minority partnership with a view to staying at the forefront of diversity matters. Thaliwal Bridge is also committed to promoting diversity for employees.
Shoosmiths
Shoosmiths’ firm-wide strategy of ‘inclusivity’ impressed the judges. They took particular note of improvements made to the graduate recruitment process and the widening of the talent pool by changing the entry selection criteria to include those who have not followed the traditional career path.
Bevan Brittan
Bevan Brittan has created partnerships with a range of local schools and colleges, offering work experience and careers advice to students from diverse backgrounds. The firm has also involved clients in its diversity programme to share best practice and requires suppliers to answer diversity questions on recent tenders. Bevan Brittan has a diversity working group with representatives from its three offices in Bristol, London and Birmingham.
New Solicitor of the Year Award
This award was presented to the trainee or new solicitor (up to five years’ post-qualification experience) considered by the judges to have made the greatest positive impact on the public perception or reputation of the profession during the year June 2006 – June 2007. Also judged by: Neil Rose, deputy editor of the Gazette.
Joint winners: Meinir Evans, Daniel Carey
Shortlisted: Andrew Campbell, Withy King
Mr Campbell launched a motorcycle law practice featuring some of the highest-profile cases of their kind in the UK. This was established in recognition of the tireless efforts of Mr Campbell in championing the rights of victims of motorcycle accidents. Since June 2006, he has achieved several legal firsts, provided pro bono advice to hundreds of bikers, highlighted the legal rights of bikers at rallies and festivals, and secured a weekly column in Motorcycle News.
Solicitor of the Year Award
This award was presented to the solicitor considered by the judges to have made the greatest positive impact on the public perception or reputation of the profession during the year June 2006 – June 2007. Also judged by Frances Gibb, legal editor, The Times.
Winner: Phil Shiner
Shortlisted: Jeremy Ferguson
Representing the Devon & Exeter Law Society, Mr Ferguson attended a summer school of the Zimbabwe Law Society to discuss their mediation problems and to assess whether his society could help. He has travelled to Zimbabwe twice this year to train lawyers and judges in civil mediation. Mr Ferguson also trained lawyers from southern Poland and hopes to provide similar training in St Petersburg and Gdansk.
June Venters QC
In July 2006, Ms Venters was appointed Queen’s Counsel, the first practising female solicitor to receive this appointment. Ms Venters is a committed legal aid specialist and has a reputation for excellence, integrity and hard work in all she undertakes. At her official QC award ceremony, Ms Venters used the platform to highlight issues surrounding access to justice in light of the Carter reforms on legal aid.
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