Anthony Collins and DLA bag little and large awards

BIRMINGHAM PRIZES: solicitors praised for city's reputation

DLA and Anthony Collins & Co were last week named the best large and small law firms in Birmingham at a ceremony where the local solicitors' profession was praised for contributing to the city's growing reputation as a centre for legal expertise.

DLA was named firm of the year with 20-plus partners at Birmingham Law Society's second annual awards.

Office managing partner Chris Rawstron said: 'Having only been established in the Birmingham market for ten years I am proud to have been voted for by our peers.'

Anthony Collins & Co clinched the award for firm with less than 20 partners.

Mr Collins, also the society's current president, said: 'Birmingham and the region is now well and truly on the map for legal advice, so we were celebrating the fact that we are all winners'.

Wragge & Co's senior partner John Crabtree received a lifetime achievement award for his work over 32 years with the firm.

Last year, he was named solicitor of the year, while his firm won the large firm prize.

Mr Crabtree said Wragges had changed a lot since he joined.

'It was very much a Birmingham practice and a large chunk of our work was private client or residential conveyancing,' he explained.

'Now we act for around 40 FTSE 100 clients and 20% of our work is international - you can't get much more different than that.'

Other awards went to Beachcroft Wansbroughs' Birmingham litigation head, Lorraine Carolan, named best solicitor, while her colleague Steve Wetton won best trainee.

Irwin Mitchell's Carole Maddock was named assistant of the year and Boris Kremer best sole practitioner for his firm, The Compensation Shop.

Tyndallwoods partner Judy Dyke won the award for pro bono work.

Paula Rohan