City solicitor Fiona Woolf (pictured), the former lord mayor of London who stepped down as nominee chair of the inquiry into historic child abuse, is among the legal figures to receive honours in the new year’s list, published today.

Woolf, consultant at City firm CMS Cameron McKenna, becomes a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to the legal profession, diversity and the City of London. 

The highest awards for lawyers go to Harold Carter, deputy legal adviser at the government in-house shared service organisation Treasury Solicitors. He is made a companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) for services to government legal services and to the community in Guildford, Surrey.

David Cook, second parliamentary counsel at the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, receives the same honour for services to the preparation of legislation. 

Robert Messenger, deputy director for the treasury solicitor’s department, receives an OBE for services to government legal services.

Elsewhere in the list, Philip Wood QC, special global counsel at magic circle firm Allen & Overy, is made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to English and financial law. Wood was admitted as a solicitor in 1970 and is a leading expert in comparative and cross-border financial law. 

Alan Eccles, chief executive and public guardian at the Office of the Public Guardian, a barrister, receives the same honour for services to the administration of justice and vulnerable adults. 

Philanthropist Dickson Poon, benefactor of the Dickson Poon School of Law at King’s College, London, is knighted for services to business and higher education. 

Lynda Rowbotham, head of legal for the Royal Mencap Society, receives the OBE for services to people with learning disabilities and their families.

Uma Mehta, chief community services lawyer at the London Borough of Islington, is awarded the CBE for services to children.

James Ward, crown advocate for the Crown Court Advocacy Unit of the Crown Prosecution Service, gets the OBE for services to law and order in the south-west and service to the community.

Jim Davies, co-founder of national firm DWF, was awarded an OBE for his services to charity and the community in Merseyside. Davies has been co-founder trustee of Merseyside Bone Marrow Transplant Trust, trustee and chair of trustees of Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital, council member of Tate Liverpool and a trustee of Liverpool Cathedral Foundation Trustees.