The Shortlist for the Law Society Excellence Awards 2015

We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the Law Society Excellence Awards 2015, proudly sponsored by Eclipse Legal Systems. The event takes place on Thursday 22nd October at the Hilton Hotel, Park Lane.

The judges were extremely impressed with the high calibre of the nominations for the 16 awards categories and had an overwhelming number of individual entries to consider. After much deliberation the panel of VIP judges have whittled down all the entries to the final shortlist of firms and individuals below:

Excellence in Pro Bono
• Arnold & Porter (UK) LLP
• Bernard Chill & Axtell Solicitors
• Freshfields
• Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
• Hogan Lovells
• Lawford Davies Denoon
• Weil, Gotshal & Manges
• White & Case LLP

Excellence in Client Service
• Crater Law Solicitors LLP
• Emsleys Solicitors
• Kingsley Napley LLP
• LA Law Limited
• Makin Dixon Solicitors Ltd
• National Centre for Domestic Violence
• QS Jackson Canter

Excellence in Technology
• Napthens LLP
• RPC with Intralinks
• Saracens Solicitors Limited
• Schillings

Excellence in Marketing & Communications
• Bernard Chill & Axtell Solicitors
• Bircham Dyson Bell LLP
• Bott & Co Solicitors
• Giles Wilson LLP
• Keystone Law
• McMillan Williams Solicitors Ltd
• RPC
• Stephens Scown LLP

Excellence in Private Client Practice
• Debenhams Ottaway
• Emmersons Solicitors
• Giles Wilson LLP
• Latimer Hinks Solicitors Ltd
• Pinney Talfourd LLP Solicitors
• Randall & Phillips LLP
• Shoosmiths LLP
• Tees Law
• Veale Wasbrough Vizards LLP

Excellence in Learning & Development
• Ashfords LLP
• Baker & McKenzie
• Bird & Bird LLP
• Giles Wilson LLP
• JNP Legal
• Mills & Reeve LLP
• Myhomemove
• RPC
• Taylor Wessing LLP

Excellence in International Legal Services
• Addleshaw Goddard LLP
• JMiles & Co
• PLMJ Law Firm
• Shulmans LLP
• Stephenson Harwood LLP
• Trowers and Hamlins LLP

Excellence in Business Development
• Eastlaw, North Norfolk District Council
• Emsleys Solicitors
• Giles Wilson LLP
• Harmans Costs
• HB Public Law
• Ian Henery Solicitors Ltd
• Navistar Legal Limited
• Osbornes Solicitors LLP
• Rix & Kay Solicitors LLP

Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion
• Baker & McKenzie
• CMS Cameron McKenna LLP
• Duncan Lewis Solicitors
• Gordons LLP
• Hogan Lovells
• InterLaw Diversity Forum
• Irwin Mitchell LLP
• Reed Smith LLP

The Law Society Gazette Legal Personality of the Year
• Robin Murray and Bill Waddington, CLSA
• Zoe Norden, Guardian News & Media Limited
• Tunde Okewale, Doughty Street Chambers
• Joss Saunders, Oxfam
• Rebecca Stevens, Withy King
• Michael Ward, Gateley PLC
• Ayesha Vardag, Vardags

Solicitor Advocate of the Year
• Greg Foxsmith, Freelance Advocacy Services
• Simon Heaney, Heaney Watson
• Helen Johnson, Emery Johnson Astills
• John-Paul MacNamara, McMillan Williams Solicitors Limited
• Michael O'Brien, Broudie Jackson Canter
• Tim Taylor QC, King & Wood Mallesons
• Adam Tear, Duncan Lewis Solicitors

Junior Lawyer of the Year
• Claudine Adeyemi, Mishcon de Reya
• Jonathan Hodge, Giles Wilson LLP
• Stuart Mason, Clifford Chance LLP
• Nina Rathbone Pullen, Wilson Solicitors LLP
• Laura Scaife, Addleshaw Goddard
• Natalie Sedacca, Hodge Jones & Allen LLP
• Philippa Southwell, Birds Solicitors

Woman Lawyer of the Year
• Victoria Davey, Gordons LLP
• Laura Devine, Laura Devine Solicitors
• Sara Maccallum, Boodle Hatfield LLP
• Daphne Robertson, DR Solicitors
• Caron Rockey, Martyn Prowel Solicitors

Solicitor of the Year - In-house
• Suber Akther, Siemens PLC
• Andrew Barnes, Virgin Money PLC
• Mark Beer, DIFC Courts
• Mandeep Kaur Gill, NSPCC
• Musonda Chibwe Kapotwe, Citigroup Global Markets Limited
• Annemarie Roberts, One Housing

Solicitor of the Year - Private Practice
• Rachel Carter, Wollen Michelmore Solicitors
• Sarah Collier, Gorvins Solicitors
• Peter Garsden, Quality Solicitors Abney Garsden
• Marcus Hayes, Mason Hayes Solicitors
• Matthew James Claughton, Olliers
• Edward McMullen, Blake Morgan LLP
• Chris Partington, Slater Heelis LLP
• Laura Saunsbury, Lewis Nedas Law LTD
• Koser Shaheen, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
• Polly Sweeney, Irwin Mitchell

Human Rights Lawyer of the Year
• Jules Carey, Bindmans LLP
• Richard Charlton, R Charlton Solicitors
• Katherine Craig, Reprieve
• Sonal Ghelani, The Migrants' Law Project, Islington Law Centre
• Stephen Grosz QC, Bindmans LLP
• Philip Leach, European Human Rights Advocacy Centre
• Emma Norton, Liberty
• Yakaré-Oulé (Nani) Jansen, Media Legal Defence Initiative
• Mark Scott, Bhatt Murphy Solicitors