Scottish firm scoops top LawNet award

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Pictured, the LawNet Award winners 2018

Click to download the full high-res version from Flickr

Pictured, the LawNet Award winners 2018

Edinburgh firm MBM Commercial LLP set the pace for innovation in this year’s LawNet awards, with the results of an ambitious three-year strategic plan seeing the firm named Law Firm of the Year.

Top performing firms and outstanding individuals from across the country were recognised at the annual awards ceremony, which brought together 270 delegates from across the 71 firms that make up LawNet.

Now in its eleventh year, the awards recognise innovation and strategic success achieved by the network’s independent law firm members, as well as highlighting individuals who are delivering outstanding business results.

Said LawNet chief executive Chris Marston: "Each year, the entries across our nominated award categories paint a vivid picture of how dynamic firms in the mid-market are squaring up to the future. The sector continues to face many challenges in today’s fast moving political, economic and consumer environment, but we see our member firms actively embracing change and being truly innovative in their strategies.

“This year’s Law Firm of the Year posted a record financial performance underpinned by a stand-out strategy with a razor-sharp focus on being the best law firm in its chosen markets. Key to that success is its concentration on encouraging all of its staff to be the very best they can.”

The strategic plan delivered by MBM Commercial LLP saw the firm expand service lines, increase staff by more than 40 percent, open a new office in central London and deliver powerful financial results that included a 70 percent increase in turnover and a 25 percent increase in average income per fee earner.

Said Cat MacLean, partner of MBM Commercial LLP: “Exceptional standards and a commitment to quality are the criteria for membership of LawNet, so recognition within this group of excellent law firms makes the award very special.

She added: “We’re quite a small firm but being able to have available to us all that comes through LawNet membership is tremendous and has undoubtedly contributed to our achievements. In particular, we greatly value the learning and development opportunities it gives us access to.”

Winner of the Young Lawyer of the Year was Mark Meleady of Devon firm Tozers Solicitors LLP, who was nominated for his outstanding technical ability, winning praise from clients and colleagues alike, and an entrepreneurial mindset, which has included building a new branch office team from scratch.

And Team of the Year went to the Historic Abuse Team at Portsmouth firm Verisona Law, which has demonstrated outstanding results after harnessing new technology and involvement in charity and community initiatives to support their work securing justice for clients in the most difficult of circumstances. Adam Bullion of InfoTrack who sat on the judging panel said: “It’s a difficult subject, and the team demonstrated the delicate balancing act of supporting clients whilst ensuring organic growth of the firm.”

Outstanding Individual Contribution was awarded to sales director Neil Lloyd of FBC Manby Bowdler LLP, who has spearheaded new technologies, management systems and structure. He has helped to reshape the West Midlands-based business, increasing turnover and profit, and embedding innovative people management initiatives.

Best Business Development and Marketing went to regional heavyweight Ashtons Legal for their blend of strategic vision and creativity, which has seen the firm building a presence in a range of niche markets nationally alongside their core East Anglian geographic area services.

The Excellence in Client Care award went to VWV, for a strategy that makes client care a key deliverable, embedded through an appraised set of objectives and a training requirement for every single member of staff at its offices across Bristol, Birmingham and London.

Best Community Contribution went to Gamlins Law Limited. Recognising the part played by its local community in recent growth and commercial success, it launched an ambitious campaign designed to give something back, with staff from across its North Wales offices encouraged to get involved in their community in any way they wished. It has seen initiatives ranging from legal clinics to lifeboat volunteering, an enterprise and support network for women running small businesses, and a commitment to reducing plastic waste, generating over 1,000 hours of volunteering and over £1 million pro-bono advice.

This year’s LawNet Enterprise Award, which recognises the firm which has made the biggest contribution in participating in the network over the year, went to Gardner Leader LLP, also celebrating their 25^th anniversary as LawNet members.

The award winners:

Law Firm of the Year : MBM Commercial LLP : Sponsored by Wilkinson Read & Partners

Team of the Year : Verisona Law, Historic Abuse team : Sponsored by InfoTrack

Young Lawyer of the year : Mark Meleady of Tozers Solicitors LLP : Sponsored by Moneypenny

Outstanding Individual Contribution : Neil Lloyd (FBC Manby Bowdler LLP) Sponsored by Tikit

Best Community Contribution : Gamlins Law Limited : Sponsored by Lloyds Bank, Commercial Banking

Best Business Development / Marketing : Ashtons Legal : Sponsored by Conscious Solutions

Excellence in Client Care : VWV : Sponsored by insight6

LawNet Enterprise award : Gardner Leader LLP : Sponsored by T-Impact Ltd

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Press information:
Maggie Taylor, Prima PR & Marketing
Direct line: 020 7 846 0096 Mobile: 0797 3767 602 Email: maggie@primapr.co.uk

Helen Hamilton-Shaw, Member Engagement & Strategy Director, LawNet
Direct line: 01926 834622 Email: hhamilton-shaw@lawnet.co.uk

Notes to Editor:

About LawNet

LawNet was established in 1989 to enable a collaborative, mutually-owned national network where independent law firms could access big firm resources and benefit from collective purchasing, shared knowledge, best practice and expertise.

All members share a commitment to excellence and must achieve and maintain LawNet’s own ISO.9001 standard and the associated Mark of Excellence in client service.

The combined aggregate turnover of the 71 firms comprising LawNet is currently in excess of £300m – equivalent to a UK Top 15 law firm – with members ranging from £2m to £25m turnover.

Independent research shows LawNet is most highly valued by members for delivering in six key areas – learning, networking, PII, practice development, marketing, compliance. It currently places over £1bn worth of PII cover alone for members each year, which helps stabilise premiums for firms.

www.lawnet.co.uk

by admin

Innovation and collaboration drive independents

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Pictured (left to right):

Back row: Nigel Maud, Hart Brown; Robert Jobson, Gardner Leader LLP; Oliver Ray and Martin Whitworth, Gotelee Solicitors; Phillip Hoskins and Michael Pace, Andrew & Co Solicitors; Ed O’Rourke, Ashtons Legal; Helen Hamilton-Shaw, LawNet
Middle row: – Jenny Buchanan, Gardner Leader LLP; Melanie Carroll, Mullis & Peake LLP; Rebecca White, Hart Brown; Helen Bell, Andrew & Co Solicitors; Duncan Jackson, Buckles Solicitors LLP
Front row: Claire Hughes, Ashtons Legal; Danielle Collett-Bruce, Hart Brown; Derek Rodgers, Gardner Leader LLP; Colleen Gostick, Buckles Solicitors LLP; Chris Marston, LawNet.

Independent law firms are proving they have what it takes to chase off challengers and disruptors.

Top performing firms and outstanding individuals from across the legal community gathered to celebrate the ninth annual LawNet Awards, which recognise innovation and strategic success.

“We had a record number of submissions and a highly competitive field of entrants, all of whom demonstrated real vision and depth in delivering solutions with a proven business impact across the categories,” said LawNet chief executive Chris Marston.

Gardner Leader was named LawNet Law Firm of the Year. Through a combination of organic growth, strategic alliances and acquisition, the firm has seen turnover almost double in the past five years.

Said Derek Rodgers, managing partner of Berkshire-based Gardner Leader: “This marks the culmination of a long term vision, with quite significant growth over the last five years. We have added new people, invested in new technology, implemented continuous improvement and change management processes, and integrated a couple of acquisitions into the firm. It’s been a lot of hard work and we’re very proud to have it recognised with this award.”

He added: “We’ve been members of LawNet for a long time and know the calibre of the firms in the network, so to win against that competition means a lot to us.”

Winner of the Young Lawyer of the Year was Danielle Collett-Bruce of Hart Brown. Just three years qualified she is already the lead solicitor on varied transactions of significant value and has drawn up licencing agreements used around the globe on high value software contracts. Hart Brown also collected the Mark of Excellence award for their work in delivering exceptional customer service.

Best Digital Presence went to Gotelee Solicitors for a strategic campaign focused on increasing traffic referrals, tackling negative perceptions of the sector, and creating a strong online personality for the firm. The analytics-driven campaign has seen overall traffic increased by 84% in three years.

Buckles Solicitors LLP collected the Excellence in Employee Engagement for their focus on relationships to deliver business success, putting employees at the heart of the company. It’s already won the firm a place on the Best Companies to Work For national index as well as the Investors in People Gold Standard.

Best Community Contribution went to Ashtons Legal in the East of England for a unique commitment to its local community, setting up its own Charitable Trust in 2014, as a vehicle to give back to the area. Since April this year the trust has distributed £12,500, alongside pro bono, facility provision and community involvement by the firm.

And Team of the Year went to the Residential Property Team, Mullis & Peake LLP for all round innovation and best practice. Successes include business development which saw a new satellite office deliver an immediate return on investment.

Added Chris Marston: “There is much to celebrate in the sector, despite the pessimism spread by the nay-sayers. We may be dealing with more regulation, new learning requirements, and constant competition and disruption, but the exceptional successes in this year’s entries demonstrate there’s plenty of opportunity if firms are prepared to innovate.”

He added: “The peer to peer collaboration and networking between our members certainly has a catalytic effect, raising the bar and helping to grow winning firms.”

The award winners:

Law Firm of the Year Gardner Leader LLP : Sponsored by Wilkinson Read & Partners

Team of the Year Residential Property Team, Mullis & Peake LLP : Sponsored by STL

Young Lawyer of the year Danielle Collett-Bruce, Hart Brown: Sponsored by Econocom Digital Finance

Excellence in Employee Engagement Buckles Solicitors LLP : Sponsored by Tikit

Best Community Contribution Ashtons Legal : Sponsored by Landmark Information Group

Best Digital Presence Gotelee Solicitors : Sponsored by Conscious Solutions

LawNet Mark of Excellence Hart Brown : Sponsored by Shopper Anonymous

Most active LawNet member Andrew & Co LLP
ENDS