Norfolk firm Spire headed the list of legal innovators recognised for their achievements in this year’s LawNet awards.
The best and brightest from across the country’s mid-size independent firms were recognised at the annual awards ceremony, which saw more than 200 lawyers from 71 firms come together.
Now in its tenth year, the awards recognise the UK's best law firms and lawyers who are driving innovation and delivering outstanding business results.
"Each of the seven nominated award categories was keenly contested and all those shortlisted were outstanding, demonstrating they are among the best in the sector, and leading the way in facing up to the rapidly changing environment we face," said LawNet chief executive Chris Marston.
Spire Solicitors LLP was named LawNet Law Firm of the Year. A four-year strategic plan has seen three Norfolk firms across eight offices blended to create a major new regional player. Significant investment has established the necessary infrastructure, financial standing and team to enable the new firm to springboard future development and overcome declining local markets faced by smaller firms.
Said Alisdair Liddle, managing partner of Norfolk-based Spire LLP: “We have merged three firms and that’s quite a big challenge. It’s been a successful merger and we have an environment where people are positive and proactive, which reflects on the first-class service we serve to our clients on a daily basis. Without these founding business values across our firm, as well as the energy each member of staff has towards delivering outstanding advice and quality of service, achievements like this wouldn’t be possible.”
He added: “From my long involvement with LawNet, going back nearly 26 years, I know just how good our fellow finalists are, so to be selected as Law Firm of the Year is a real honour; it means a lot to us.”
Winner of the Young Lawyer of the Year was Rachael Gamble of Cleaver Fulton Rankin Ltd in Belfast, already a recommended individual in the UK Legal 500 and a well-regarded litigator with a busy Chancery practice.
Best DigitalPresence went to East Anglian based Ashtons Legal for their continued digital commitment, with a sophisticated multi-channel strategy working seamlessly to support their aim of being more accessible to prospects, clients, referrers and business contacts.
Stamp Jackson & Procter Ltd from Hull collected the Excellence in Employee Engagement for its latest initiative, which has seen its personal injury department taken through a cultural shift to enable the team to lead a reputation-led approach to future business development, as the department moves away from direct advertising.
The Excellence in Client Care award went Clarkson Wright & Jakes Ltd in Kent for their work in delivering exceptional customer service through a relentless drive for improvement and creative client service initiatives.
Best Community Contribution went to Tozers Solicitors LLP in the South West for its CSR strategy, which has been a game-changer in securing staff engagement and extending the firm’s reach in its local community.
And Team of the Year went to the Employment & HR Team at MLP Law Ltd in the North West, for a three-year strategic growth plan that has seen a 300% increase in turnover and a six-fold increase in fee earners.
LawNet chairman, Kim Carr, managing partner of Midlands-based FBC Manby Bowdler, added: “We have an outstanding set of innovators within the LawNet network and the awards celebrate all that makes our firms distinctly different.”
The award winners:
Law Firm of the Year Spire Solicitors LLP : Sponsored by Wilkinson Read & Partners
Team of the Year Employment & HR Team, MLP Law Ltd : Sponsored by STL
Young Lawyer of the year Rachael Gamble, Cleaver Fulton Rankin Ltd : Sponsored by Landmark Information Group
Excellence in Employee Engagement Stamp Jackson & Procter Ltd : Sponsored by Tikit
Best Community Contribution Tozers Solicitors LLP : Sponsored by Moneypenny
Best DigitalPresence Ashtons Legal : Sponsored by Conscious Solutions
Excellence in Client Care Clarkson Wright & Jakes Ltd : Sponsored by Shopper Anonymous
Most active LawNet member Gepp & Sons Solicitors
LawNet Award winners 2017 : To download a high res image: click here
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.
LawNet firms receive their awards at the annual conference
South East firm Matthew Arnold & Baldwin LLP has been named the LawNet Law Firm of the Year.
The firm scooped the prize for its successful strategy in driving up its commercial client base and its attitude to staff and client needs. The announcement was made at the annual conference of LawNet, the collaborative national network for independent law firms.
Said LawNet chief executive John Thomas, who presented the awards alongside BBC sports presenter Garry Richardson: “Their client list is now really impressive with some big hitters in the field and this has helped to drive their profits forward. They have increased their profile through various routes, including focussed use of networking, and have launched their own training academy which is available for all staff.”
Winner of the Managing Partner of the Year award was Derwent Campbell of Bath-based Mogers Solicitors LLP, who has overseen international recognition for the firm through the development of their expat services.
The use of leading edge techniques on their website saw a third successive win for East of England firm Kester Cunningham John who have started to sell some legal services online and have secured a 200% increase in traffic after an overhaul of their website.
Another firm rewarded for online innovation was Hertfordshire-based Breeze & Wyles Solicitors LLP, who won the business development award, after introducing an innovative online process to manage conveyancing work, which was written internally and has automated transactional work.
Best CSR policy went to Darbys Solicitors LLP in Oxford, for a clearly defined strategy that involves employees and covers involvement in both community and resource initiatives. The firm has recently secured ISO 14001 accreditation for its environmental management systems, one of only a handful of law firms in the country to do so.
And Ipswich firm Gotelee Solicitors won the Client Care award for a number of recent initiatives and processes, which have included a move to fixed fee billing and the introduction of a Client Promise strategy, which sets out how they will match up to their service claims and tackling everything about the client interaction process, through to how long a client may wait in reception.
The full list of award winners:
Law Firm of the Year
sponsored by comparelegaljobs.com
Matthew Arnold & Baldwin LLP
Managing Partner of the Year
Sponsored by Voicepath
Derwent Campbell of Mogers Solicitors LLP
Commitment to Client Care
Sponsored by Certainty
Gotelee Solicitors
Best website Sponsored by Hallam Communications
Kester Cunningham John Solicitors
Single Best Initiative: Business Development/Marketing
Sponsored by thecabinetoffice
Breeze & Wyles Solicitors LLP
Best CSR Policy
Sponsored by Westfield Health
Darbys Solicitors LLP
ENDS
360 words
For further information, please contact:
Press information:
Maggie Taylor, Prima PR & Marketing
Direct line: 01400 251557 Mobile: 0797 3767602 Email: maggie@primapr.co.uk
Helen Hamilton-Shaw, Director of Services, 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, non-competing national network where independent law firms could access big firm resources and benefit from collective purchasing, shared knowledge, best practice and expertise. Each firm has an exclusive geographical operating area to enable collaboration.
The combined income of the 68 firms comprising LawNet is currently in excess of £250m – equivalent to a UK Top 15 law firm – with members ranging from £2m to £15m turnover.
Independent research shows LawNet is most highly valued by members for delivering in six key areas – training, networking, PII, business development, marketing and compliance. It currently places some £1.2bn worth of PI cover alone for members each year, which helps stabilise premiums for firms.
