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

LawNet hits new membership high

LawNet, the collaborative, non-profit network for independent law firms, has announced a record intake of new members, taking membership to 71 firms - the highest for 20 years.

Six new firms have joined during the past year, with the two most recent recruits being London-based William Sturges and Martin Tolhurst Solicitors in Kent, bringing the combined turnover of member firms to more than £300m.

Managing partner Richard Carter of Martin Tolhurst, which has 160 staff across six offices, said: “We were delighted to join a group that had impressed us from afar. We like the fact that the network is member-owned and will support our firm in building our own brand. We are keen to get involved in the excellent training programme and the collaborative approach with like-minded law firms is already evident from our first few days of membership.”

At Westminster-based William Sturges, with just under 50-staff, managing partner James Hannon said: “As a firm we want to make greater efficiencies, and membership will give us access to resources that would otherwise be out of reach to a firm of our size. We expect to see benefits in helping us manage risk, satisfy regulatory requirements and reduce our professional indemnity premiums, as well as giving us marketing and other expertise at a level that we could not otherwise expect to have in-house. The opportunity to share ideas and best practice with leaders in other progressive firms is also very attractive.”

LawNet chief executive Chris Marston added: “Growing the membership increases our influence and our buying power, which is vital for the future success of the network. But we will never lower the bar and any firm wanting to join LawNet must satisfy our stringent eligibility criteria and be a true fit in terms of quality and outlook.

“The new members who join us today are strong, independent, resourceful businesses who, despite being major players in their chosen geographical or sector markets, nonetheless see the value of being part of something bigger.

“They’re drawn to the collaborative, non-competing approach, which is so highly valued by our members.”

He added: “Our membership remains very stable, but consolidation in the sector has an inevitable impact, and we continue to be focused on identifying firms that may add to the mix, as well filling some geographic gaps."

LawNet membership is by invitation, typically to firms fitting the profile of £2m - £25m turnover who are prepared to commit to the LawNet ISO 9001 quality standard, which is mandatory for all firms and incorporates the network’s customer-facing LawNet Excellence Mark programme, through which LawNet firms measure the client experience using mystery shopping and client satisfaction surveys.

LawNet’s ISO 9001 quality standard also incorporates all the requirements of the Law Society’s Lexcel practice management standard, creating a direct route through which LawNet members can achieve dual accreditation.

ENDS