Shortlist 2026
2026 Shortlist
Woman of the Year
Afsheen Nasr, Ronald Fletcher Baker
Caroline Green, Browne Jacobson
Charlotte Proudman, Proudmans
Christina Warner, 33 Bedford Row
Fallon Alexis, QEB Hollis Whiteman
Hilary Meredith-Beckham, Hilary Meredith Solicitors
Jo Farmer, Lewis Silkin
Kate Aubrey-Johnson, Garden Court Chambers
Rós Ní Dhubháin, Freshfields
Shareen Gault, Insights Learning and Development
Somaya Ouazzani, Children Not Numbers
Sultana Tafadar KC, No5 Barristers’ Chambers
Law Firm Leader of the Year – International Law Firm
Anna Worwood, Penningtons Manches Cooper
Claire Keast-Butler, Cooley
Claire Kelly, Oracle Solicitors
Dóra Petrányi, CMS
Kathleen Harris, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer
Kelly Thomson, RPC
Kizzy Augustin, Mishcon De Reya
Paula Jefferson, Clyde & Co
Reena Parmar, Freshfields
Sally Dallow, Womble Bond Dickinson UK
Law Firm Leader of the Year – National/Regional Law Firm
Afsheen Nasr, Ronald Fletcher Baker
Eleanor Holland, The Wilkes Partnership
Julie McConnell, Brodies
Kim Lehal, RWK Goodman
Lindsey Kidd, HM3 Legal
Natalie Darko, Edwards Duthie Shamash Solicitors
Pauline Wild, Forbes Solicitors
Sharon Needle, Needle Partners
Victoria Wright, White & Black
Law Firm Leader of the Year – Boutique Law Firm
Clare Murray, CM Murray
Emma Cleveland, Cleveland & Co
Hannah Needle, Tapestry Compliance
Hilary Meredith-Beckham, Hilary Meredith Solicitors
Joanna Grant, Fenchurch Law
Kathryn Paterson, 3 Verulam Buildings
Mihaela Padure, Forest & Co
Sarah Dodd, Tree Law
Silvia Van den Bruel, Hausfeld
Yuhua Yang, Thornhill Legal
General Counsel of the Year
Beth Hale, CM Murray
Helen Kennedy-Shamir, Checkatrade
Mary Bowie, Verisk
Shareen Gault, Insights Learning & Development
Business Leader of the Year
Amanda Bell, SeparateSpace
Danae Shell, Valla
Emily Gill, LEVRA
Georgina Sundown, ABC Chambers Solutions
Kate Burt, HiveRisk
Kelly White, Number Fifteen Legal
Melissa Davis, MD Communications
Sharon Thomas, Global Counsel Forum
Unsung Hero
Beth Petch, Trowers & Hamlins
Kamaljeet Kaur, The Parenting Apart Programme
Kate Dempsey, Farrer & Co
Lily Kalati, Ropes & Gray
Lolade Sowunmi, The Stephen James Partnership
Luisa Asta, Astraea Group
Martine Eneas, University of Portsmouth
Misha Salehuddin, University of Leeds
Natasha Hedges, Quastels
Sarah Woodward, Higgs
Vanessa Pritchard, Hogan Lovells
Vicki Brown, University of Portsmouth
Returner of the Year
Charlotte Rice, Davis Polk
Francesca Ainsworth, Lewis Silkin
Helen Armstrong, RPC
Khatija Hafesji, Monckton Chambers
Kimberly Roberts, BCLP
Laura Lintott, Watson Farley & Williams
Laura Todd, Utility Warehouse
Lorna Parkin, Tapestry Compliance
Rachel Chan, 42BR Barristers
Sascha Grimm, Cooley
Tamsin Morris, Mills & Reeve
Dealmaker of the Year
Ash Tiwari, Baker McKenzie
Courtney Thorne, Cooley
Elena Rey, Brown Rudnick
Jessamy Gallagher, Freshfields
Mei Lian, Linklaters
Sharon Needle, Needle Partners
Disputes lawyer of the Year
Charlotte Hill, Penningtons Manches Cooper
Chhavie Kapoor, Mishcon de Reya
Daniella Mandel, Baker McKenzie
Davina Given, RPC
Emma Ager, Clyde & Co
Juliet Schalker, Debenhams Ottaway
Louisa Robbins, Clyde & Co
Maria O'Loan, Tughans
Michelle Sloane, RPC
Rosehana Amin, Clyde & Co
Victoria Pigott, Mishcon de Reya
Advocate of the Year
Audrey Cherryl Mogan, Garden Court Chambers
Charlotte Proudman, Proudmans
Emma Sutton KC, Serjeants’ Inn Chambers
Emma Price, 5 Essex Chambers
Jennifer MacLeod and Jagoda Klimowicz, Brick Court Chambers
Kira King, South Square Chambers
Natalie Darko, Edwards Duthie Shamash Solicitors
Rachel Chan, 42BR Barristers
Sonia Tolaney KC, One Essex Court
Sultana Tafadar KC, No5 Barristers’ Chambers
Turan Hursit, Old Square Chambers
Commercial Lawyer of the Year
Elizabeth Duncan Lee, NCC Group
Guadalupe Sampedro, Cooley
Joanne McIntosh, Pinsent Masons
Sarah Fellows, Stobbs IP
Shaanil Senarath-Dassanayake, Charles Russell Speechlys
Shu Shu Wong, Haynes and Boone
Yuhua Yang, Thornhill Legal
In-house Counsel of the Year
Elizabeth Duncan Lee, NCC Group
Joan Scott, Nissan Motor UK
Kate Takes, Children Not Numbers
Laura Todd, Utility Warehouse
Mary Bowie, Verisk
Melissa Rose, University of Plymouth
Nicola Eames, NCC Group
Rising Star – International Law Firm
Emily Smith, Norton Rose Fulbright
Olivia Wint, BCLP
Shaanil Senarath-Dassanayake, Charles Russell Speechlys
Ugo Ebhogiaye, Trowers & Hamlins
Rising Star – National/Regional Law Firm
Alexandra Hastings-Smith, The Wilkes Partnership
Anna Ziarkowska, Lege Expertia
Charlotte Keys, The Wilkes Partnership
Emma Richardson, The Wilkes Partnership
Georgia Whitfield, Hay & Kilner
Rebecca De Stefano, Slater Heelis Solicitors
Rising Star – Boutique Law Firm
Demica Kaur Nettleford, Hausfeld
Dr Khrystyna Khanas, Astraea Group
Jessica Pinches, Black Antelope Law
Manveet Chhina, Proudmans
Natasha Janagol, Montrose Solicitors
Rebecca de Winter, Culver Law
Rachael Parker, CM Murray
Rising Star – In-house Lawyer
Ella Thorpe, University of Plymouth
Hannah Leslie, Insights Learning & Development
Karen Safo-Barnieh Olutogun, City of London Corporation (Police)
Sherena Masharani, Centrica
Rising Star - Barrister
Paige Jones, 5 Essex Chambers
Creanna Dodson, Church Court Chambers
Charlotte McDonald, 42BR Barristers
Sophie Stevens, 9BR Chambers
Srishti Suresh, Coram Chambers
Ife Thompson, Nexus Chambers
Law Firm of the Year
4-5 Gray's Inn Square
Addleshaw Goddard
Cleveland & Co
Duncan Lewis Solicitors
Forbes Solicitors
Haynes and Boone
In-House Legal Solutions
Quastels
Womble Bond Dickinson
Legal Department of the Year
Mosaic Insurance
NCC Group
Not-for-Profit Organisation or Representative Body of the Year
Girls Human Rights Hub
IFALE - International Aspiring Leaders
International [Future] Barrister Mentorship
LawCare
Neurodiversity in Law
Right to Equality
Superwomen of Colour
The BAME Woman in Law
The CILEX Foundation
The Legal Neurodiversity Network
Urban Lawyers
Supplier of the Year
HiveRisk
MD Communications
Mosaic Insurance
SeparateSpace
The Stephen James Partnership
Diversity Champion of the Year - Specialist Role
Carolene Ayaka, Addleshaw Goddard
Emily Helliwell, Culver Law
Fiona Fleming, Farrer & Co
Lindsay Jack, Law Society of Scotland
Lolade Sowunmi, The Stephen James Partnership
Diversity Champion of the Year - Private Practice Lawyer
Alia Lewis, TV Edwards
Sarah Richardson, Russell-Cooke
Yanoulla Kakoulli, Judge and Priestley
Alice Kinder, Bexley Beaumont
Kate Molan, Penningtons Manches Cooper
Nicola Dawn, Forbes Solicitors
Shu Shu Wong, Haynes and Boone
Emma Bartlett, CM Murray
Olivia Wint, BCLP
Diversity Champion of the Year – Legal Services Professional
Amanda Wright, Haynes and Boone
Emilia Tambwe, Baker McKenzie
Emily Mae Christie, Neurodiversity in Law
James Smither, Freshfields
Kathryn Britten, AlixPartners
Diversity Champion of the Year - Barrister
Fallon Alexis, QEB Hollis Whiteman
Hanisha Patel, 7 Bedford Row
Nia Marshall, Exchange Chambers
Ruth Reid, 3TG Barristers
Sam Townend KC, Keating Chambers
Sophie Stevens, 9BR Chambers
Sultana Tafadar KC, No5 Barristers’ Chambers
Turan Hursit, Old Square Chambers
Yaa Dankwa Ampadu-Sackey, Four Brick Court Chambers
Diversity Champion of the Year – In-House Lawyer
Mellissa Akinya, Government Legal Department
Róisín Ryan, Siemens
Roshni Thakrar, Flood Re
Yinsey Wang, Fidelity International
Mentor of the Year
Ann-Maree Blake, Quastels
Elizabeth Lukama, Student/Future Trainee, BPP Law School/Freshfields
Ellie Hecht, InnLegal
Helen Ripley, Rosenblatt Law
Lucinda Orr, Enyo Law
Maria O'Loan, Tughans
Mellissa Akinya, Government Legal Department & Black Lawyers Circle
Reena Parmar, Freshfields
Shaanil Senarath-Dassanayake, Charles Russell Speechlys
Venetia Chatzimichali, Blythe Liggins
Yinsey Wang, Fidelity International
Mentor of the Year - Barrister
Amanda Meusz, Garden Court Chambers
Anthony Metzer KC , Goldsmith Chambers
Christina Warner, 33 Bedford Row
Karen Kabweru-Namulemu, 1GC Family Law
Kate Aubrey-Johnson, Garden Court Chambers
Nia Marshall, Exchange Chambers
Ruth Reid, 3TG Barristers
Turan Hursit, Old Square Chambers
Diversity and Inclusion Initiative or Programme of the Year - Community Focused
Addleshaw Goddard
Farrer & Co
Norton Rose Fulbright
Mishcon de Reya
Penningtons Manches Cooper
Boyes Turner
Haynes and Boone
Diversity and Inclusion Initiative or Programme of the Year - Firm Focused