The judging panel’s choice for this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award was Dame Bobbie Cheema-Grubb, a powerful advocate and inspirational role model for women and diversity in the law. Dame Cheema-Grubb became the first Asian woman ever to be appointed as Treasury Counsel at the Old Bailey and the first ever Asian female High Court judge, subsequently taking up the role of presiding judge for the South Eastern Circuit. Outside the courtroom, she chaired the Advocacy Training Council working group that produced the influential report Raising the Bar: The Handling of Vulnerable Witnesses, Victims and Defendants in Court. On concluding her term as presiding judge, Dame Cheema-Grubb offered this message to the criminal bar: “Long live the criminal bar. Long live its sense of humour, esprit de corps, and devotion to be the best, and make friends afterwards whether you win or lose.”

Shortlist: Amanda Meusz, Garden Court Chambers; Catherine Dobson, 39 Essex Chambers; Charlotte Proudman, Goldsmith Chambers; Emily Formby KC, 39 Essex Chambers; Leigh-Ann Mulcahy KC, Fountain Court Chambers; Monica Feria-Tinta, Twenty Essex; Tamara Oppenheimer KC, Fountain Court Chambers

Garden Court Chambers public law and human rights barrister Gráinne Mellon was named Advocate of the Year for her work acting in discrimination cases on behalf of children, vulnerable adults, refugees and trafficking victims. She also works tirelessly to support women and diversity at the Bar, providing mentorship and working with clerks to promote opportunities for women returning from maternity leave (Mellon recently returned to work following a period of maternity leave with her first baby). One notable case she has worked on over the past year was acting for a disabled asylum seeker and his young children living in unsuitable accommodation in a dispute over who had a duty to accommodate the family – the local authority or the Home Office? Mellon argued it was the responsibility of the local authority and the High Court agreed, clarifying the law for many others in similar situations. “Strong evidence of ground-breaking cases and commitment to diversity particularly for returning mothers to the Bar,” a judge noted.

Shortlist: Carol Hopper, Greenberg Traurig; Hannah Kendrick, Squire Patton Boggs; Nallini Puri, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton (Highly Commended); Naomi Jones, Quastels; Sandra Wong, Browne Jacobson

Paul Hastings restructuring partner Helena Potts scooped the Dealmaker of the Year award for her insolvency and restructuring advisory work and her commitment to equality in the legal profession. She manages a team that is comprised of 50% women partners, as well as lawyers from diverse ethnic, religious and educational backgrounds. Before joining Paul Hastings, she worked at Shearman & Sterling, where she led its London diversity taskforce, and before that was vice-chair of Latham & Watkins’ global diversity and leadership committee. She is also a fierce advocate for mental health wellbeing, providing mental health check-ins, mentoring and sponsorship support for team members. One judge noted: “Helena has made her mark on DE&I and dealmaking at each of the law firms that she has been at. Great to see the importance placed on role-modelling as well as the importance she places on team-leads looking after the mental wellbeing of their teams.”

Shortlist: Alison Berryman, Biztech Lawyers; Carly Caton, Browne Jacobson; Dipti Shah, Quastels; Farida Isaji, Napthens; Guadalupe Sampedro, Cooley; Olivia Bedell-Pearce, Stobbs; Rebecca Anderson, Six Pump Court Barristers’ Chambers; Sarah Fellows, Stobbs; Victoria Leigh, Squire Patton Boggs

Brown Rudnick corporate partner Sage Revell won the Commercial Lawyer of the Year award for her advisory and transaction work, and her efforts to champion diversity as the firm’s DE&I partner in London. The latter role involves supporting the firm to recruit, develop and promote diverse and women lawyers, ensuring DE&I remains a strategic priority for the business. She is also an advocate for women’s health and wellness, and leads the firm’s ‘FemTech’ initiative in London and New York. In her advisory capacity, she assisted US-based FemTech start-up DeepLook Medical on its Series A financing round to support its mission to use AI technology to improve early breast cancer detection. A judge commented: “Sage uses her position to influence change in her field of expertise for the benefit of women. Taking the role of DE&I partner in addition to her professional career demonstrates strong commitment to driving change.”

Shortlist: Adina Ezekiel, Paul Hastings; Claire Kelly, Oracle Solicitors; Jane Colston, Brown Rudnick; Jess Alden, Slateford; Joanna Bailey, Giambrone & Partners; Juliet Schalker, Debenhams Ottaway; Mouna Moussaoui, Akin; Rachel Ziegler, BCLP; Raeesa Rawal, Herbert Smith Freehills; Rebecca Campbell, BCLP (Highly Commended); Victoria Leigh, Squire Patton Boggs

Weil partner Hayley Lund has been hailed as one of London’s ‘standout next-generation dispute resolution lawyers’, balancing client litigation and investigations work with a desire to push for new industry standards in pro bono, diversity and recruitment. Her pro bono efforts often focus on DE&I matters, including advising domestic violence charity Refuge on proposed amendments to the Domestic Abuse Bill (now Act) and advising LGBT+ asylum seeker charity Micro Rainbow on its internal compliance policies. She is a prominent member of Women@Weil, which is focused on harnessing women talent at the firm through mentorship and advancement. And she is co-head of Early Careers at Weil, where she promotes diversity through recruitment. In addition to those DE&I commitments and her high-profile disputes and investigations work, Lund recently returned from maternity leave, demonstrating to junior female lawyers that it is possible to balance motherhood with being a law firm partner and running a successful practice.

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Shortlist: Emma Readman, Vodafone; Jennifer Mitchell, Virgin Media O2 (Highly Commended); Nicola Philp, Syneos Health; Sherisa Rajah, Vista

Vodafone lead counsel for brand and IP matters Natasza Shilling won the In-House Counsel of the Year award for her contribution to diversity at the UK mobile giant. That included recruiting a team member from a minority ethnic background who was interested in law and helping support them through the SQE and a training contract. She has assembled a diverse team that includes a black woman lawyer and paralegal, an LGBTQ+ brand protection manager and a Chinese legal counsel. Aside from her DE&I work, Shilling helped Vodafone successfully register its sonic mark at the EU Intellectual Property Office – a notoriously difficult task (out of 2.5 million EU trademarks, only 0.1% of them are sonic marks). To aid in this process, she enlisted the help of a musical expert to ensure the Vodafone mark would be considered distinctive by the EUIPO. “Natasza’s leadership and professional development of a diverse in-house legal team and her legal work make this a top-rated submission,” a judge noted.

Shortlist: Burket Erdogan, Ashton Ross Law; Louise Eardley, Gold Jennings; Jessica Pinches, Black Antelope Law; Oliwia Woznica, LXL; Reccy Midigo, Burley Law

Jess Alden, a lawyer at boutique privacy and reputation firm Slateford, took home the Rising Star - Boutique Law Firm award for her rapid career ascent that has seen her jump from associate to senior associate and now director at the age of just 28. She is the first from her family to graduate from university, having gone from a state comprehensive to study law at Oxford. As the only senior East Asian woman in her field of work, she is an active promoter of diversity. She works with her old comprehensive school to lead initiatives on DE&I and supporting students from underprivileged backgrounds. She is also a founding advisory board member of the Asian Communications Network, which aims to promote Asian voices in the media and other areas of influence. Aside from her client advisory work, she also seeks to promote social mobility and equity across the firm’s recruitment and staff reward function. “Her passion for her chosen path is clear,” a judge commented.

Shortlist: Charlotte Moar, Vodafone; Lina Khanom, Cafcass; Rebecca Swinton-Bland, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS; Sara Mehak, Animal Alliance Project

Niresha Umaichelvam, a legal aid lawyer at the UK’s national centre for drug law expertise Release, landed the Rising Star - In-house Lawyer award for her work specialising in community care and defending vulnerable clients. She also recognises the direct impact of unconscious bias women in law face, prompting her to push for open discussions about equality, diversity and race at Release. As a woman of colour, she is determined to address racial discrimination head-on. On behalf of Release, she led on a coalition report submitted to the UN’s Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), highlighting racial disparity in the UK when it comes to policing drugs (people of colour are more likely to face criminal sanctions than white people). Following the report and having delivered evidence at the UN, CERD recommended that the UK revise its racist drug laws and policies, including abolishing strip-searches on children. “An impressive legal aid lawyer,” a judge noted.

Shortlist: Abigail Kalonga, Weil; Abigail Hung, Paul Hastings; Amelia Platton, Clifford Chance; Hannah-Mei Grisley, Squire Patton Boggs; Iffat Ahmad, Akin (Highly Commended); Jorja Vernon, DWF; Natalie Coulton, Paul Hastings; Natasha Warby, BCLP; Sinead Cuthill, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath; Sonia Martinez, Herbert Smith Freehills

DWF trainee lawyer Fortune Elenwa won the Rising Star - International Law Firm award for both her pro bono legal work and her efforts to boost diversity and inclusion through mentorship. Having studied law in Nigeria, Elenwa moved to the UK to study international business and corporate law, eventually landing a training contract at DWF in real estate litigation. Prior to this she worked for Kuje Prison in Nigeria, working on a pre-trial detention project, which led to her helping free an imate who was wrongfully detained due to a clerical error. She says that case reinforced her belief in the power of legal advocacy and highlighted the importance of systemic reforms to prevent similar errors. “It remains one of the most meaningful contributions of my career after many years,” she said. Elenwa is also working with the Women in the City Afro-Caribbean Network and mentoring individuals from low-income backgrounds to help them pursue their goals in the legal profession.

Shortlist: Aisha Areej, Buckles Solicitors; Cherry Shin, HGF (Highly Commended); Gabriela Goldberg, George Green; Hebah Lina Berhan, EIP; Mariam Shah, rrader

Manchester-based Browne Jacobson associate Laura Thomas was handed the Rising Star - National/Regional Law Firm award for her work promoting diversity in the profession. She is currently a member of the Law Society’s LGBTQ+ committee, having spent two years as vice-chair. She also regularly speaks on panels about LGBTQ+ issues and has organised events for the Law Society around Pride. In addition to that, she has sat on the Manchester Law Society diversity committee and co-led Greater Manchester Combined Authority LGBTQ+ Equality Panel. Prior to joining Browne Jacobson’s advisory and inquests healthcare team, Thomas was working in Court of Protection matters and over her career has worked on personal injury claims and defendant catastrophic injuries. A recent notable case she led on was representing the Health Board in a novel and emotionally sensitive case around abortion for an 11-year-old. A judge commented: “Laura is impressive clearly both in her firm and outside of it.”

Shortlist: #MenopauseMatters; BlackWomenAspiringLawyers; City of London Solicitors’ Company; In/Fertility in the City; Ladies of Law; Lawyers Who Care CIC; Legal Neurodiversity Network; LGBTQ+ Law Clinic CIC; London Court of International Arbitration; Neurodiversikey; The Legal Link; The Tyro Lawyer

Diversity charity GROW Mentoring won the Not-for-Profit Organisation or Representative Body of the Year award for its work supporting aspiring lawyers from underrepresented groups through one-to-one mentoring, events and career opportunities. It seeks to address the challenges typically faced by such groups, including a lack of industry contacts, formal mentoring and access to leading firms and companies. Since 2023, it has paired more than 1,000 mentees and hosted 17 in-person and hybrid events across the UK and the Middle East (also in tandem with events such as Pride and Black History month), working with partner organisations including eBay, Amazon, Barclays, Freshfields and Willkie Farr & Gallagher. “This organisation stood out from the rest because of the huge impact they have made across the different diversity strands including Pride, Black History month, social mobility and disability, and has become a well respected and established initiative which seeks to aspire and improve access for females to the legal profession,” a judge enthused.

Shortlist: Chris Fawcett, Clifford Chance (Highly Commended); Fiona Fleming, Farrer & Co; Megan Mosey, Penningtons Manches Cooper; Meleesha Perera, Clyde & Co; Rachel Pears, RPC

Womble Bond Dickinson HR team member Charlotte Hall won the DE&I Champion of the Year - Specialist Law Firm DE&I Role award in recognition of her diversity work at the firm, including helping it achieve Disability Confident Leader status (something only four other law firms have achieved) and becoming WBD’s inclusive recruitment lead. She has helped improve the firm’s recruitment processes to make them as inclusive as possible. She is also part of WBD’s steering group for its Disability & Neurodiversity Network, helping lead on the network’s strategy. In her position as inclusive recruitment lead, Hall oversees all of its DE&I data collected during the recruitment process, enabling her to continue refining the process by identifying any barriers. She also ensures that DE&I is embedded into its recruitment language and imagery while promoting the firm’s wider DE&I efforts and success stories. All of these initiatives have led to a 33% increase in hires across its disabled candidates.

Shortlist: Amelia Platton, Clifford Chance; Asha Patel, Browne Jacobson; Aysha Chouhdary, Geldards; Bridget Tatham, Browne Jacobson; Dipti Hunter, HCR Law; Emily Cox, Womble Bond Dickinson (Highly Commended); Mandip Sagoo, Clyde & Co; Michelle Essen, Womble Bond Dickinson; Yanoulla Kakoulli, Judge & Priestley

Freshfields’ counsel Reena Parmar won the DE&I Champion of the Year - Private Practice Lawyer award for her work promoting diversity in the legal profession, including co-founding Freshfield’s disability network Enabled and being appointed chair of the Law Society’s Disabled Solicitors Network in 2022. As chair of the DSN, she advocates for disability equity and inclusion by supporting disabled individuals with career advice and mentoring, as well as sharing her own story to help break down the stigma associated with disability. Having been promoted to counsel at Freshfields, Parmar is using her platform to serve as a voice for change and to show, as an openly disabled role model, that disability doesn’t prevent you from having a successful career in law. And she is doing all of this while balancing her practice as a debt capital markets counsel. “Reena’s contribution in her various voluntary DE&I roles are making a difference,” a judge said.

Shortlist: Christina Warner, 33 Bedford Row (Highly Commended); Ebony Alleyne, Gatehouse Chambers; Leigh-Ann Mulcahy KC, Fountain Court Chambers; Lola-Rose Avery, Setfords; Lynne McCafferty KC, 4 Pump Court; Tamara Oppenheimer KC, Fountain Court Chambers

East Anglian Chambers pupil barrister Lucy Barnes won the DE&I Champion of the Year - Barrister award for her journey to pursue a law career despite many personal hurdles and trauma, and her work as CEO and co-founder of mentoring organisation Lawyers Who Care, which is designed to support aspiring lawyers who have grown up in care settings. Barnes herself grew up in foster care and spent time homeless at 13 and again at 16. Since qualifying and being called to the Bar in 2021, Barnes has dedicated herself to promoting social mobility, particularly for those from foster care and for neurodivergent individuals (being neurodivergent herself). A judge commented: “Lucy is proactively championing an inclusion agenda which is still not spoken enough across the legal sector – supporting care-experienced individuals. Lucy is open about her own story which I’m sure has inspired those with similar lived experiences and allies to the care-experienced inclusion agenda.”

Shortlist: Chrisphina Wreh, Vodafone (Highly Commended); Farnaz Massoumian, Vodafone; Roshni Thakrar, Flood Re (Highly Commended); Maiko Adachi, Aviva; Mary Bowie, Verisk; Sofia Abbas, Aviva

Nissan legal counsel Joan Scott won the DE&I Champion of the Year - In-house Lawyer award for her diversity and inclusion advocacy in the workplace and within the wider community. Scott is currently a board director and chair of the Black Solicitors Network and City Group, as well as an advisory board member at BARBRI, where she is looking into academic attainment gaps between ethnic groups. She also provides charity-based mentoring to encourage more black and ethnic minority women to enter the legal profession. Before joining Nissan, Scott worked at Specsavers, where she co-founded and co-chaired its embRACE network, which was designed to create a more supportive work environment for ethnic minority colleagues. In addition to all this, she regularly speaks on panels about diversity in law and gives keynotes at universities and schools, seeking to champion DE&I and female rights, drawing from her own experiences and challenges in the profession.

Shortlist: Axana Soltan, Oxford University; Emma Llanwarne, Neurodiversikey (Highly Commended); Farzana Aslam, Stanford Resourcing; Liz Dux, Littleton Chambers; Sarah de Gay, City of London Solicitors’ Company; Sian Huckett, Fountain Court Chambers

BlackWomenAspiringLawyers founder and director Gbemi Akanbi won the DE&I Champion of the Year - Legal Services Professional award in recognition of her efforts to create equitable legal career opportunities for minorities, particularly young black women. BlackWomenAspiringLawyers was founded to provide mentorship, resources and support to boost the representation of and empower minorities in the legal profession. While also a lawyer at Blake Morgan (qualified in Nigeria, New York and England and Wales), Akanbi leads fundraising efforts for BlackWomenAspiringLawyers (to sustain initiatives such as workshops and mentorship programmes) while also directing a team of volunteers, creating content and overseeing its social media strategy to grow its community and amplify its message to a wider audience. Her goal is to equip members with the skills and confidence to navigate their careers, helping them secure roles and gain recognition in the profession while also breaking down barriers across the legal industry.

Shortlist: Alison Berryman, Biztech Lawyers; Anthony Metzer KC, Goldsmith Chambers; Ashley Brickles, FTI Technology; Brie Stevens-Hoare KC, Gatehouse Chambers (Highly Commended); Catherine Bamford, BamLegal; Gabriela Goldberg, George Green; Jane Colston, Brown Rudnick; Kate Andrews, Carey Olsen; Lina Khanom, Cafcass; Reena Parmar, Freshfields; Siobhan Owers, Fragomen

The BAME Woman in Law founder Hilda Kwoffie won the Mentor of the Year award for overseeing her organisation’s mentorship programme, which includes interactive workshop sessions and networking initiatives. She has mentored more than 35 women from BAME backgrounds since the start of last year, developing their skills and helping them secure work placements and mini-pupillages, as well as gain entry to industry events and conferences to help make new connections. A key part of the mentorship programme is creating a career action plan for mentees to follow and breaking goals down into manageable steps. She also helps build confidence by focusing on a mentee’s strengths and passions, and helping them be more resilient (such as reframing rejection as part of the process). A judge said: “Good example of contribution and mentoring and commitment by establishing an organisation dedicated to BAME women in law.”

Shortlist: Squire Patton Boggs (Highly Commended)

Specialist intellectual property firm HGF won the Age and Life Stage Initiative of the Year award for its parental leave and pay offering that is provided to new parents irrespective of gender. The initiative gives eligible staff 52 weeks of leave, 26 of them at full pay. Staff can spread that leave and pay to suit personal circumstances, with fee earners given reduced billing targets for the relevant time periods. The Families@HGF Affinity Group – an internal support network for new parents – helped advise HGF’s board on improvements to the firm’s shared parental leave policies (including upping paternity leave and pay for new fathers and offering those same benefits even if both parents are taking leave simultaneously). HGF says this move makes it the first UK IP firm to offer such a policy. “A number of professional firms are not yet establishing attractive paid parental leave policies so it’s great that HGF is setting a progressive and inspiring example,” one judge noted.

Shortlist: Clifford Chance

UK firm Irwin Mitchell took home the Disability Initiative of the Year award for its efforts to improve its attractiveness to disabled candidates and create a more inclusive recruitment experience. This comes against a backdrop where disabled people make up just 6% of the legal workforce, compared to 16% for the workforce as a whole. In its efforts to become a Disability Confident Level 3 Leader, the firm focused on addressing the recruitment process and ensuring external advertising and language to attract disabled candidates was appropriate. This involved partnering with Evenbreak – a disability job board and social enterprise to help disabled people find work – and providing specialist diversity training to support disabled candidates. Those efforts are already delivering positive results, with lateral hires seeing a 62% increase in the number of applications from disabled lawyers in the 2024 financial year compared to a year earlier. “An excellent range of initiatives which are producing quantifiable results,” a judge said.

Shortlist: EON

Virgin Media O2’s general counsel’s office (GCO) won the In-House Legal Department of the Year award for its efforts to lead on the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The GCO’s leadership already has 50.6% women representation (ahead of a company target to achieve equal gender representation by 2027). To support the company’s broader DE&I strategy (All In), the GCO has established its own All In Squad, comprising 25 legal department employees across all levels of seniority who are dedicated to building an inclusive environment where diverse talent can thrive. Some initiatives the GCO has implemented include an All In mentoring programme that is focused on DE&I and company culture, lunch and learns (on issues such as mental health and wellbeing), and employee representative group sponsorship to support employees from marginalised communities. A judge noted: “Substantial interventions aligning with the company’s DE&I strategy and tailored to the GCO context.”

Shortlist: Anthony Collins (Highly Commended); Birketts; Dawson Cornwell; Dechert; Fragomen; In-House Legal Solutions; Morgan Lewis & Bockius; Quastels; RPC; Stobbs

Farrer & Co scooped the Law Firm of the Year award in recognition of its ‘Conscious Inclusion’ strategy that it launched in November 2023. The initiative is designed around three core principles: to create true equity in policy, process and practice; to promote diversity of people and practice; and to advance inclusion through language, behaviour and organisational culture. To support this, the firm created a new organisational framework to make the management board and core equity, diversity and inclusion team responsible for the strategic elements of DE&I, which is then delivered by the DE&I committee and employee impact groups. Key achievements from this approach include linking DE&I training to pay rises and bonuses, investing in the 10,000 Black Interns programme and rising 20 places in the Social Mobility Index to become one of the top 50 employers in the UK. “Impressed by the simple yet effective Conscious Inclusion strategy,” commented a judge.

Shortlist: BlueSky; FTI Consulting (Highly Commended); TBD Marketing; The Legists

UK audiovisual law library Courtney Legal took home the Supplier of the Year award for its efforts to improving access to justice by educating and empowering people from outside the ‘system’ through visual learning. This includes plain-talking insights and animations that demonstrate what happens in court and in non-court dispute resolution settings. Its primary area of focus is financial family law and its content has won praise from the senior judiciary, Ministry of Justice officials, legal professionals and members of the public who need insight from within the legal system. One Courtney user who is currently going through a divorce said without it the situation – which has become more protracted and emotive than either party envisaged – would have been much worse. A judge commented: “Courtney has found an innovative way to increase access to justice and law. Through using a different medium to communicate complicated messaging, Courtney could have impact beyond what its founders could ever expect.”

RPC has partnered with UOcean to combat ocean pollution through waste removal and awareness initiatives. Last year, 169 employees volunteered 471 hours across 72 clean-up events, removing over 26,000 kilos of plastic waste from waterways.

Shortlist: Addleshaw Goddard; Boodle Hatfield; Clyde & Co; Penningtons Manches Cooper

Fountain Court Chambers received the Gender Equality Initiative of the Year award for its ‘Female Advocates Breakfast’ (FAB), a quarterly event founded in 2018 by Fountain Court silk Leigh-Ann Mulcahy KC. The aim of FAB is to allow women from across the profession to meet in an informal environment to get to know each other, as well as provide advice and share experiences against a backdrop where women represent 40.6% of the Bar compared to 50.2% of the UK working age population. Fountain Court also works with other chambers who have hosted or sponsored the breakfast, including the likes of 3VB, Brick Court, Essex Court and Monckton, among others. The event also welcomes special guests to give keynote speeches, including former Bar chair Amanda Pinto KC and HHJ Khatun Sapnara, the first British Bangladeshi judge. “Great community initiative to build connection and showcase positive role models,” a judge noted.

Shortlist: Browne Jacobson; Fragomen (Highly Commended); Project Uplift (multi-firm initiative)

A cross-industry collaboration involving lawyers from a group of firms including Linklaters, Addleshaw Goddard, BCLP, Herbert Smith Freehills, Norton Rose Fulbright and Travers Smith won the LGBT+ Initiative of the Year award for their multi-firm leadership development programme ‘The LLP!’. Led by Linklaters’ learning director and chair of the City of London Law Society training committee Patrick McCann, the initiative was targeted at mid-senior level LGBTQ+ lawyers to help them develop leadership skills and provide support through peer group connections. The two-day development programme – which included training sessions, panel conversations, presentations and group activities – was followed by post-course one-to-one coaching for all participants. A judge noted: “This cross-industry collaboration has impact the minute delegates step through the door of the programme. They get to build a cross legal-sector community at a pivotal moment in a lawyer’s career. It is a first of its kind and addresses a need to support LGBT+ lawyers.”

Shortlist: Quastels; Stobbs

Magic Circle firm Clifford Chance won the Mental Health and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year award for its work around improving psychological safety in its workplace and championing its global wellbeing strategy ‘nurturing authenticity’. To support this initiative, the firm is introducing a number of new tools, including ‘Unmind’ (to help leaders manage diverse teams), as well as MotionSpot and WELL Platinum building standards in new office designs (which ensures inclusive health is embedded into the physical workspace). Almost a fifth of the firm’s employees had signed up and used Unmind’s training and content since it went live in the middle of last year. The firm has also worked to upskill its internal mental health champions on issues such as the Middle East conflict, bringing in a psychologist to discuss how to best handle conversations of that nature appropriately. “A wide selection of initiatives to meet the wide ranging health and wellbeing needs of staff,” a judge said.

Shortlist: Browne Jacobson (Highly Commended); Farrer & Co; Geldards; Harbottle & Lewis

BCLP and Diverse Talent Networks (DTN) won the Race Equality or Faith Initiative of the Year award for its research report on South Asian experiences in UK big law – Stop The Talent Leak – driven by the underrepresentation of South Asian senior talent in the industry. DTN surveyed and interviewed more than 250 partners of South Asian heritage across 58 City law firms to better understand their experiences around career progression in the industry and learn how to improve support for the next generation of South Asian law firm leaders. A judge commented: “Really impressed that the firm decided to tackle a clearly uncomfortable subject of South Asian experiences in the law not just internally – but also across the profession. This type of research and final report was carefully done – and in a fashion which can usefully be drawn upon for the benefit of the profession as a whole.”

Shortlist: Addleshaw Goddard; City of London Solicitors’ Company; Clyde & Co; Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath; Paul Hastings; Perkins Coie; Squire Patton Boggs

Immigration services specialist Fragomen picked up the Social Mobility of the Year award for its work with global charity Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB) to transform skilled migration systems for refugees given that traditional work permits are not typically accessible for displaced people or those that have fled their homes. By working with the UK government, Fragomen and TBB put in place a pilot to help displaced talent find work. Since 2021, 500 displaced people have been placed in the UK in sectors including engineering, legal and digital technology. A judge said: “I was blown away by this submission because its such an important initiative which is life changing for a group of people who truly need the help the most. I was greatly impressed that it is industry leading, done in conjunction with government and having demonstrable results for adults and children alike – changing their lives forever. A worthy winner.”

Shortlist: Allegra Benitah, BCLP; Laura Lintott, Watson Farley & Williams; Kelsey Murrell, CM Murray; Lucy Haynes, Shakespeare Martineau (Highly Commended); Rashida Adbulai, DLA Piper; Sara Anzani, Goldsmith Chambers; Sophie Wellings, Courtney Legal; Tanya Costello, Astraea; Taylor Jones, Fragomen

Burley Law co-leader Liz Burley won the Returner of the Year award for coming back to legal industry after a 10-year hiatus raising her young family and now continuing to advance her career while supporting others on similar journeys. She has used her experiences as a returner to the legal profession to drive conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion, and support women and other underrepresented groups to thrive. Outside of Burley Law, she is a committee member of the TAG Network Birmingham Women in Leadership network, which helps support women who aspire to leadership positions. She also provides business mentorship for young female founders and is an advisory board member for Refirement UK – a movement to help redefine retirement for women and equality for mature women. A judge commented: “Uses her experience to mentor and support others and is open about regaining her confidence and skills, and values her experience as a returner.”

Shortlist: Adele Slough, Stobbs; Amy McClean, Gatehouse Chambers; Asli Ozalgan, Goldsmith Chambers; Fiona Worsnup, Fragomen; Nadia Carby, Gatehouse Chambers; Sarah Woodward, Browne Jacobson; Tajinder Kaur, E.ON (Highly Commended); Tara Gurry, Stobbs

Geldards paralegal Ranjit Kaur took home the Unsung Hero award for her dedication to family law over the past two decades and her efforts to become a qualified legal executive while juggling being a full-time working mother of three. She is particularly focused on supporting the Indian and Asian communities on a range of matters including divorce, finances and children. At Geldards she supports the family team, liaising with clients, attending court, co-ordinating with barristers and courts, drafting and managing mediations, arbitrations and private FDRs (financial dispute resolution). She is also working with a network of external organisations including Asian Single Parent Network, Safe and Sound Group and Children First to provide clients with additional support when dealing with culturally sensitive issues. A judge said: “Ranjit has clearly transformed the firm’s approach to a brand new community sector that is in desperate need of the advice now being given.”

Shortlist: Amanda Bell, SeparateSpace; Becky James, Ankura Consulting; Catherine Bamford, Bam Legal; Desiree Maghoo, Questor Consulting; Ellie Hecht, Inn Legal (Highly Commended); Mila Trezza, Coaching Lawyers by Mila Trezza; Nina Bryant, FTI Technology; Nina Stewart, Astraea; Norah Durrant, Norah Durrant Recruitment

Black Counsel Forum (BCF) founder and director Sharon Thomas won the Business Leader of the Year award for her work to advocate for and advance the careers of black lawyers in the UK and empower them to succeed. BCF is a platform for black lawyers to learn, share and network, creating a support community that facilitates introductions, provides mentoring and coaching and hosts impactful social events. There are three key pillars to BFC’s work – advocacy, professional development and community engagement. Efforts over the past year to expand BCF’s reach included the 2024 BCF Annual Conference, which featured discussions on race, career development and leadership, and workshops on mentorship and effective strategies for firms to retain black talent. A judge commented: “Her passion and dedication is infectious. Her practical mindset to drive change for black lawyers across the profession is something that makes BCF standout from the crowd.”

Shortlist: Alex Olive, Payment Systems Regulator (Highly Commended); Kate Preston, GB Bullhound; Zaffrin O’Sullivan, ITN

Global insurance group Howden’s GC Frances Coats won the General Counsel of the Year award for her initiative to create an internship programme specifically for young talent from disadvantaged backgrounds and under-represented communities, spurred by her own experiences growing up in a single-parent household in Canning Town. The six-week programme includes comprehensive financial support, including paid travel and accommodation, ensuring talent from poorer households aren’t excluded from the same life-changing internship opportunities as their wealthier peers. Coats is also focused on combating accent discrimination, as well as regional inequality, ensuring those from outside London can also access opportunities. Through the programme’s partnerships with RPC and Weil Gotshal & Manges, interns also gain hands-on private practice experience. A judge commented: “Frances’s own lived experience has shaped her approach to DE&I and her passion to drive equity for those in lower socioeconomic backgrounds. The development of the internship programme is commendable.”

Shortlist: Alison Berryman, Biztech Lawyers; Bree Taylor, Alius Law (Highly Commended); Buket Erdogan, Ashton Ross Law; Carolina Marín Pedreño, Dawson Cornwell; Clare Jennings, Gold Jennings; Dipti Shah, Quastels; Edie Bowles, Advocates for Animals; Reena Popat, Carter Bond Solicitors

Arbor Law co-founder and director Kate Bennett scooped the Law Firm Leader of the Year - Boutique or Chambers award for building a firm with DE&I at the centre of its philosophy. She is a champion for neurodiversity, having been diagnosed herself with ADHD at age 40 after years of struggling in traditional legal environments. Her goal is to create a more neuro-inclusive world, particularly in the legal profession by promoting a flexible work environment where empathy is critical for collaboration and success. Her manta is “leadership isn’t about climbing the ranks – it’s about changing the world once we get there”. Arbor’s lawyers are 50% female, nearly all of whom are working mothers – something that Bennett has helped foster by ensuring there are structures in place to support them. “Kate’s business acumen and equitable ethos are apparent in her success and that of the firm she co-founded,” a judge commented.

Shortlist: Beatrice Puoti, Stephenson Harwood; Claire Kelly, Oracle Solicitors; Frances Murphy, Morgan Lewis; Georgina Thorpe, Herbert Smith Freehills (Highly Commended); Jo Evans, Lewis Silkin; Kelly Thomson, RPC; Nadine Goldfoot, Fragomen; Taslima Salam, BCLP

Mishcon De Reya partner Kizzy Augustin scooped the Law Firm Leader of the Year - International Law Firm award for her DE&I work, notably as co-chair of the firm’s internal race equity network (M:BRACE) which is designed to bring together black and ethnic minority lawyers and clients, and those who wish to promote racial equality and anti-racism. The network provides a platform for education and training, recruitment and retention, social impact and outreach, and cultural and historical awareness initiatives. As co-chair of the firm’s race equity committee, she is helping the firm meet its diversity targets, including an aim to ensure at least 40% of its future trainees are black or socially disadvantaged candidates. She also mentors students and junior lawyers, and is a diversity ambassador at careers fairs and school events around the UK. A judge said: “Kizzy is engaged in an impressive variety of initiatives and roles underpinned by a commitment to driving change and championing diversity and inclusion across the legal profession in many different areas.”

Shortlist: Davina Gillyon, rradar; Lindsey Kidd, HM3 Legal; Louise Goodsell, Stobbs; Louise Lumley, Irwin Mitchell; Mary Elliott, Fox Williams (Highly Commended); Philippa Dempster, Freeths; Sarah Parkinson, Browne Jacobson; Susan Glenholme, Debenhams Ottaway

Browne Jacobson partner and Cardiff office co-founder Laura Hughes was named Law Firm Leader of the Year National/Regional Firm in recognition of her DE&I leadership and her advocacy for gender equality. She was the firm’s first female senior equity partner to have children and the first to work part-time, which helped reshape attitudes towards part-time working at the firm and led to changes to the partnership deed. She has been involved in several external diversity and social mobility initiatives to raise visibility of DE&I issues in Wales, including mentoring women in the civil service and helping the firm win the British Chambers of Commerce Equality Trailblazer Award. One judge commented: “Laura is a highly visible role model in the Welsh legal profession and across business industries, championing DE&I and the benefits of inclusivity… She’s also advocated for the firm’s equalised parenting policies which is still relatively pioneering in the legal industry.”

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Shortlist: Charlotte Harris, Brown Rudnick; Christina Warner, 33 Bedford Row; Claire Keast-Butler, Cooley; Clare Jennings, Gold Jennings; Leigh-Ann Mulcahy, Fountain Court Chambers; Lucie Allen, BARBRI; Olivia Piercy, Hunters Law; Sara Carnegie, International Bar Association; Sharon Thomas, Black Counsel Forum; Somaya Ouzzani, Mimoza Fleur

Charlotte Proudman specialises in representing women and children in family courts and her cases have helped define gas lighting and coercive control. Last year, she led a successful campaign by lawyers to end the Garrick Club’s all-male membership that prompted the resignation of five senior judges from the club ahead of its decision to admit women members. During the campaign she successfully applied to recuse two male judges from two cases because they were members of the Garrick club, arguing that this gave a perception of bias and unfairness, especially towards a rape victim who believed she would not have a fair hearing. These are believed to be the only cases of successful recusals regarding all-male institutions.

Twenty Essex’s Monica Feria-Tinta won the coveted Woman of the Year award in recognition of her journey from arriving in the UK as a refugee, putting herself through law school and becoming a barrister at a leading London commercial chambers. Her case work often centres on human rights matters involving women, including leading in a first-of-a-kind sexual enslavement case to be litigated in an international human rights court. In December she won a freedom of expression case before the the Bar Tribunal and Adjudication Service for fellow Woman of the Year Dr Charlotte Proudman over social media posts that criticised a judgment on the basis that it reflected unconscious bias against women. In addition to this, Feria-Tinta has mentored judges on gender and minority perspectives of the law with the aim to create a fairer legal system. As one supporter of Feria-Tinta said: “She has an infectious belief about her mission to remove the obstacles which impede the progress of female and minority lawyers in our system, and it is a belief and passion that she conveys with deep conviction to those who meet or see her.”