The winners in the national awards programme which recognises achievement in Scottish law have been revealed at a gala dinner held in Edinburgh last night.
The 20th annual Scottish Legal Awards, sponsored by 123 Medical Services, welcomed an audience of over 500 guests to the EICC for a celebration dinner and presentation of 16 highly competed awards which represent the breadth and depth of the legal sector in Scotland.
Sairah Din, Managing Director of 123 Medical Services, commented;
“123 Medical Services are delighted to be a headline sponsor of the Scottish Legal Awards. This year's Scottish Legal Awards served as an encouraging reminder that the legal profession in Scotland is, in fact, of the finest calibre. The award serves as a reminder of the outstanding work being done by Scottish law and all its practitioners in serving their customers.
We want to congratulations all the finalist and winners for all their hard work!”
The ultimate award of the night, Firm of the Year, sponsored by Millar & Bryce, was presented to Thompson Solicitors following a series of high-profile winning campaigns and a successful strategic expansion into new areas of work.
The highly regarded Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to an in-house lawyer who has championed social inclusion and equal access to legal careers. Donald Macdonald, the deputy general counsel for RBS Natwest Group, collected the award on the day of his retirement from the bank he joined as a trainee 33 years ago.
The other major individual award of the night was presented to Jennifer Young, the CEO of Ledingham Chalmers. The leader of the north-east founded firm which now eight offices, collected Managing Partner of the Year, sponsored by 123 Medical Services.
Lorna Jack, chair of the judging and former CEO of the Law Society of Scotland, commented:
“The Scottish Legal Awards has served a comforting reminder that the Scottish legal profession is indeed of the highest standard. Scottish law and its practitioners continue to shine brilliantly, serving their clients and their colleagues with the utmost dedication. I extend my congratulations to all our contestants for their achievements, and I hope all the winners receive the recognition they deserve.”
The awards continue to support the LawScot Foundation which supports students pursuing a career in law and It’s Good 2 Give, a small charity that supports young cancer patients and their families.
Full List of Winners:
Firm of the Year sponsored by Millar & Bryce
WINNER: Thompsons Solicitors Scotland
Finalists:
Digby Brown Solicitors
MBM Commercial
Neilsons Solicitors and Estate Agents
Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by The Times
Donald Macdonald
Managing Partner of the Year sponsored by 123 Medical Services
Jennifer Young, Managing Partner at Ledingham Chalmers Solicitors
Community Contribution Award sponsored by Frasia Wright Associates
WINNER: Mediation Clinic at University of Strathclyde
WINNER: Digby Brown Solicitors
Finalists:
Allan McDougall Solicitors
Berlow Rahman Hassan
Casus Omissus; The Aberdeen Law Project
Clan Childlaw
Clarity Simplicity
CMS
DWF
Jackson Boyd Lawyers
Neilsons Solicitors and Estate Agents
Legal Technology Award
WINNER: Amiqus
Finalists:
Cashroom
rradar
Scottish Water
Excellence in Client Care sponsored by Frenkel Topping
WINNER: L&M MediLaw
Finalists:
Cashroom
Clarity Simplicity
Jamieson Law
Neilsons Solicitors and Estate Agents
Support Team of the Year
WINNER: Cashroom
Finalists:
Clarity Simplicity
Hey Legal
Moore Legal Technology
Residential Property Team of the Year sponsored by Property Searches Scotland
WINNER: Neilsons Solicitors and Estate Agents
Finalists:
Macleod & MacCallum
Macnabs
Family Law or Private Client Team of the Year
WINNER: Blackadders
Finalists:
Livingstone Brown
Macnabs - Family Team
Macnabs - Private Client Team
Litigation Team of the Year sponsored by 123 Medical Services
WINNER: Digby Brown Solicitors
Finalists:
Aberdein Considine
Allan McDougall Solicitors
Gilson Gray
Employment Law Team of the Year
WINNER: Shoosmiths
Finalists:
Miller Samuel Hill Brown
In House Legal Team of the Year
WINNER: NatWest
Finalists:
Scottish Water
Trustpilot
Criminal Defence Firm of the Year
WINNER: Duncan and McConnell Solicitors
Finalists:
Livingstone Brown
In-House Lawyer of the Year
WINNER: Rosalind McInnes, BBC Scotland
Finalists:
Sarah Drummond, BayWa r.e. UK
Rising Star of the Year sponsored by Registers of Scotland
WINNER: Susan Currie, Blackadders
Finalists:
Dr Sarah Cunningham Munro, Livingstone Brown
Haseeb Hassan, Berlow Rahman Hassan
Laura MacSporran, Miller Samuel Hill Brown
Siobhan Brown, Clarity Simplicity
Lawyer of the Year sponsored by Law Society of Scotland
WINNER: Elizabeth Rose, L&M MediLaw
Finalists:
Andy Sirel, JustRight Scotland
Patrick McGuire, Thompsons Solicitors Scotland
Stuart Munro, Livingstone Brown