The Solicitors Journal Awards 2017 winners revealed
The cream of the crop honoured at SJ's second annual awards evening
The Solicitors Journal Awards 2017 saw more than 460 of the legal profession elite come together to showcase and celebrate their achievements over the last year.
Taking place at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London, the Awards were hosted by Brian Moore, former England rugby player and City litigation partner, who entertained the crowd with tales of his antics on and off the field and then presented the awards to the deserving winners.
Sponsored by Gowling WLG and InfoTrack, the Awards 2017 saw winners in 19 categories covering all aspects of legal practice which were judged by an influential and respected judging panel.
This year's award for Lifetime Achievement for services to the legal profession was presented to Patrick Allen after 40 years of practice. Patrick was the lawyer who managed the Gulf War illness claims for UK veterans, the New Cross fire inquest, and played a lead role in the King's Cross fire and Marchioness litigations.
Reflecting on his award, Patrick said: 'I can't tell you how much it means to me to have recognition for my lifetime's work from the Solicitors Journal Awards which reach out to every corner of the legal profession.'
This year the Awards supported the Billable Hour Appeal 2017 in aid of Save the Children. Guests were given the opportunity to pledge a sum equivalent to what they would charge for one billable hour of work, raising close to £4,670 for the charity's lifesaving work with refugees.
The Billable Hour campaign founder, Sean Jones QC, said: 'When I look at the response from the profession and the way its generosity has saved the lives of children in desperate conditions, I could not be prouder of my colleagues or more apologetic that I failed to foresee how magnificent their efforts would be.
'To have Solicitors Journal choose to support Billable Hour was an honour. The awards encapsulate what is best about solicitors as professionals. Their support for the appeal encapsulates what is best about them as people.'
The winners were:
Chambers of the Year
Serjeants' Inn
Commercial Property Team of the Year
Thomson Snell & Passmore
Commercial Team of the Year
Browne Jacobson
Conveyancing Team of the Year
AVRillo
Diversity Scheme of the Year
Legal Social Mobility Partnership
Employment Team of the Year
A City Law Firm Limited
Family Team of the Year
Wollen Michelmore
Law Firm of the Year
Bindmans
Legal Aid Team of the Year
South West London Law Centres
Hodge Jones & Allen (Highly Commended)
Legal Education Provider of the Year
The Helena Kennedy Centre, Sheffield Hallam University
Lancashire Law School, University of Central Lancashire (Highly Commended)
Litigation Team of the Year
Stevens & Bolton
Personal Injury Team of the Year
Fieldfisher
Private Client Team of the Year
Bircham Dyson Bell
Pro Bono Team of the Year
Legacare UK
Debevoise & Plimpton (Highly Commended)
Rising Star
Laura Scaife, Datultacy
Jonathan Hodge, Giles Wilson (Highly Commended)
Working in Partnership
Thomson Reuters Foundation
Legal Personality of the Year
Marcia Willis Stewart, Birnberg Peirce
Rule of Law Award
Mishcon de Reya
Edwin Coe
Lifetime Achievement
Patrick Allen, Hodge Jones & Allen