The Lawyer Awards 2022

After a virtual event last year, The Lawyer Awards returned last night for a long-awaited in-person event at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London.

Hosted by comedian Jason Manford, 27 organisations and individuals won top prizes in their respective categories.

Taking home the coveted Law firm of the year award was Eversheds Sutherland. And it was a double win for the organisation as Law company of the year went to its consulting, contract lawyer and managed legal services division Konexo. The pair was commended for its long-term vision, execution and ability to spot promising opportunities.

Other key awards went to Addleshaw Goddard for City firm of the year, and to 3 Verulam Buildings for Chambers of the year.

As for personnel, this year’s Barrister of the year went to Cloisters’ Jason Galbraith-Marten QC after taking on a high-profile case for Uber taxi drivers in their battle to be classified as employed workers. General counsel of the year was awarded to Alexis Alexander at Liberis.

A full list of winners is below.

The winners

Sustainability initiative, sponsored by WTW

WINNER
CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Greener Litigation (Mishcon de Reya)

COMMENDED
Net Zero Lawyers Alliance

FINALISTS
Ashurst
Hogan Lovells
Lawyers for Net Zero
Pinsent Masons
Shoosmiths

In-house banking and financial services team of the year

WINNER
Worldpay

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Jefferies International

COMMENDED
WorldRemit

FINALISTS
Financial Services Compensation Scheme
Liberis
SoftBank Investment Advisers
Simply Business
Wise

Finance team of the year

WINNER
Herbert Smith Freehills

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Debevoise & Plimpton

COMMENDED
Latham & Watkins

FINALISTS
Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft
Milbank
Shearman & Sterling
Watson Farley & Williams
Weil Gotshal & Manges

Energy and infrastructure team of the year

WINNER
Dentons

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Slaughter and May

COMMENDED
Ashurst

FINALISTS
Bird & Bird
CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang
Covington & Burling
Pinsent Masons
Travers Smith

Best technology product

WINNER
TrialView

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Horwich Farrelly

COMMENDED
Clarilis

FINALISTS
Avvoka
Cappfinity
Luminance
Solomonic
The Privacy Compliance Hub

Competition and regulatory team of the year, sponsored by Bench Walk Advisers

WINNER
Shearman & Sterling

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Morgan Lewis & Bockius

COMMENDED
CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang

FINALISTS
Covington & Burling
Dechert
Norton Rose Fulbright

Restructuring team of the year

WINNER
Kirkland & Ellis

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Allen & Overy

COMMENDED
Womble Bond Dickinson

FINALISTS
Akin Gump
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Macfarlanes
Sidley Austin
Slaughter and May

Most innovative use of technology

WINNER
Paul Hastings

HIGHLY COMMENDED
TLT

COMMENDED
PGMBM Law

FINALISTS
Addleshaw Goddard
Clyde & Co
Osborne Clarke Solutions and Superdry
Pinsent Masons
Reed Smith
Watson Farley & Williams

Legal operations team of the year

WINNER
Unilever

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Dentons

COMMENDED
Accenture

FINALISTS
BT
Clifford Chance
CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang
Ignition Law
PwC Operate
Skyscanner

Funds team of the year

WINNER
Macfarlanes

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Ashurst

COMMENDED
Travers Smith

FINALISTS
Addleshaw Goddard
Eversheds Sutherland
Paul Hastings
Proskauer Rose (UK)
Stephenson Harwood

Best client service innovation

WINNER
Withers

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Shoosmiths

COMMENDED
Squire Patton Boggs

FINALISTS
Ashurst
Burges Salmon
Mayer Brown
Mills & Reeve
Osborne Clarke

Boutique firm of the year

WINNER
Signature Litigation

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Bellevue Law

COMMENDED
Fox & Partners Solicitors

FINALISTS
Fragomen
GQ|Littler
Hughes Fowler Carruthers
PGMBM Law
Zaiwalla & Co

Law company of the year

WINNER
Konexo

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Obelisk Legal Support

COMMENDED
LOD (Lawyers on Demand)

FINALISTS
Avonhurst
Bexley Beaumont
Candey
Deloitte Legal
Gunnercooke
Level

City firm of the year, sponsored by Saunderson House

WINNER
Addleshaw Goddard

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Latham & Watkins

COMMENDED
Paul Hastings

FINALISTS
Cooley
Morgan Lewis & Bockius
Reed Smith
White & Case

In-house technology, media and sport team of the year

WINNER
Wise

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Cazoo

COMMENDED
Fremantle

FINALISTS
Babylon
City Football Group
Dentsu International
Entain
SUSE Software Solutions

Real estate team of the year

WINNER
Simmons & Simmons

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Pinsent Masons

COMMENDED
Burges Salmon

FINALISTS
Addleshaw Goddard
Birketts
CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang
Macfarlanes

Law firm of the year: The Independents, sponsored by Miller Insurance Services

WINNER
Kingsley Napley

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Fenwick Elliott

COMMENDED
Clarion

FINALISTS
Boodle Hatfield
Candey
MacRoberts
Wallace

Corporate team of the year, sponsored by Datasite

WINNER
Slaughter and May

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Macfarlanes

COMMENDED
Ashurst

FINALISTS
Addleshaw Goddard
Baker McKenzie
Burges Salmon
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Hill Dickinson

Litigation team of the year, sponsored by Gallagher

WINNER
Wiggin

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Travers Smith

COMMENDED
Pinsent Masons

FINALISTS
Arnold & Porter
Cooley
DAC Beachcroft
Fieldfisher
Paul Hastings
Schillings

Best talent and inclusion initiative, sponsored by LTN & Partners

WINNER
Pinsent Masons

HIGHLY COMMENDED
O Shaped Lawyer

COMMENDED
Flex Legal

FINALISTS
Clifford Chance
InterLaw Diversity Forum
Norton Rose Fulbright
Shearman & Sterling
TLT

In-house commerce and industry team of the year

WINNER
Asda

HIGHLY COMMENDED
KFC and Pizza Hut (Yum! Brands)

COMMENDED
Kraft Heinz

FINALISTS
AustralianSuper
John Menzies
Mondelez International
Skyscanner
Which?

In-house commerce and industry team of the year FTSE

WINNER
Croda International

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Anglo American

COMMENDED
Hyve Group

FINALISTS
Centrica
Made.com
Petrofac Limited
Superdry
SSE
Trainline

Barrister of the year

WINNER
Jason Galbraith-Marten QC, Cloisters

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Jenni Richards QC, 39 Essex Chambers

COMMENDED
Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, Matrix Chambers

FINALISTS
Caspar Glyn QC, Cloisters
Kate Grange QC, 39 Essex Chambers
Mohinderpal Sethi QC, Littleton Chambers
Felicity Toube QC, South Square
Philippa Webb, Twenty Essex

General counsel of the year, sponsored by Axiom

WINNER
Alexis Alexander, Liberis

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Tom Brown, Worldpay

COMMENDED
Will Bloomer, Howden Group Holdings

FINALISTS
Ruth Daniels, Superdry
Helen Selby, Asda
Jessica Hyde, Booking.com
Thomas Loest, Kraft Heinz
Nicola Lucas, New Look

Pro bono initiative of the year

WINNER
DLA Piper

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Eversheds Sutherland, Mishcon de Reya, Wilsons Solicitors, Garden Court Chambers

COMMENDED
Orrick, White & Case, Ashurst, Allen & Overy, Reed Smith, Simmons & Simmons, Norton Rose Fulbright and Kirkland & Ellis

FINALISTS
Ashurst and Ropes & Gray
BVL
Clifford Chance
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Hogan Lovells

Chambers of the year

WINNER
3 Verulam Buildings

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Essex Court Chambers

COMMENDED
3 Hare Court Chambers

FINALISTS
Littleton Chambers
Quadrant Chambers
Red Lion Chambers
St Philips Chambers
Wilberforce Chambers

Law firm of the year, sponsored by Lawyers Travel

WINNER
Eversheds Sutherland

HIGHLY COMMENDED
Shoosmiths

COMMENDED
Allen & Overy

FINALISTS
Clyde & Co
Kirkland & Ellis
Osborne Clarke
Shakespeare Martineau
Taylor Rose MW