The finalists for the 2020 Wales Legal Awards have been revealed.
This year’s awards, which will be held on September 11th, feature 48 finalists from 29 different legal firms across Wales.
This year there are seventeen different categories including criminal law, conveyancing, corporate and commercial, litigation and employment, as well as an innovation in response to the Covid-19 pandemic award.
Charlotte Leyshon of Lux Family Law and the founder of the awards, said that she was delighted at the response to the awards by the legal profession in Wales, despite the difficulties faced by many firms during the Covid-19 pandemic.
She added: “We understand that it has been a challenging time for the legal sector in Wales recently. Law firms and their staff have had to diversify, embrace remote working and create innovative responses to enable them to continue to provide clients with the best service possible.
"Given this, we are delighted that so many firms have entered this year and we look forward to celebrating achievements of the legal sector across the length and breadth of Wales.
“The awards will help to rally the sector at this challenging time and, more importantly, showcase the extraordinary talent, inventiveness, diversity and success in the sector that have been amplified by Welsh legal businesses over the last three months."
The category and finalists are:
Boutique Firm of the Year
Most Read
Altra Law
Loosemores
Newfields
Commercial Litigation Team of the Year
Acuity Law
Blake Morgan
Geldards
Corporate & Commercial Team of the Year
Acuity Law
Don’t miss
Blake Morgan
Corporate Social Responsibility Team of the Year
Altra Law
Watkins & Gunn
Employment Team of the Year
Acuity Law
NWSSP Legal & Risk Services
Redkite Solicitors
Family Team of the Year
Hopkins Law
Watkins & Gunn
In-House Team of the Year
Admiral Group
NWSSP Legal & Risk Services
WRU
Innovation in Response to Covid-19
Agri Advisor Legal Ltd
JCP Solicitors
NWSSP Legal & Risk Services
Redkite Solicitors
Law Firm of the Year
Acuity Law
Agri Advisor Legal Ltd
RDP Law
Personal Injury Team of the Year
Mooneerams
NWSSP Legal & Risk Services
Redkite Solicitors
Private Client team of the Year
CJCH
JCP Solicitors
NewLaw
Public Law Team of the Year
Duncan Lewis Solicitors
Harding Evans Solicitors
Watkins & Gunn
Real Estate Team of the Year
Acuity Law
Blake Morgan
Regulatory & White Collar Crime Team of the Year
Richard Nelson LLP
Radcliffes Le Brasseur
Residential Conveyancing Team of the Year
Harding Evans Solicitors
HCB Solicitors
Hek Jones Solicitors
Rising Star of the Year
Manon Williams, Agri Advisor Legal Ltd
Alexis Thomas, CJCH
Molly Fensome-Lush, Clarke Willmott LLP
Services Professional Team of the Year
BARBRI Altior
Brewin Dolphin
Stokes Case Management
Zest Recruitment and Legal Consultancy Ltd
Professor Dylan Jones-Evans, chairman of the awards judging panel, said: “At this difficult time for all businesses, the main ethos of the Wales Legal Awards - to celebrate excellence and support the legal sector in Wales – has been more important than ever.
"This year’s shortlisted entries across all the categories demonstrate again the outstanding commitment, creativity and true grit on display from law firms in supporting their clients and employees during these most extraordinary times.”
This year’s awards are sponsored by number of organisations including Yolk Recruitment, Bartholomew Hawkins, GlobalX, Grant Stephens Family Law, Linenhall Chambers, Mrs Bucket, SLD Wealth Management and Stowe Family Law.
Dale Williams, chief executive of Yolk Recruitment, the overall sponsors for the awards, said: “It’s a pleasure to again be the headline sponsors for the most anticipated and respected awards ceremony representing the Welsh legal sector.
Despite the devastating impact of recent events, the organisers of the awards have been profound in their desire to enable those individuals and companies that form the setup of the awards to still receive the recognition they so rightly deserve.”