Manchester Legal Awards – all the winners

The winners of this year’s Manchester Legal Awards were revealed during a prestigious black-tie ceremony at The Midland Hotel last night.

The Manchester Legal Awards saw a pretty even spread of awards this year with Fletchers Solicitors, Weightmans LLP, Olliers Solicitors, and McAlister Family Law each taking home two awards.  

The event celebrated over 81 firms and individuals who shortlisted in a total of 21 categories. 

The prestigious Lifetime Achievement award went to Hugh Potter, founder and senior partner of Potter Rees Dolan.

In a warm acceptance speech the personal injury specialist thanked “the inspirational” Rodger Pannone his once Senior Partner. Maurice Watkins. The “formidable and wonderful” Joy Kingsley and Katherine Mellor “who kindly offered my Articles – a Training Contract – with Elliott and Company as long ago as 1985” which he called “The Who’s Hugh List!”

After thanking colleagues, family, clients and opponents Potter took a swipe at successive governments who have eroded access to justice.

“I do not however want to thank any of our governments over the past 25 or so years for systematically eroding access to justice by removing legal aid and substantially underfunding the Ombudsmen. I see this as fundamentally wrong and as the election approaches I am sure everyone in this room will do what we can to restore what is surely an individual’s fundamental right,” he said.  

Fran Eccles-Bech, chief executive of the Manchester Law Society, said: “Year after year, I’m staggered to hear about the outstanding work undertaken by the legal community in our region.

“We know that Manchester is home to some of the best legal talent in the UK, and the awards are an opportunity to share and celebrate this work.”

Michael Taylor, editor at TheBusinessDesk.com, said: “We’re really excited to be working with the Manchester Law Society once again as the media partners for this year’s Manchester Legal Awards.

“Legal practices continue to demonstrate their agility and innovation that places them at the forefront of Manchester’s economy, something that was evident from the outstanding range of entries in these excellent awards. 

“Fran Eccles-Bech and her team at the Manchester Law Society have done an incredible job putting together this year’s awards. Every single team and individual that has made the shortlist can be rightly proud of what they’ve achieved.”

Ruth Shearn, founder of RMS PR, Marketing & Design, which has worked on the awards since they first launched, said: “We’re proud to have worked on the Manchester Legal Awards since they were an idea on a page 15 years ago.

“I still get a buzz when I see the design work and website created by my team each year, not to mention the social and media coverage.”

Launched by the Manchester Law Society in 2010, the awards celebrate the best legal talent from across the region. Categories cover all areas of law with organisation, team and individual awards. 

The full list of winners and sponsors from the event:

CSR Champions of the Year  

WINNER:      Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP    

SPONSOR: RMS – PR | DESIGN | MARKETING 

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Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Champions of the Year   

WINNER:      Brabners  LLP  

SPONSOR: Denovo Business Intelligence 

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Health & Wellbeing Champions of the Year    

WINNER: Fletchers Solicitors  

SPONSOR: MFL Insurance Group Limited  

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Team of the Year – Corporate/Commercial   

WINNER:     Pannone Corporate   

SPONSOR:   Sparkle Capital  

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Team of the Year – Crime   

WINNER: Olliers Solicitors   

SPONSOR: Docutech Office Solutions Ltd  

  —    

Team of the Year – Employment  

WINNER:      Myerson Solicitors    

SPONSOR: Employment Legal Advice Service 

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Team of the Year – Family      

WINNER: McAlister Family Law   

SPONSOR: Interlink Talent Solutions 

  —  

Team of the Year – Litigation    

WINNER:      Addleshaw Goddard LLP 

SPONSOR: Quantuma  

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Team of the Year – PI/Clinical Negligence    

WINNER:     Fletchers Solicitors  

SPONSOR: Kain Knight Costs Lawyers 

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Team of the Year – Private Client   

WINNER:     Weightmans LLP  

SPONSOR: Fletchers Solicitors  

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Team of the Year – Property   

WINNER:       Fieldfisher LLP    

SPONSOR: Landmark Information  

  —   

Team of the Year – Regulatory  

WINNER:     Kuits Solicitors 

SPONSOR: Kroll Advisory Ltd 

  —  

Trainee/Paralegal/Apprentice of the Year   

WINNER:       Martha Odysseos, Olliers Solicitors  

SPONSOR: Manchester Law School, Manchester Metropolitan University  

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Solicitor of the Year    

WINNER:       Ryan Bradshaw, Leigh Day  

SPONSOR: Azets  

  —  

Partner of the Year     

WINNER: Ruth Hetherington, McAlister Family Law  

SPONSOR: Excello Law 

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Barrister/KC of the Year   

WINNER:      Sophie Cartwright KC  

SPONSOR: Leigh Day  

  —  

Barristers Chambers of the Year   

WINNER:      23ES (23 Essex Street)  

SPONSOR: Weightmans LLP 

  —  

Law Firm of the Year – small (1-5 partners)     

WINNER:      Bromleys  

SPONSOR: Lawshare  

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Law Firm of the Year – medium (5-20 partners)   

WINNER: Hall Brown Family Law  

SPONSOR: Groundsure  

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Law Firm of the Year – large (20+ partners)   

WINNER:      Weightmans LLP  

SPONSOR: Fletchers Solicitors 

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Lifetime Achievement Award    

WINNER:       Hugh Potter  

SPONSOR: Manchester Law Society