Joy for JLA and Hill Dickinson at Downtown awards

LAW firm Hill Dickinson and Liverpool John Lennon Airport were the big winners at last night’s Downtown Liverpool in Business Awards.

The event, the sixth organised by the expanding business networking and lobbying group Downtown in Business, was held at the stunning Palm House at Sefton Park and attended by more than 260 people.

The Service to Liverpool award capped a busy week for law firm Hill Dickinson, which sealed a deal on Tuesday to take over Halliwells’ Liverpool and Sheffield business.

Tony Wilson, senior partner of Hill Dickinson – which is celebrating its bicentenary this year – said: “We are delighted to receive this award – Hill Dickinson have been here a long time. We are very confident about the future of the city and I am proud to say that Liverpool is a great place to do business.”

Nick Smillie, aviation director at Peel Airports received the Business of the Year Award on behalf of Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

He hailed it as “brilliant recognition! for what the airport has achieved recently: “I think this highlights how important airports are to cities in providing connections to the world and bringing people in.”

He said the airport – through Dutch carrier KLM – was now able to connect passengers across the world.

“We are starting to move towards being a much bigger, better connected airport than we have been before.”

Other winners on the night included HSBC in the financial services category, PR firm of the year was Kenyon Fraser, while Venmore won the property category.

Downtown chairman Frank McKenna said despite a difficult economic outlook it is clear there are “Great businesses across the city, doing great things.”

He said Downtown, which describes itself as ‘The business club with attitude’ was becoming  “the business club with influence”.

He pledged the organisation would continue to represent the city’s private sector at a time of major local reform with the advent of Local Enterprise Partnerships and looming public sector cuts.

“We can’t go back to a situation, where this city is isolated from the rest of the country,” he warned.