The Lawyer Awards 2012: Mishcon de Reya, Brick Court scoop top prizes
Mishcon de Reya scooped the top prize at last night’s The Lawyer Awards when it was crowned Law Firm of the Year.
Robert Jay QC
The prize was in recognition of the firm’s long-term strategic vision that saw it trim some of the fat off profits during the recession to reinvest in the firm, transform its career structure to include the roles of legal director and associate, and launch the Mishcon Development Programme and Mishcon in Practice, a training programme that nurtures all fee-earners and support staff with management responsibilities.
Other stand-out winners on the night included Hodge Jones & Allen’s Jocelyn Cockburn, who was crowned Partner of the Year in recognition of her outstanding civil liberties work, and Barrister of the Year Robert Jay QC of 39 Essex Street, who has been constantly in the press over the past year for his work at the Leveson Inquiry.
Chambers of the Year went to Brick Court, International Firm of the Year went to King & Wood Mallesons and Offshore Firm of the Year went to Ogier.
Last night’s glittering event at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, hosted by Jason Manford, was attended by around 1,400 solicitors, barristers and in-house lawyers.
The full list of winners and runners-up is below:
In-house Banking & Financial Services Team of the Year
Sponsored by Barclay Simpson
Winner: Oaktree Capital Management
2: Virgin Money
3: Lloyds Banking Group (corporate real estate legal team)
Banking & Finance Team of the Year
Sponsored by Ogier
Winner: Hogan Lovells
2: Weil, Gotshal & Manges
3: Allen & Overy
Corporate Team of the Year (midcap)
Sponsored by The Challenor Group
Winner: RPC
Corporate Team of the Year (large)
Sponsored by AlixPartners
Winner: Allen & Overy
2: Shearman & Sterling
3: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
Employment Team of the Year
Sponsored by Stroz Friedberg
Winner: Faegre Baker Daniels
2: Russell Jones & Walker part of Slater & Gordon Lawyers
3: Leigh Day & Co
Infrastructure/Energy Team of the Year
Sponsored by Noble Legal
Winner: Mayer Brown
2: Wragge & Co
3: DLA Piper
Real Estate Team of the Year
Sponsored by JTC Group
Winner: Mishcon de Reya
2: Eversheds
TMT Team of the Year
Sponsored by Robert Walters
Winner: Osborne Clarke
2: Powell Gilbert
3: Baker & McKenzie
Litigation Team of the Year
Sponsored by Ernst & Young
Winner: Stephenson Harwood
2: Simmons & Simmons
3: Reed Smith
Competition/Regulatory Team of the Year
Sponsored by Matrix Chambers
Joint winners: Ashurst, Baker & McKenzie, Burges Salmon, Hogan Lovells, Norton Rose
3: Berwin Leighton Paisner
Private Client Team of the Year
Sponsored by TMF Group
Winner: Berwin Leighton Paisner
3: Harbottle & Lewis
Pro Bono Team of the Year
Sponsored by Michael Page Legal
Winner: Hogan Lovells
2: Reed Smith
3: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Best Technology Project
Winner: IRIS Legal to No5 Chambers
2: Canotec to Bond Pearce
3: LawWare (LawCloud) to Matthew Cohen & Associates
Assistant Solicitor of the Year
Winner: Stephen Fox, Weil, Gotshal & Manges
2: Mike Cain, Russell Jones & Walker part of Slater & Gordon Lawyers
3: Kate Jackson, Anthony Collins
In-house Public Sector Team of the Year
Sponsored by Bevan Brittan
Winner: Treasury Solicitors Department
2: Financial Services Compensation Scheme
3: Essex County Council
Partner of the Year
Sponsored by Saunderson House
Winner: Jocelyn Cockburn, Hodge Jones & Allen
2: Mark Lewis, Taylor Hampton
3: Neil Kinsella, Russell Jones & Walker part of Slater & Gordon Lawyers
In-house Commerce & Industry Team of the Year
Sponsored by Pure Search
Winner: Sodexo
2: Three
3: Imperial Tobacco
Offshore Law Firm of the Year
Sponsored by Taylor Root
Winner: Ogier
2: Harneys
3: Maples and Calder
Boutique Firm of the Year - London
Sponsored by Close Brothers Asset Management
Winner: Brecher
2: Powell Gilbert
3: Robin Simon
Boutique Firm of the Year – Regional
Winner: Hawkswell Kilvington
2: Loxley
3: Zyda Law
Regional Law Firm of the Year
Sponsored by Towry
Winner: Muckle
2: Gordons
3: Pannone
International Law Firm of the Year
Sponsored by James Channer
Winner: King & Wood Mallesons
2: Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
3: Edwards Wildman
Barrister of the Year
Sponsored by Harbour Litigation Funding
Winner: Robert Jay QC, Thirty Nine Essex Street
2: Charles Gibson QC, Henderson Chambers
3: Stuart Catchpole QC, Thirty Nine Essex Street
In-house Lawyer of the Year
Sponsored by Riverview Law
Winner: Daniel Toner, Spire Healthcare
2: Rachel Small, LV=
3: Lesley Wan, Lloyds Banking Group
Chambers of the Year
Sponsored by Coutts
Winner: Brick Court Chambers
2: 3 Verulam Buildings
3: Matrix Chambers
Law Firm of the Year
Sponsored by Travelers
Winner: Mishcon de Reya
3: Bristows
View results 10 per page | 20 per page
Readers' comments (13)
Anonymous | 27-Jun-2012 12:01 pm
Well done to all the winners. Does anybody else think this looks a little odd...
Competition/Regulatory Team of the Year
Winner: Ashurst, Baker & McKenzie, Burges Salmon, Hogan Lovells, Norton Rose
2: Bevan Brittan
3: Berwin Leighton Paisner
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Dayglo Dave | 27-Jun-2012 3:53 pm
Does anyone, The Lawyer excepted, really take any notice of these awards? With so many prizes on offer, it all looks a bit meaningless. Glad I wasn't invited to the ceremony. Sounds about as exciting as someone reciting a telephone directory.
By this time next week will anyone, apart from the recipient, know who got what award?
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Jason | 27-Jun-2012 3:59 pm
damn, i'll win one year!
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Anonymous | 27-Jun-2012 4:14 pm
My firm actually won one of the awards.Whilst there is always a cynicism about these things,I can genuinely say that winning has made everyone feel better about what we have been trying to do as a business in very difficult economic circumstances.Well done to all the winners.
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Anonymous | 27-Jun-2012 4:30 pm
Why is it "odd" that those placed in the competition/regulatory team?
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chesney the magic octopus | 27-Jun-2012 4:38 pm
I wonder whether Kevin Steele accepted the award on behalf of Mishcon?
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Law Rocks | 27-Jun-2012 5:04 pm
Never mind the awards, what were the bands like?
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Mr Cheese | 27-Jun-2012 5:12 pm
Awards ceremonies are awful (whether as a sponsor, winner or loser, or waiter). But that little piece of worthless plastic will be referred to by the firms that win it until the end of the world on websites, brochures etc, and some will stick the award in the lobby to impress clients like showing mummy their school pottery project.
For the magazines it's just an easy (slightly sleazy) way to get cash out of the firms. Not edifying, not meaningful, but it makes sheds of money for Centaur, Legal Week, Legal Business, Chambers etc.......Basically, it's a load of sad bollxxks from start to finish, but then again, it goes with the territory.... welcome to the City.
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Anonymous | 27-Jun-2012 5:18 pm
the awards might appear more meaningful if there was an explanation of what each firm had done to earn them - otherwise it looks a bit arbitrary
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Anonymous | 28-Jun-2012 12:01 pm
Well allegedly Mishcon it's for
strategic vision that saw it trim some of the fat off profits during the recession to reinvest in the firm, transform its career structure to include the roles of legal director and associate, and launch the Mishcon Development Programme and Mishcon in Practice, a training programme that nurtures all fee-earners and support staff with management responsibilities.
So.. not for being the best law firm in terms of legal advice then.. although I am sure some will misunderstand the title "Law Firm of the Year"
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