As head of legal services for the London Development Agency (LDA), Thelma Stober played a key role in delivering the 2012 Olympic Games to London.

Her crowning moment came when she defended the LDA’s ability to deliver the games and the legal powers it had to secure the land needed for the international event.

Stober provided crucial advice to the International Olympic Committee inquiry and, without her work, London would not have been selected to host the Games in 2012. She also helped negotiate arrangements for the LDA to acquire an interest in Crystal Palace Park a vital precursor to London’s winning Olympic bid.

Tragically, the day after the games were announced for London, Stober was injured in the 7 July Tube bombings. She is recuperating and is expected to return to work next year.

In the meantime, Frances McLeman, on secondment from Berwin Leighton Paisner, is standing in for Stober.