What are winners made of? The Lawyer Awards 2016 cohort proves private practice and in-house teams can achieve the impossible, implement innovation and fulfil the role of perfect advisers regardless of size.
For the first time, The Lawyer has dedicated an entire issue to this year’s winners, conducting interviews and gathering data about the trail-
blazing teams and stand-out deals that granted them their top accolades.
Inside these pages are strategy profiles with top organisational award-winners including Law Firm of the Year Clyde & Co and International Firm of the Year Gibson Dunn & Crutcher. There are also sections for in-house and transactional teams, the bar and special awards to Barrister of the Year Ben Emmerson QC of Matrix Chambers and In-house Lawyer of the year, Pernod Ricard’s Ingrid Cope.
Many of the award-winners have worked on monumental cross-border deals or long-term restructurings that have only just borne fruit.
There is also a profile of Pro-bono Initiative of the Year winner Avon & Bristol Law Centre, with a student-powered project that has had a direct impact on more than 200 local clients who were vulnerable due to cuts to legal aid.
And don’t miss the ‘David and Goliath’-style court battles warred by Powell Gilbert, which won the firm IP team of the year, or the profile of the Spire Healthcare in-house team, which implemented change in its business in an atmosphere of high-powered, complex regulation – all while doing their day-to-day jobs. It’s all here.
The judges
Alistair Maugham, partner, Morrison Foerster
Lisa Mayhew, managing partner, BLP
Claire Petts, partner, Clyde &Co
Oliver Bretz, director, Euclid Law
Andrew Wilksinson, partner, Weil Gotshal Manges
Sarah Binder, director – legal, governance and compliance, PlusNet
Nicola Maguire, life sciences partner, Cooley
Ian Terry, partner, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Jeff Eneberi, general counsel & commercial projects director, Just Eat
Graeme Baldwin, SVP, deputy general counsel, finance, Pearson
Rachel Canham, chief counsel M&A, BT
Raj Singh-Delal, HR & commercial services director, Center Parcs UK
Lesley Wan, corporate real estate counsel, Lloyds Bank
Rhodri Lewis, head of legal affairs,Welsh Rugby Union Group
Thomas Brown, director and head of legal UK and Ireland, PayPal
Gareth Brewerton, group general counsel, South Staffordshire Plc.
Maaike de Bie, acting general counsel, Royal Mail
Nicola Shand, general counsel, Scotia Gas Networks
Solomon Osagie, chief legal counsel, TSYS
Ed Smith, general counsel, Telefonica UK
Matthew Wilson, legal director, Uber
James Ormrod, general counsel and company secretary, Mitie
Anneli Howard, junior counsel, Monckton Chambers
Annabel Dumbell, managing director of litigation North EMEA, Accenture
Guy Stobart, consultant, former CEO of Kennedys and managing partner of Burges Salmon
Peter Crisp, dean and CEO, BPP Law School
Andrew Lilley, consultant, Travers Smith
Alexander Ritvay, partner, Noerr
Julian Yarr, managing partner, A&L Goodbody
Creighton Condon, senior partner, Shearman & Sterling
Peter Kalis, chairman and global managing partner, K&L Gates
Jami McKeon, chair and managing partner, Morgan Lewis
Jerry Clements, chair, Locke Lord
Xue Haibin, partner, Zhong Lun
Stephan Swinckels, executive director, L&E Global
Luis de Carlos, managing partner, Uría Menéndez
John Abramson, general counsel Europe, Travelers
James Wickes, partner, RPC
Sheena Singla, general counsel, Essar Energy
Guy Blackwood QC, Quadrant Chambers
David Taylor, general counsel, PPF
Sonal Sejpal, director, Anjarwalla & Khanna
To read the why the winners took their trophies, click the links below.
International Firm of the Year
Pro-bono Initiative of the Year