The finalists have just been announced for the legal event of the year – The Herald Law Awards of Scotland 2023.
With just over four weeks to go until The Herald Law Awards of Scotland 2023 take place in Glasgow, the finalists have been announced and these include established names as well as some who are just beginning to make their mark on the legal profession.
This is the 19th year that the awards have been held and once again the event, which will take place at DoubleTree by Hilton, will unite legal professionals for an evening of networking as well as celebrate the exceptional achievements of individuals and law firms from across a variety of legal disciplines in Scotland. Host for the evening will be comedian Jo Caulfield.
This year there are a total of 18 categories and while finalists have been named for 15 of these, three have been kept under wraps and will only be made public on the night. These are the Outstanding Contribution Award, sponsored by Thomson Reuters; the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Chairman’s Award.
That chairman is Colin Anderson, Director and Company Secretary LEAD Scotland, and
he leads a panel of distinguished judges that includes Frances McMenamin KC; advocate Usman Tariq; Susan Murray, Vice President of the Law Society of Scotland; Rebecca Samaras, senior lecturer at Dundee Law School; Murray McCall, managing partner, Anderson Strathern; Arlene McDaid, Founder Legal Hackers Scotland; and Kenny Robertson, Head of Outsourcing, Technology and IP legal team at the RBS/Natwest Group.
Alex Prentice KC, winner of The Herald Law Awards of Scotland Outstanding Achievement Award 2022 and who in 1994 became one of the first solicitors to acquire right of audience in the criminal courts is a further member of the judging panel and so too is Meena Bahanda, Head of Legal Recruitment for IDEX Consulting whose company are sponsoring both Law Firm of the Year – Scottish Independents, and Corporate Team of the Year categories.
She said: “There has been an impressive level of entries and I really enjoyed the judging process and learning more about the significant impact and positive change so many law firms across Scotland have enabled.”
Meanwhile Ronnie Murison, Director of Sheriff Officer Services at Stirling Park, Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers, sponsors of both the Litigation Firm of the Year and Debt Recovery Firm of the Year, categories, said: “Congratulations to the firms and individuals that have been shortlisted across all categories, particularly for those nominated under Litigation Firm of the Year and Debt Recovery Firm of the Year. Stirling Park provides Sheriff Officer services to Law Firms throughout Scotland for these very disciplines. We are therefore delighted to be sponsoring these two categories again and eagerly anticipate the awards to support those who have been recognised for their achievements.”
From High Street Firm of the Year and Criminal Law Firm of the Year, to the Up and Coming Award, for which the nominees this year are Ruairidh Morrison, MBM Commercial and Dr Sarah Cunningham Munro, Livingstone Brown, the Awards will recognise excellence across the profession.
Two heavily-contested categories are Family and Child Law Team of the Year and Law Firm of the Year – Scottish Independents, while Carol Hunter, CMS; Natalie O’Donoghue, McSherry Halliday LLP and Sharon Connolly, Macnabs, have all been nominated in the Paralegal of the Year category, new for 2023.
There are also awards for the Rising Star at the Scottish Bar and for both Pro Bono and Corporate Social Responsibility achievements as well as for Employment and Pensions Team of the Year, for which the nominees are Burness Paull LLP, Dallas McMillan, Livingstone Brown and Shoosmiths LLP.
Other awards that will be handed out on the night will be Solicitor of the Year and the Innovation Award, both sponsored by the Law Society of Scotland.
Tickets include a welcome drinks reception, three-course meal, entertainment, and official programme and these are available now from https://nesquestscotlandevents.com/events/lawawards/
Finalist List
High Street Firm of the Year
- Berlow Rahman Hassan Limited, Solicitors and Notaries
- MacPhee & Partners
- McGlashan MacKay Solicitors
Criminal Law Firm of the Year
- Livingstone Brown
- McGovern Reid
- Moir and Sweeney Litigation
Family and Child Law Team of the Year
- Allan McDougall Solicitors
- Berlow Rahman Hassan Limited, Solicitors and Notaries
- Blackadders LLP
- Family Law Matters Scotland LLP
- Livingstone Brown
- Macnabs
Up and Coming Award
Paralegal of the Year
- Carol Hunter, CMS
- Natalie O’Donoghue, McSherry Halliday LLP
- Sharon Connolly, Macnabs
Rising Star at the Scottish Bar
- Carla Fraser, Compass Chambers
- Chris Miller, Black Chambers
- David Welsh, Axiom Advocates
- Emma Boffey, Axiom Advocates
Solicitor of the Year – sponsored by The Law Society of Scotland
- Andy Sirel, JustRight Scotland
- Jelina Berlow-Rahman, Berlow Rahman Hassan Limited, Solicitors and Notaries
- Patrick McGuire, Thompson’s Solicitors
- Stuart Kenneth Munro, Livingstone Brown
Litigation Team of the Year – sponsored by Stirling Park
- Allan McDougall Solicitors
- Livingstone Brown
Deby Recovery Team of the Year – sponsored by Stirling Park
- Gilson Gray
- Harper Macleod LLP
- Shoosmiths LLP
Innovation Award – The Law Society of Scotland
- Alegrant
- Ashurst
- McSherry Halliday LLP
Corporate Team of the Year – sponsored by IDEX Consulting
- Macdonald Henderson
- MBM Commercial
Corporate Social Responsibility Award
Pro-Bono Award
- Alegrant
- Berlow Rahman Hassan Limited, Solicitors and Notaries
- University of Strathclyde Law Clinic
Employment and Pensions Team of the Year
Law Firm of the Year – Scottish Independents – sponsored by IDEX Consulting
- Dallas McMillan
- Ledingham Chalmers Solicitors
- Livingstone Brown
- MBM Commercial
- McKee Campbell Morrison Solicitors
- McSherry Halliday LLP
- Ormistons Mental Health Law Practice
- Thompsons Solicitors
Outstanding Contribution Award – sponsored by Thomson Reuters
- To be announced on the night
Lifetime Achievement Award
- To be announced on the night
Chairman’s Award
- To be announced on the night