The shortlist for the 11th annual Excellence Awards was unveiled recently with a good showing for firms and solicitors based in the north. The annual awards recognise the commitment, enthusiasm and passion that solicitors dedicate to serving their clients, whilst, in the process, underpinning our world-renowned legal system. To be shortlisted for the Excellence Awards is an achievement to be proud of said Law Society president Joe Egan.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony hosted by BBC Radio 4 Today programme presenter, Mishal Husain, on 19 October 2017 at the Hilton Park Lane Hotel, London. Tickets to the event can be booked here.

Solicitors and firms in the North are well represented in the shortlist:

Excellence in Business Development

• Paradigm Family Law - York
• Reeds Solicitors - Wakefield
• Rradar Limited - Hull

Excellence in Client Service

• Croftons Solicitors – Manchester
• EMG Solicitors Limited - Durham
• Rradar Limited – Hull

Excellence in Conveyance Practice

• Arnold Greenwood Solicitors - Kendal
• EMG Solicitors Limited - Durham
• Kuits Solicitors - Manchester

Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion

• Gordons LLP - Yorkshire

Excellence in-house

• Softcat - Manchester

Excellence in International Legal Services

• Shulmans - Yorkshire

Excellence in Learning & Development

• Bott & Co Solicitors - Manchester

Excellence in Marketing & Communications

• April King Legal - Warrington
• BLM Fraud Team - Manchester
• Hillyer McKeown - Chester
• Irwin Mitchell - Manchester

Excellence in Private Client Practice

• Carr & Co Solicitors - Huddersfield
• Emmersons Solicitors Limited - North East

Excellence in Technology

• Durham County Council
• MRN Solicitors - Leeds
• Ward Hadaway – North

Human Rights Lawyer of the Year

• Kaweh Beheshtizadeh, Barnes Harrild & Dyer Solicitors - Birkenhead
• Peter Garsden, Simpson Millar LLP – Manchester
• Wendy Hewitt, Equality and Human Rights Commission - Manchester
• Amjad Malik, Amjad Malik Solicitors - Rochdale

Junior Lawyer of the Year

• Ciaran Dearden, Irwin Mitchell LLP – Sheffield

Solicitor of the Year - Private Practice

• Zoe Gascoyne, Quinn Melville (& CLSA) - Liverpool
• Lesley Graves, Citadel Law - Manchester

Woman Lawyer of the Year

• Emma Brooksbank, Simpson Millar – Leeds
• Rashmi Dubé, Legatus Law - Leeds
• Emma Nawaz Blackstone Solicitors Altrincham