Awards and accreditations

As a firm, we believe in being judged by what our people have achieved and not what we say, so we thought we’d share with you just some of our recent successes.

2024

North West Leadership Awards 2024 - Ryan Brown shortlisted for Young Leader (aged 35 and under), Diversity and Inclusion Leader and Professional Services Leader.
British Diversity Awards - shortlisted for Head of Diversity of the Year (Oliver Holmes)
Women and Diversity in Law Awards - shortlisted for DE&I Champion of the year in a Legal role (Bridget Tatham).
Nottinghamshire Law Society - Shortlisted for Junior Lawyer of the Year 2024 (Laura Morland)
Nottinghamshire Law Society - Shortlisted for Barrister of the Year 2024 (Leah Redden)
The Legal 500 ESG Awards 2024 - winner of Social Mobility: Best Initiative to Attract and Retain Talent (outside London)
The Legal 500 ESG Awards 2024 - Shortlisted for Ethnicity: Best Initiative to Attract and Retain Talent
The Legal 500 ESG Awards 2024 - Shortlisted for DE&I: Law Firm Initiative of the Year
The Legal 500 ESG Awards 2024 - Shortlisted for DE&I: Rising Star of the Year (Hannah Collins)
DIVA Awards 2024 - shortlisted for BNP Parisbas Diversity Champion of the Year (Hannah Collins)
Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Awards 2024 – winner of BD and Marketing Team of the Year
Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Awards 2024 – winner of Public Sector Firm of the Year
EducationInvestor Awards 2024 – shortlisted for Legal Advisor of the Year – to Education Institutions
Health Investor Awards 2024 - shortlisted for Legal Advisors of the Year – Private
Health Investor Awards 2024 - shortlisted for Legal Advisors of the Year – Public
Health Investor Awards 2024 - shortlisted for Legal Advisors of the Year – Transactional
RealDeals Private Equity Awards 2024 - shortlisted for Regional Legal Adviser of the Year category
East Midlands Dealmakers Awards - shortlisted for Corporate Law Firm of the Year
East Midlands Dealmakers Awards - shortlisted for Emerging Dealmaker of the Year (Sam Sharp & Matt Bolton)
East Midlands Dealmakers Awards - shortlisted for Deal of the Year (up to £10m)
East Midlands Dealmakers Awards - shortlisted for Deal of the Year (£10m+)
The Lawyer Awards - shortlisted for Best Talent and Inclusion Initiative
The Lawyer Awards - shortlisted for Litigation team of the year

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award for Small Employers at the Personnel Today Awards 2023

Caroline Green, Senior Partner

"We are delighted to have been recognised for our efforts and will continue to champion inclusivity, ensuring that everyone - whatever their background - has an opportunity to thrive in the legal industry."

Social Mobility Initiative of the Year at the European Diversity Awards 2023

Declan Vaughan, People Director

"We are committed to innovative ways of attracting future talent and to helping people from all backgrounds get a foot in the door, highlighting the importance of initiatives like FAIRE to enable that."

Top ranked law firm in Social Mobility Employer Index 2023

Tom Lyas, Head of Resourcing and Social Mobility

"Socio-economic diversity is essential to the success of any organisation, and here we’ve seen how the diversity of our workforce positively impacts the experience we’re able to offer."

Equality and Diversity Award at the National BCC Business Awards

Tim Edds, Partner and Laura Hughes, Partner

"We have as a firm been committed to promoting equality and diversity through our work for a number of years, so it is great to see that this is recognised both nationally and in the local communities we operate in."

2023

Social Mobility Employer Index 2023 - ranked ‘one of UK’s top five employers’.
European Diversity Awards 2023 - Social Mobility Initiative of the Year.
People in Law Awards 2023 - winner of Best Social Mobility Initiative.
People in Law Awards 2023 - winner of Grand Prix award.
Women and Diversity in Law Awards 2023 - winner of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programme of the Year (FAIRE).
The Times Best Law Firms 2023 - rated as one of the UK’s leading law firms.
Made in Manchester Awards 2023 - winner of Lawyer of the Year category (Rebecca Hainsworth).
East Midlands Dealmakers 2023 - winner of Law Firm of the Year.
East Midlands Dealmakers 2023 - winner of Dealmaker of the Year (Sandra Wong).
East Midlands Dealmakers 2023 - winner of Deal of the Year (Under £10m) - Management buyout of Swann Systems.
East Midlands Dealmakers 2023 - winner of Deal of the Year (£10m+) - Secondary buyout of Littlefish to Bowmark Capital from LDC and management.
Insider Midlands Dealmakers - winner of SME Deal of the Year.
Insider Midlands Dealmakers - winner of Deal of the Year.
Real Deals Private Equity Awards - winner of regional legal adviser of the year.
EducationInvestor Awards 2023 - winner of Legal Advisor of the Year to - Education Institutions.
West Midlands Rainmakers 2023 - winner of Private Equity Exit - Palatine exit from CTS investment.
Exeter Property Awards 2023 - winner of the Legal category.
British Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2023 - regional winner of the Equality Trailblazer, Diversity and Inclusion Award.
Nottinghamshire Law Society - winner of the ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award (Peter Ellis).
Women and Diversity in Law Awards 2023 - highly commended for the DE&I Champion of the Year in a Legal Role category (Grace Woolford).
Insider East Midlands Property Dinner Awards - commended in the Regeneration and Restoration Project of the Year category.
Wales Legal Awards 2023 - Winner of Public Law Team of the Year.
Personnel Today Awards 2023 - Winner of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award (Smaller employers) category.
European Diversity Awards 2023 - Winner of Social Mobility Initiative of the Year for FAIRE.

2022

Social Mobility Employer Index 2022 – ‘ranked UK’s number one employer’
The Times Best Law Firms 2022 – ‘rated as one of the UK’s leading law firms’
Franco British Business Awards — ‘Diversity & Inclusion Award’
Education Investor Awards — ‘Legal Advisor to Education Institutions’
British Diversity Awards 2022 – ‘Social Mobility Initiative of the Year’
National Insurance Awards 2022 – ‘Inclusion and Diversity Award’
Lexis Nexis Awards – ‘Award for Diversity and Inclusion’
Lexis Nexis Awards – ‘Legal Personality of the Year’ (Tom Lyas)
Manchester Young Talent Awards 2022 — ‘Legal Professional of the Year’ (Holly Quirk)
Birmingham Black Lawyer (BBL) Excellence Awards – ‘Lawyer of the Year’ (Bridget Tatham)
Genius Within – ‘Celebrating Neurodiversity Awards’ – ‘Community Choice category’ (Lynette Wieland)
WeAreTheCity Rising Star Awards 2022 - 'Law' (The Lynne Freeman Award) category (Lynette Wieland)
WeAreTheCity Rising Star Awards 2022 - 'All Other Industries' category (Laura Mahoney)
Nottinghamshire Law Society Awards – ‘Junior Lawyer of the Year’ (Hannah Collins)
East Midlands Dealmakers Awards 2022 – ‘Corporate Law Firm of the Year’
East Midlands Dealmakers Awards 2022 – ‘Emerging Dealmaker of the Year’ (Sandra Wong)
South West Dealmakers Awards 2022 – ‘Large Deal of the Year’ (More than £25m)
Northern Ireland Dealmakers Awards 2022 – ‘Private Equity/Venture Capital Deal of the Year’ - Buyout of investors and investment in Selazar by a global private equity firm
Insider Midlands Dealmakers Awards - ‘Refinance Deal of the Year’ - the £40m refinancing of Construction Testing Solutions
Insider Midlands Dealmakers Awards - ‘Mid-Market Deal of the Year’ – the MBO of Kingswood Corporation
Insider Wales Dealmakers Awards – ‘Deal of the Year’ - Highly Commended - Acquisition of Tillery Valley Foods by Joubere Food Group (Grant Thornton, Browne Jacobson, Addleshaw Goddard)

2021

Social Mobility Employer Index 2021 - ranked UK’s number one employer
FT Innovative Lawyers Europe 2021 – Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion
British Legal Awards 2021 - D & I Initiative of the Year
UK Social Mobility Awards 2021 - Innovation Award
The Lawyer Awards - Best Talent and Inclusion Initiative
Laing Buisson Awards 2021 – Private Legal Advisor
The Private Equity Awards - Regional Legal Adviser of the Year
Midlands Dealmakers Awards 2021 - Corporate Law Firm of the Year
Midlands Awards - International Deal of the Year
First Hundred Years – The Inspirational Women in Law Awards 2021- Champion of the Year (Lynette Wieland)
OUTstanding LGBT+Role Model Lists 2021– listed as making a significant contribution to LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace (Hannah Collins)
POC in Play SAHM Games 2021 - ranked among the Top 100 in the South Asian Heritage Month Games (Kulpreet Virdi)
Nottingham Law Society Awards 2021 – Solicitor of the Year (Sam Sharp)
Accredited as a Living Wage Employer by the Living Wage Foundation