The cream of Bristol’s legal firms and individual lawyers will be recognised next month at the region’s most prestigious legal awards.
Twelve categories will be hotly contested at the annual Bristol Law Society Awards, ranging from Law Student of the Year, to Team of the Year and Law Firm of the Year. 
The shortlist reads like a who’s who of the city’s legal sector with large and small law firms and legal service providers as well as leading individual lawyers challenging for the top titles.
The awards will be presented at the Bristol Law Society’s annual dinner on October 13 at the Bristol Marriott Hotel City Centre.
Bristol Law Society president John Moriarty said the high level and quality of nominations submitted this year provided a great challenge to the shortlisting independent judging team.
“The nominations received demonstrated the excellent range and standard of expertise and charitable works undertaken within the legal profession in Bristol, Bath and the surrounding areas,” he said.
“We congratulate all those individuals, teams and organisations who were nominated and in particular those who were shortlisted.”
The award’s lead sponsor is UWE.
The award for Law Firm (over 15 Partners) is being contested by Bristol-headquartered firm Veale Wasbrough Vizards (VWV), regional firm Foot Anstey, which has an office in Bristol, and recently merged Royds Withy King, which has offices in Bath, Swindon, Oxford and London.
The Law Firm of the Year title is awarded to the firm best able to demonstrate excellence in the provision of legal services which has been recognised either regionally or nationally or a firm that has seen significant development during the year. The award is sponsored by Wesleyan.
Barcan+Kirby, Pritchetts and The Family Law Practice line up in the award for the firm with fewer than 15 partners.
The full shortlist is:
- Law Student of the Year: Otis Graham, University of Law; Scarlett Guy, UWE; Alvaro Loxton, UWE
- Support Team Member of the Year: Alexandra Hammond, Veale Wasbrough Vizards; Pip (Philippa) Lewis, Barcan+Kirby; Jane Morgan, Legal Services Bristol City Council
- Junior Lawyer of the Year: Lucy Baldwin, Paragon Costs; Gareth Hughes, Barcan+Kirby; Fiona McGhie, Irwin Mitchell
- Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year: Catherine Biggs, UWE; Terri Anson-Dean, TLT; Sabeena Pirooz, Lyons Davidson
- CSR Firm of the Year: Burges Salmon; Osborne Clarke; Wards
- Barrister of the Year: Hayley Griffiths, 3PB Barristers; Stephen Mooney, Albion Chambers; Lucy Reed, St John’s Chambers
- Chambers of the Year: No5 Chambers; Guildhall Chambers; St John’s Chambers
- Lawyer of the Year: Robin Denford, Bristol City Council; Claire Hurrell, Barcan+Kirby; Ashley Palminteri, The Family Law Practice
- Team of the Year: Clerking team, 3PB Barristers; Clerking team, Guildhall Chambers; Medical Negligence team (Bristol), Irwin Mitchell
- Law Firm – up to and including 15 Partners – of the Year: Barcan+Kirby, Pritchetts, The Family Law Practice
- Law Firm – over 15 Partners – of the Year: Royds Withy King, Veale Wasbrough Vizards, Foot Anstey
- President’s Outstanding Achievement Award: To be announced on the evening.
