Judges in a prestigious awards scheme have praised Bristol-headquartered national law firm Burges Salmon for its “seamless client service and workplace culture” after naming it as a double winner.
The firm topped the ‘Private Client Team of the Year – Large Firm’ category at the STEP Private Client Awards 2022/23 and also won with the inaugural ‘Employer of the Year’ title. 
It was the fifth time since 2015/16 the firm had been named the ‘Private Client Team of the Year – Large Firm’ at the annual awards, which celebrate excellence among private client lawyers, trustees, accountants and other specialists across the world.
Now in their 17th year, they are widely recognised as the most prestigious awards in the industry.
The firm won in the Private Client Team of the Year category for demonstrating a clear capacity to undertake complex client issues, reinforcing the team’s sector specialisms, providing excellent client service delivery and innovating to differentiate themselves from competitors, while demonstrating commitment to the wider profession.
The Employer of the Year category recognises staff satisfaction around career development, pay, management, work/life balance and the firm’s culture. 
Further demonstrating its commitment to its people and communities, Burges Salmon was also recently ranked 23rd as a Top 75 UK employer in the Social Mobility Foundation Index, recognised with a Platinum ‘We invest in people’ accreditation by Investors in People, and named one of The Times Top 50 Employers for Women for the second year running, among other accolades.
Head of the Burges Salmon’s tax and private client team, John Barnett, pictured, said: “It really is absolutely fantastic to have been successful once again at these prestigious awards – and in two such brilliant categories.
“We all know that to receive a STEP Award is the hallmark of quality within the private wealth sector, and this recognition is testament not only to Burges Salmon being proud to care – for its people, its clients and for the wider communities around us – but also for the commitment and resilience our team has demonstrated over the past year.
“I am really proud of our entire team, who deserve this award for their relentless focus on our clients and for continuing to provide them with the excellent level of service for which Burges Salmon is known.”
Commenting on the firm’s Private Client Team of the Year win, the judges said: “A stand-out entry, Burges Salmon has been quick to develop real knowledge and specialise in newer areas affecting private clients, such as crypto and natural capital, and has demonstrated real innovation through its development of apps that provide clear practical benefits to its clients.”
For the triumph in the Employer of the Year category, they said they were “hugely impressed by the firm.
“It stood out as an inclusive and enjoyable place to work, where staff at all levels are made to feel integral to the business and given the space and resources to grow and flourish. A worthy inaugural winner of this new award category.”
The Burges Salmon Private Wealth team is nationally and internationally recognised for providing clear and practical legal advice to clients in the UK and abroad.
It works with a wide variety of clients including entrepreneurs, landowners, high and ultra-high net worth individuals, trustees and family offices, both onshore and offshore.
Step is an international association for practitioners specialising in family inheritance and succession planning with 20,000 members from a range of professions.
