Bristol lawyer Robert Bourns, a former managing partner and senior partner of Bristol-headquartered national law firm TLT, has received a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the legal profession.
Robert, who was also a former president of The Law Society of England & Wales, received the accolade from the City of London Law Society at the recent British Legal Awards in London.
The annual awards aim to recognise achievements across the UK’s thriving business law community.
Hosted by Legal Week in association with The City of London Law Society, the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award is decided by the City of London Law Society Committee.
As managing partner of Bristol firm Trumps, Robert played a key role in its merger in 2000 with Lawrence Tucketts – also based in Bristol – to create TLT.
He served as the firm’s managing partner and then senior partner until 2015, when he was elected the 172nd president of The Law Society of England & Wales. He remains a consultant to TLT, which has become one of the fastest-growing law firms in the UK.
Having expanded from its Bristol headquarters into Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Manchester, it now employs more than 1,000 people across the UK with revenues of £87.6m.
As well as his leadership roles at TLT and The Law Society, Robert has been active across the legal profession and beyond. He has been a passionate advocate throughout his career of improving diversity and social mobility across the profession, which was a key component of his role as senior partner.
He is a trustee of a number of local and national charities focusing on education and furthering the aspirations and ambitions of young people.
In Bristol, he has a long track record of engagement with a number of projects such as the Quartet Community Foundation, Room 13 – an independent art studio in the playground of Hareclive Primary in Hartcliffe,- and Ablaze, a charity tackling inequality of young people in the West of England and which TLT continues to support.
Robert is also actively engaged in the debate around regulatory change in the legal profession.
Chair of The City of London Law Society, Edward Sparrow, said: “Robert is known for his acute sense of public interest as demonstrated by his service to the wider profession over many years.
“I’m delighted to have presented this Lifetime Achievement Award to Robert in recognition of all his successes in the legal profession and beyond.”
Pictured: Robert Bourns, centre, receives his Lifetime Achievement Award from Edward Sparrow, chair of The City of London Law Society, and ceremony host, comedian Jo Brand
