Osborne Clarke landed the Law Firm of the Year Award (over 15 partners) at last night’s Bristol Law Society Awards, with Barcan + Kirby landing the title for the firm with up to 15 partners.
The firm of the year awards are given to the firms that are able to demonstrate excellence in the provision of legal services which has been recognised either regionally or nationally, or a firm that has achieved significant development during the year. 
Osborne Clarke’s victory gives it a hat-trick of awards this year. In June it scooped one of the legal sector’s most prestigious titles – Law Firm of the Year at The Lawyer magazine’s annual awards.
That achievement followed its success in the Legal Business Awards in March when it was also named law firm of the year – a feat thought to be a first in the UK legal profession.
For Barcan + Kirby, its success comes six months after it was formed through the merger of Barcan Woodward and Kirby Sheppard. The firm has 135 fee earners and support staff across eight offices in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. It is led by former Barcan Woodward managing partner Chris Miller and former Kirby Sheppard managing partner Bill Willcocks.
Amanda Jennings, who provides support to Barcan + Kirby’s clinical negligence team, won the Support Team Member of the Year award.
The Bristol office of national law firm Irwin Mitchell won the CSR Firm of the Year accolade in recognition of its commitment to a range of projects and causes across the community, as well as its promotion of social responsibility across the firm.
Examples of their work across the past year include supporting Bristol and Beyond Asbestos Family Support and raising £1,000 for Children’s Hospice South West by taking part in the local Rainbow Run. The office also volunteered and provided funding for a number of initiatives including a Cerebral Palsy Plus sailing day and an Easter party for inclusive playgroup the Butterfly Hut.
Both the Butterfly Hut and fellow charity the Flamingo Foundation also nominated Irwin Mitchell for the award.
The award follows Irwin Mitchell’s success at the recent The Lawyer Business Leadership Awards when it won the Best Legal Market Brand and Best Trainee Recruitment prizes. The firm is also nominated in the Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion category at the upcoming Law Society Excellence Awards 2015, while its Bristol-based lawyer Polly Sweeney is also shortlisted for national Solicitor of the Year, having won the title of Bristol Solicitor of the Year at last year’s Bristol Law Society awards.
Bristol Law Centre legal adviser Andy King won the President’s Outstanding Achievement Award 2015 for his “selfless dedication to helping others throughout their career”.
Having worked for the Avon and Bristol Law Centre for nearly 30 years, he continues to work tirelessly to help thousands of the most vulnerable people in society, who may otherwise not have received any legal support.
The commendation from Bristol Law Society president said: “After LASPO and the legal aid cuts recently hit the Centre very hard, particularly in the winner’s field of welfare benefits, our winner devised an innovative scheme to aid those stripped of support by training up local law students in the niche area of Employment Support Allowance Appeals.
“Amidst the backdrop of the devastating effects of ESA being denied to thousands of people following work capability assessments, the Legal Advocacy Support Project has fought back.
“With a 95% success rate in appeals, compared to a 59% national average, the scheme passed an epic milestone of £1m in compensation in August this year, with the students from the University of the West of England and the University of Law helping over 200 people wrongly assessed as being fit for work.
“As well as benefiting those affected, our winner’s hard work in setting up and managing the project has provided a valuable opportunity for the student volunteers to gain experience in client care, drafting, negotiation and advocacy.
“Although going to the project’s leader, this year’s award also recognises the time and efforts of those student volunteers and the excellent results they have achieved, as well as all those at the Avon and Bristol Law Centre who made it possible.
For all of that and for his undiminished enthusiasm for using the law to help the vulnerable, the President’s Outstanding Achievement Award 2015 goes to Andy King.”
Other winners included Sarah Carter from the University of Law (Student of the Year), Zina Ruffino from Watkins Solicitors (Junior Lawyer of the Year), Leslie Blohm QC (Barrister of the Year) and St John’s Chambers (Chambers of thee Year).
For a full list of winners click here.
