Women legal practitioners from firms including Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer, Linklaters, Cooley and BCLP were among the winners at yesterday’s Women and Diversity in Law Awards in London.
Some 450 legal professionals attended the event at the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, which was hosted by The Global Legal Post, to honour outstanding women leaders, practitioners and organisations seeking to improve diversity in the profession.
Winners included Children Not Numbers co-founder Somaya Ouazzani, who won the prestigious Woman of the Year award for her work in Gaza supporting children with medical care, education and international advocacy.
Also among those honoured was former Law Society of England and Wales president Lubna Shuja, who won the Outstanding Achievement award for her contribution to advancing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, including being the first Asian and first Muslim to lead the society since it was founded in 1825.
In her acceptance speech, Shuja said: “When I first became a solicitor, way back in 1992, men were very much the majority. Diversity wasn’t a word that anybody used. But now I’m delighted to say that women make up 54% of the solicitor profession, over 40% of the Bar and around 44% of judges are female.”
She also acknowledged the importance of having a good support network to help women succeed in their legal careers, saying: “We are here because of our allies, our families and our colleagues, those people who guided us, who gently pushed us further than we thought we were ready to go. They picked us up when things were not going so well, and they carried us through the times when we wanted to give up. So we must never underestimate the quiet, everyday support that makes our work possible.”
While she noted the progress made to improve diversity in the profession, she also stressed that more work needs to be done, particularly boosting representation at senior leadership levels.
She added: “What’s really good in this room right now is seeing the ambition, the enthusiasm and the determination on so many faces. So let’s hold that really close and do what we can collectively to make the journey easier for those that are following behind us.”
Other notable winners included Duncan Lewis Solicitors, which was named Law Firm of the Year; NCC Group, which took home the In-house Legal Department of the Year award; and Right to Equality, which won the Not-for-Profit Organisation or Representation Body of the Year award.
Law firm leaders who picked up awards included Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer’s diversity and inclusion committee co-chair Kathleen Harris; The Wilkes Partnership’s managing partner Eleanor Holland; and Hilary Meredith-Beckham from boutique firm Hilary Meredith Solicitors. CM Murray’s general counsel, Beth Hale, was also honoured.
Women practitioners who were among the winners included Linklaters’ banking partner, Mei Lian, who was named Dealmaker of the Year; Tughans’ head of planning and environmental law, Maria O’Loan, who secured Disputes Lawyer of the Year; and Cooley’s London cyber, data and privacy practice leader Guadalupe Sampedro, who won the Commercial Lawyer of the Year award.
The awards were presented by Donna Fraser, director of people, equity, diversity and inclusion at the Professional Cricketers Association, and a four-time Olympian for Great Britain.
Joining the judges’ panel this year were International Bar Association legal director Sara Carnegie; Amanda Millar, leadership and inclusion advocate and former president of the Law Society of Scotland; City of London Law Society chief executive Patrick McCann; Marcia Shekerdemian KC, of Wilberforce Chambers; consultant and executive coach Lucy Burrows; and Sullivan & Cromwell partner Mike Francies.
The event was sponsored by Addleshaw Goddard, Byfield, CM Murray, Pirical, Freshfields, Haynes Boone and RWK Goodman, with support from charity partner Justice & Care and organisations including Cake & Counsel and LawCare.
Click here for full details of the winning entries and here to see the photo gallery.
The winners
Outstanding Achievement Award: Lubna Shuja
Woman of the Year: Somaya Ouazzani, Children Not Numbers
Law Firm Leader of the Year – International Law Firm: Kathleen Harris, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer
Law Firm Leader of the Year – National/Regional Law Firm: Eleanor Holland, The Wilkes Partnership
Law Firm Leader of the Year – Boutique Law Firm: Hilary Meredith-Beckham, Hilary Meredith Solicitors
General Counsel of the Year: Beth Hale, CM Murray
Business Leader of the Year: Amanda Bell, SeparateSpace
Unsung Hero: Vicki Brown, University of Portsmouth
Returner of the Year: Laura Todd, Utility Warehouse
Advocate of the Year: Sonia Tolaney KC, One Essex Court
Dealmaker of the Year: Mei Lian, Linklaters
Disputes Lawyer of the Year: Maria O’Loan, Tughans
Commercial Lawyer of the Year: Guadalupe Sampedro, Cooley
In-house Counsel of the Year: Kate Takes, Children Not Numbers
Rising Star – International Law Firm: Olivia Wint, BCLP
Rising Star – National/Regional Law Firm: Georgia Whitfield, Hay & Kilner
Rising Star – Boutique Law Firm: Manveet Chhina, Proudmans
Rising Star – In-house Lawyer: Karen Safo Barnieh Olutogun, City of London Corporation (Police)
Rising Star – Barrister: Ife Thompson, Nexus Chambers
Law Firm of the Year: Duncan Lewis Solicitors
Legal Department of the Year: NCC Group
Not-for-Profit Organisation or Representation Body of the Year: Right to Equality
Supplier of the Year: SeparateSpace
Mentor of the Year: Lucinda Orr, Enyo Law
Diversity Champion of the Year – Specialist Role: Carolene Ayaka, Addleshaw Goddard
Diversity and Inclusion Initiative or Programme of the Year – Community Focused: Addleshaw Goddard
Diversity Champion of the Year – Legal Services Professional: Emily Mae Christie, Neurodiversity in Law
Diversity Champion of the Year – In-house Lawyer: Mellissa Akinya, Government Legal Department & Black Lawyers Circle
Diversity Champion of the Year – Private Practice Lawyer: Alice Kinder, Bexley Beaumont
Diversity Champion of the Year – Barrister: Fallon Alexis, QEB Hollis Whiteman
Diversity and Inclusion Initiative or Programme of the Year – Firm Focused: Freeths
Mentor of the Year – Barrister: Amanda Meusz, Garden Court Chambers
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