Tom Lawal, a barrister at St Ives Chambers in Birmingham, has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Black British Business Awards 2015.
Mr Lawal has been nominated as Leader of the Year in the Professional Services category.
He was called to the Bar in 2008 and joined chambers in 2009 and has been a visiting lecturer in law at the University of Law since 2012.
In 2011 he was named Pupil Barrister of the Year at the Legal Awards and in the same year appeared in the Young Barristers Magazine in recognition of his outstanding year as a pupil.
In 2014 Mr Lawal was elected by his fellow members of chambers to sit on the pupillage and tenancy committee.
Since 2011 he has sat on the equality and diversity committee in chambers.
The Black British Business Awards, sponsored by EY, recognise the trailblazers and rising stars in the UK’s business sector.
The winners will be announced during a sold-out ceremony at The Hilton Park Lane London on October 20.
Melanie Eusebe, chair and co-founder of the awards, said: “We are proud to have achieved every objective set in the inaugural year, and to return with another impressive list of high performers who are contributing immensely to UK plc and SME.
“The BBBAwards have enjoyed tremendous support from the Government, business leaders and the community at large. We have a sold out ceremony that will raise awareness, change mindsets, and inspire the next generation of business leaders.”
Sanjay Bhandari, an EY partner and member of the awards judging panel added: “It is commercially imperative for UK businesses to equip themselves with a diverse workforce, in order to recruit and retain the best talent and compete in the global marketplace.
“The Black British Business Awards, which EY has supported since its inception, highlight a set of inspirational role models who have the ability to encourage the next generation of business achievers.
“At EY we recognise that role models can be powerful agents for change and we are proud to celebrate their achievements through these awards.”
