A trio of top Birmingham law firms are celebrating after practically sweeping the board at last night's prestigious legal awards event at the International Convention Centre.
The three - Hammonds, Mills & Reeve, and Wragge & Co - together won six of the ten categories at the Birmingham Law Society Legal Awards.
Hammonds ' David Hull was named corporate/commercial solicitor of the year and colleague Mathew Harvey came out top in the "rising star" corporate/commercial solicitor of the year category.
For Mills & Reeve, Matthew Hansell was named private client solicitor of the year, and Benjamin Smith won the trainee solicitor of the year category.
Heading the list of honours for Wragge & Co was Andrew Manning Cox, who won the litigation solicitor of the year category. Colleague Steven Butts walked away with the pro bono solicitor of the year title.
The other four category winners were: Fergal Bloomer, of BH Mohammed & Co Solicitors, criminal solicitor of the year; Kevin Harris-James, of Irwin Mitchell, family solicitor of the year; Rachael Palmer, of Blakemores, legal executive of the year; and John Pratt, of Hamilton Pratt, Advised in Birmingham award.
Also new to the awards this year was the Advised in Birmingham category, which was made to the solicitor judged to have played an key role in promoting the city's legal sector.
Mr Pratt, is a keen champion of the city and also a huge supporter of the legal awards.
The awards were backed by a number of leading sponsors, including Allied Irish Bank (GB), RSM Robson Rhodes, The Birmingham Post, Birmingham and Solihull Learning and Skills Council, St Philips Chambers and Chiltern Railways.
