More than 150 individuals working across the UK legal profession in a wide array of capacities are today unveiled as contenders for the Women and Diversity in Law Awards.

In all 130 legal businesses, in-house legal teams, suppliers to the sector and not-for-profit groups are represented on the shortlist.

They are competing across 33 categories that seek to identify exceptional women leaders and practitioners as well as the legal businesses, teams and individuals that are moving the needle across all the strands of diversity and inclusion, which include disability, LGBT+, mental health and wellbeing, race equality, and social mobility.

Showcase categories include Woman of the Year, Responsible Leader and Business of the Year, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programme of the Year.

Hosted by The Global Legal Post, the awards will take place at a gala reception and dinner at the Marriott Grosvenor Square in London on 21 March which will feature mental health-focused LawCare as the official charity.

Shortlisted law firms include: global giants Ashurst, Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Dentons and Herbert Smith Freehills; top 50 UK law firms FieldFisher, RPC and Travers Smith; and London boutiques and barristers’ chambers such as the recently launched Pallas Partners and Matrix Chambers.

They are joined by an array of regional practices and in-house legal teams and individuals from companies including BT, Vodafone and NatWest. Shortlisted not-for-profit organisations, meanwhile, include social mobility charity Big Voice London, Neurodiversity in Law and In/Fertility in the City.

The shortlist, which has been created from a total of nearly 350 entries, is being judged by a 25-strong judging panel that includes Julia Chain, chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Human Dignity Trust; Herbert Smith Freehills CEO Justin D’Agostino, who founded his firm's first LGBT+ network in 2007; and Lesley Wan, general counsel and whistleblowing officer at FBN Bank and founder of the Through the Looking Glass charity.

Also on the roster is Norton Rose Fulbright's Europe, Middle East and Asia managing partner Peter Scott - a member of the City of London Corporation's socio-economic taskforce, which published its final report in December - and Sanjay Bhandari, chair of Kick It Out, football’s equality and inclusion charity. 

Elizabeth Rimmer, chief executive of LawCare, said: “We are delighted to be the charity partner for the inaugural Women and Diversity in Law Awards. Making the law a more diverse and inclusive profession that truly welcomes everyone is key to building a healthy, sustainable working culture in law. Congratulations to every person or organisation that has been nominated for an award, it is inspiring to see the innovation and dedication across our community to driving change.”

Click here for more details about the awards. For information about table bookings email [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 3947 1358.  For sponsorship enquiries email [email protected].

The Shortlist

Outstanding Women Leaders

Returner of the Year
Bronwen Jones, Goldsmith Chambers
Claire Glasgow, Fieldfisher
Hannah Williams, M&M Solicitors
Kate Green, Edmondson Hall Solicitors
Kelly Knight, Reed Smith
Laura Smith, Travers Smith
Naomi Pryde, DLA Piper
Rhian Gray, Higgs LLP
Stephanie Creasey, Taylor Rose MW
Tasnim Khalid, Private Client Solicitors

Unsung Hero
Alix Carpenter, Travers Smith
Aparnaa Balamurali, Reed & Mackay
Bunmi Jenfa, Walkers
Dana Satoc, Big Voice London
Euridisa Tjegulla, International Arbitration Centre
Francesca Cann, Edmondson Hall Solicitors
Rebecca Jordan, FDM Solicitors
Sandra Spooner, Herbert Smith Freehills
Sarah Ezzeddine, Lewis Silkin

Unsung Hero in a Leadership Role
Alison Crosland, Keating Chambers
Karen Richardson, Ashurst
Kat Matthews, Consilio
Linda Penfold, Pallas Partners
Lucy Barbet, 11KBW
Lucy Burrows, 3 Verulam Buildings
Silvia Van den Bruel, Hausfeld
Vicki Jones, Johnson Astills

Innovator of the Year
Catherine Goodman, Paul Hastings
Claire Blakemore, Withers
Eleanor Lightbody, Luminance
Jessica Hamilton, Therme Group
Katherine Mulhern, Restitution
Lynn MacKay, Herbert Smith Freehills
Miranda Perkins, WIlmerHale
Sian Ashton, TLT
Sophie Condie, Shieldpay
Steph Barrett, Herbert Smith Freehills

General Counsel of the Year
Alexandra Thrower, Reed & Mackay
Anna Crosse, Vorboss
Harpreet Thandi, Ferrero UK
SunHee Park, Adsum Technologies
Vanya Bromfield, John Crane

Law Firm Leader of the Year - Small-to-Medium-Sized Practice
Catherine Bedford, Harbottle & Lewis
Florence Brocklesby, Bellevue Law
Lauren Cannon, In-House Legal Solutions
Natalie Sutherland, Burgess Mee Family Law
Natasha Harrison, Pallas Partners
Pearl Moses, Setfords
Polly Blenkin, Milberg London
Rakeebah Rahim, Ronald Fletcher Baker
Sarah Lazarides, Harbottle & Lewis
Tasnim Khalid, Private Client Solicitors

Law Firm Leader of the Year - Large Law Firm
Carolyn Aldous, Peerpoint by Allen & Overy
Fiona Adams, Greenberg Traurig
Kathleen Russ, Travers Smith
Kristina Oliver, Keystone Law
Libby Jackson, Herbert Smith Freehills
Linda Woolley, Kingsley Napley
Nadine Goldfoot, Fragomen
Philippa Dempster, Freeths
Suzanne Horne, Paul Hastings
Tamara Box, Reed Smith

Woman of the Year
Amanda J. Lee, Costigan King
Ayse Yazir Acii, Bench Walk Advisors 
Hannah Beko, Legal Studio Solicitors
Jane Burton, Disabled Solicitors Network
Karen Holden, A City Law Firm
Natalie Sutherland, Burgess Mee Family Law
Sara Carnegie, International Bar Association
Sophie Pender, Herbert Smith Freehills
Suzanne White, Leigh Day
Teresa Owusu-Adjei, PwC

Outstanding Women Practitioners

Rising Star - In-house Lawyer
Anisha Patel, Objective Media Group
Beatriz Leiva, Bolt
Clarissa Campbell, Bolt
Emma Levin, Mina
Jemma Newton, Reed & Mackay
Leva Fowler, Wheely

Rising Star - Small-to-Medium-Sized Practice
Ella Watts, Ladies of Law
Ellie Norton, Higgs
Emma Williams, Harbottle & Lewis
Firdous Shenaz Patel, Horwich Cohen Coghlan Solicitors
Lauren Ainsley, Herrington Carmichael
Lauren Cannon, In-House Legal Solutions
Nasreen Shah, Great James Street
Robyn Adams, Debenhams Ottaway
Sonay Erten, Saracens Solicitors
Victoria Anderson, Schillings

Rising Star - Large Law Firm
Anna Burn, Ashurst
Aysha Chouhdary, Irwin Mitchell Solicitors
Charlotte Rice, Paul Hastings
Charlotte Whight, Herbert Smith Freehills
Chidi Onyeche, Latham & Watkins
Eman Hassan, Fieldfisher
Georgie Twigg, Bird & Bird
Leo Lou, Clifford Chance
Steph Lartey, White & Case
Whitney Joseph, Mayer Brown

In-house Counsel of the Year
Eve-Anadel Coronado,  Advanz Pharma
Krishna Jagatiya, Jaguar Land Rover
Lisa Ardley-Price, NatWest
Sophie McBaiden, HSBC
Suzanne Gilbert, BT

Commercial Lawyer of the Year
Angeli Arora, Mishcon de Reya
Liliane Gam, Linklaters
Nicola Kravitz, Memery Crystal
Sage Revell, Brown Rudnick

Disputes Lawyer of the Year
Eleanor Leedham, Keller Postman
Emily Brand, Boodle Hatfield
Fiona Hewitt, Neves Solicitors
Fiona Huntriss, Pallas Partners
Jessica Lee, Brown Rudnick
Jill Greenfield, Fieldfisher
Jo Dimmock, Paul Hastings
Juliet Schalker, Debenhams Ottaway
Sadaf Khan, FDM Solicitors
Suzanne Spears, Paxus

Advocate of the Year
Charlotte Proudman, Goldsmith Chambers 
Elaine Banton , 7BR Chambers
Saima Hanif KC, 3VB
Sarah Pinder , Goldsmith Chambers

Dealmaker of the Year
Anu Balasubramanian, Paul Hastings
Beatriz Del Rey,, Herbert Smith Freehills
Eleni Zodiates, Brown Rudnick
Katie McMenamin, Travers Smith
Mei Lian, Paul Hastings
Sage Revell, Brown Rudnick
Shaima Jillood, Boodle Hatfield

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Awards

Social mobility Initiative of the Year
Allen & Overy
BARBRI
Big Voice London
Flex Legal
In-House Legal Solutions
Keating Chambers
Paul Hastings

Race Equality Initiative of the Year
extense
Keller Postman UK
Mills and Reeve
Reed Smith

Mental Health and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year
Fragomen
Harbottle & Lewis
Be a Little Kinder
Higgs
In/Fertility in the City
International Bar Association
Manders Law
Mills & Reeve
RPC

LGBT+ Initiative of the Year
4 Pump Court
Fragomen
Mills & Reeve

Gender Equality Initiative of the Year
A City Law Firm
AlixPartners
Brown Rudnick 
Her Bar
In/Fertility in the City
International Bar Association
Reed Smith
TLT

Faith Initiative of the Year
Clifford Chance
RPC

Environmental Sustainability Initiative of the Year
CMS
Reed & Mackay
TLT

Disability Initiative of the Year
Clifford Chance
Fieldfisher
Mills and Reeve

Age and Life Stage Initiative of the Year
Carey Olsen
In/Fertility in the City

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programme of the Year
Big Voice London
Bird & Bird
Browne Jacobson
Burford Capital
Carey Olsen
CMS
Dentons
Neurodiversity in Law
Ronald Fletcher Baker
Vorboss

Mentor of the Year
Alexandra Anderson, RPC
Claire Broadbelt, Greenberg Traurig
Elaine Banton, 7BR Chambers
Emma Haywood, Babylon Health
Julian McCombe, Euporos Consulting
Kathryn Garbett, Greenberg Traurig
Lisa Ardley-Price, NatWest
Mair Williams, Latham & Watkins
Sara Carnegie, International Bar Association
Whitney Joseph, Mayer Brown

DE&I Champion of the Year in a Specialist Role
Alice Brighouse, Matrix Chambers
Claire Rason, Client Talk 
Jane Burton, Disabled Solicitors Network
Julian McCombe, Euporos Consulting
Justin Farrance, Allen & Overy
Millie Hawes, Fieldfisher
Sadia Salam, Sadia Salam Coaching
Sara Carnegie, International Bar Association
Sunita Harley, Collective Insight
Yvette Croucher, Paul Hastings

DE&I Champion of the Year in a Legal Role
Akilah Jeffers, Keller Postman UK
Bernadette Gooding, Vodafone
Chinwe Odimba-Chapman, Clifford Chance
Elaine Banton, 7BR Chambers
Grace Woolford, Browne Jacobson
Holly d'Anger, Carey Olsen
Raj Naik, Partner, Fragomen
Samir Manek, Mishcon de Reya
Shannett Thompson, Kingsley Napley
SunHee Park, Adsum Technologies

Supplier of the Year
Arbitra International
BARBRI
Client Talk
Collective Insight
MD Communications

Not for Profit Organisation of the Year
Big Voice London
International Bar Association 
Neurodiversity in Law
The 93% Club

Responsible Business of the Year
Ashurst
In-House Legal Solutions
Matrix Chambers
Paddle & Cocks
Raedas
Reed & Mackay
Ronald Fletcher Baker LLP
TLT

Responsible Leader of the Year
Arun Birla, Paul Hastings
Elizabeth Anscombe, Raedas
Jane Burton, Disabled Solicitors Network
Maria Connolly, TLT
Rachel Pears, RPC
Rakeebah Rahim, Ronald Fletcher Baker
Richard David Port, George Green
Sarah Clarke KC, Serjeants' Inn
Siobhan Owers, Fragomen
Zoe Ashcroft, Winston & Strawn