Industry extravaganza returns in-person to celebrate top trainee-rated firms and chambers 🏆🤩
Legal Cheek’s annual awards returned this year, to celebrate the top-trainee rated firms and chambers of the year in a dazzling in-person celebration. The awards are based on the results of our annual survey of over 2,000 trainee and junior lawyers.
This year’s Legal Cheek Awards, sponsored by BARBRI, was held in Landing Forty Two of London’s iconic Cheesegrater Building — formally known as the Leadenhall Building. Over three-hundred guests from the UK’s leading law firms and barristers’ chambers joined celebrities and the Attorney General Suella Braverman QC MP to attend the exclusive invite-only ceremony.
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After a reception with Prosecco and canapés, BARBRI managing director Lucie Allen took to the stage to deliver a presentation about the SQE and the importance of diversity in the legal profession, introducing their initiative to reduce barriers to entry and strengthen diversity in the legal sector, BARBRI Bridges.
The Awards host Tom Connelly, Legal Cheek editor, was then joined by award sponsors and Legal Cheek’s student campus ambassadors to announce the winners of the 25 categories making up this year’s awards.
The Attorney General Suella Braverman, Love Island 2021 finalist Tyler Cruickshank and X Factor and Celebrity Big Brother star Katie Waissel made special guest appearances to present the winners of categories Best Journal Contribution, Best Use of Social Media and Best Firm for Work/Life Balance with their awards.
So who won what? Read on to find out…
Best Legal Cheek Journal Contribution 2022: James Cox for ‘Why the new policing bill threatens our right to protest’
Highly commended: ‘SPACs: What’s all the fuss about?’ by Roisin Blackmore, ‘#SaveColin or #FreeCuthbert? The case of the caterpillar cakes’ by Sammy Hacklett, ‘What the non-fungible token craze means for IP law’ by William Holmes, ‘Loot boxes’: Blurring the lines between gaming and gambling?’ by Samuel Jenkins, ‘Where is ESG headed?’ by Adam Jordan, ‘Johnson & Johnson split: it’s not me, it’s the (pharma) boom’ by Paola Lindo, ‘The rise and fall of the European Super League’ by Tanzeel ur Rehman, ‘Why the Online Safety Bill doesn’t go far enough’ by Nathan Silver, ‘Sustainability or spin? Greenwashing and the law’ by Matthew Unsworth
The winner of this category was decided by an independent judging panel, made up of Maximilian Hardy (9 Bedford Row barrister, blogger and TV legal consultant), Suella Braverman QC MP (Attorney General for England and Wales), Kate Beioley (Financial Times legal correspondent) and Matthew Scott (Pump Court Chambers barrister and legal affairs commentator).
Best Law Firm for Training 2022: Macfarlanes
Highly commended: Accutrainee, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Burges Salmon, CMS, Clifford Chance, Dechert, HFW, Hogan Lovells, Linklaters, Mayer Brown, Osborne Clarke, Shoosmiths, Slaughter and May, TLT, Travers Smith
Best Law Firm For Quality of Work 2022: Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Highly commended: Accutrainee, Akin Gump, Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Fried Frank, Kingsley Napley, Latham & Watkins, Linklaters, Mills & Reeve, Osborne Clarke, Ropes & Gray, Shoosmiths, Slaughter and May, Vinson & Elkins, Weil Gotshal & Manges, White & Case, Wiggin
Best Law Firm for Peer Support 2022: RPC
Highly commended: Addleshaw Goddard, Bristows, Burges Salmon, Clyde & Co, DLA Piper, Debevoise & Plimpton, Eversheds Sutherland, Forsters, Gowling WLG, Herbert Smith Freehills, Hill Dickinson, TLT, Taylor Wessing, Travers Smith, Womble Bond Dickinson
Best Law Firm for Partner Approachability 2022: Withers
Highly commended: BLM, Baker McKenzie, Bird & Bird, Bristows, Dentons, Fieldfisher, Gateley, Pinsent Masons, RPC, Russell-Cooke, Squire Patton Boggs, Taylor Wessing, Travers Smith, Wiggin,
Willkie Farr & Gallagher, Womble Bond Dickinson
Best Law Firm for Work/Life Balance 2022: Hill Dickinson
Highly commended: BLM, Bristows, DWF Group Plc, Forsters, Gateley, Irwin Mitchell, Kingsley Napley, Mills & Reeve, Russell-Cooke, Shakespeare Martineau, Shoosmiths, Womble Bond Dickinson
Best Law Firm for Legal Tech 2022: Clifford Chance
Highly commended: Addleshaw Goddard, Allen & Overy, Ashurst, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, CMS, DLA Piper, DWF Group Plc, Osborne Clarke, Pinsent Masons, Reed Smith, Simmons & Simmons, TLT, Travers Smith, Womble Bond Dickinson
Best Law Firm for Perks 2022: Ropes & Gray
Highly commended: Akin Gump, Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Goodwin Procter, Hogan Lovells, Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, Shearman & Sterling, Sidley Austin, Skadden, Travers Smith, Vinson & Elkins, Weil Gotshal & Manges, White & Case, Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Best Law Firm Office 2022: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Highly commended: Ashurst, Bird & Bird, Burges Salmon, Clifford Chance, Cooley, Gowling WLG, Kirkland & Ellis, Norton Rose Fulbright, Paul Hastings, Reed Smith, Sidley Austin, Vinson & Elkins
Best Law Firm for WFH 2022: Shoosmiths
Highly commended: Addleshaw Goddard, Ashurst, CMS, Clifford Chance, Davis Polk & Wardwell, Fletchers, Goodwin Procter, Hill Dickinson, Milbank, Mills & Reeve, Penningtons Manches Cooper,
Shakespeare Martineau, Squire Patton Boggs, Sullivan & Cromwell, TLT, Travers Smith, Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Best Law Firm for Eco-Friendliness 2022: Burges Salmon
Highly commended: Addleshaw Goddard, Bird & Bird, CMS, Clifford Chance, Hogan Lovells, Norton Rose Fulbright, Osborne Clarke, Penningtons Manches Cooper, Pinsent Masons, Reed Smith, Shoosmiths, Simmons & Simmons, TLT, Taylor Wessing, Travers Smith, Womble Bond Dickinson
Best Law Firm for International Secondments 2022: White & Case
Highly commended: Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Covington & Burling, Davis Polk & Wardwell, Dechert, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, HFW, Jones Day, Watson Farley & Williams
Best Law Firm for Client Secondments 2022: Bristows
Highly commended: Bird & Bird, CMS, DAC Beachcroft, Dentons, Herbert Smith Freehills, Kennedys,Squire Patton Boggs, Walker Morris, Wiggin
Most Admired Law Firm 2022: Slaughter and May
Presented by HBW Consulting, a boutique agency that works as a specialist extension to your graduate recruitment team, helping law firms with media strategy, spend and analysis.
Highly commended: Allen & Overy, Bird & Bird, Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, Linklaters, Mishcon de Reya, Osborne Clarke
The Legal Cheek Firm of the Year 2022: Travers Smith
Highly commended: Addleshaw Goddard, Burges Salmon, Clifford Chance, CMS, Osborne Clarke, Shoosmiths, TLT, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, Womble Bond Dickinson
Best Use of Social Media 2022: Amelia Platton ‘The Neurodiverse Lawyer’ (Instagram)
Highly commended: City Law Bois (Instagram), DAC Beachcroft solicitor apprentice Maia Crockford ‘My Legal Career’ (Instagram/TikTok), Irish employment lawyer Richard Grogan (TikTok),Jordon Goodman ‘The Legal Northerner’ (Instagram/TikTok), Trowers & Hamlins trainee solicitor Megan Hulme ‘It’s All Hearsay’ (Instagram), SD Worx legal counsel Emma Lilley ‘In-house Potter’ (Instagram), Clifford Chance trainee solicitor Liam Porritt (YouTube), BCLP associate Sophie Shaw ‘Law with Sophie’ (Instagram), BPP LPC/LLM student Maab Saifeldin (Instagram)
The winner of this category was decided by an independent judging panel, made up of Tyler Cruickshank (Love Island 2021 finalist, law graduate and Instagram influencer), Chrissie Wolfe (solicitor and YouTube vlogger) and Katie Waissel (former The X Factor contestant, Celebrity Big Brother housemate and law student).
The following chambers awards categories were sponsored by:
Best Chambers For Training 2022: Littleton Chambers
Highly commended: 2 Temple Gardens, 4 New Square, 4 Pump Court, 5 Essex Court, 7BR, Blackstone Chambers, Cornerstone Barristers, Devereux Chambers, Exchange Chambers, Gatehouse Chambers, Hailsham Chambers, Henderson Chambers, Kings Chambers, Landmark Chambers, Radcliffe Chambers, Serjeants’ Inn Chambers, Serle Court, Wilberforce Chambers
Best Chambers for Quality Of Work 2022: Blackstone Chambers
Highly commended: 11KBW, 4 New Square, 4 Pump Court, 5 Essex Court, Brick Court Chambers, Crown Office Chambers, Fountain Court Chambers, Gatehouse Chambers, Keating Chambers, Littleton Chambers, Matrix Chambers, Quadrant Chambers, Serjeants’ Inn Chambers, Serle Court, Wilberforce Chambers
Best Chambers for Colleague Supportiveness 2022: 7BR
Highly commended: 12 King’s Bench Walk, 4 Pump Court, 5 Essex Court, Blackstone Chambers, Cornerstone Barristers, Francis Taylor Building, Gatehouse Chambers, Hailsham Chambers, Littleton Chambers, No5 Chambers, Outer Temple Chambers, Quadrant Chambers, Serjeants’ Inn Chambers, St John’s Chambers, Twenty Essex, Wilberforce Chambers
Best Chambers for Facilities 2022: Gatehouse Chambers
Highly commended: 2 Temple Gardens, 4 New Square, 4 Pump Court, 7BR, 9 Gough Chambers, Blackstone Chambers, Exchange Chambers, Francis Taylor Building, Keating Chambers, Littleton Chambers, Matrix Chambers, Quadrant Chambers, Serjeants’ Inn Chambers, Serle Court
Best Chambers for Social Life 2022: Keating Chambers
Highly commended: 1 Crown Office Row, 12 King’s Bench Walk, 2 Hare Court, 5 Stone Buildings, Blackstone Chambers, Cornerstone Barristers, Crown Office Chambers, Doughty Street Chambers, Gatehouse Chambers, Hailsham Chambers, Littleton Chambers, Outer Temple Chambers, Quadrant Chambers, Radcliffe Chambers, South Square, Twenty Essex, Wilberforce Chambers
Best Chambers for Work/Life Balance 2022: Serjeants’ Inn Chambers
Highly commended: 5 Stone Buildings, Cornerstone Barristers, Hailsham Chambers, Outer Temple Chambers, Radcliffe Chambers, Serle Court, South Square, St John’s Chambers, Twenty Essex, Wilberforce Chambers
Best Chambers for Legal Tech 2022: 4 New Square
Highly commended: Atkin Chambers, Blackstone Chambers, Brick Court Chambers, Exchange Chambers, Gatehouse Chambers, Keating Chambers, Kings Chambers, Littleton Chambers, Matrix Chambers, Monckton Chambers, Radcliffe Chambers, Serjeants’ Inn Chambers, Wilberforce Chambers
The Legal Cheek Chambers of the Year 2022: Wilberforce Chambers
Highly commended: 4 New Square, 5 Essex Court, 4 Pump Court, Blackstone Chambers, Cornerstone Barristers, Gatehouse Chambers, Hailsham Chambers, Keating Chambers, Littleton Chambers, Radcliffe Chambers, Serjeants’ Inn Chambers, Serle Court
Legal Cheek Campus Ambassador of the Year: Lola-Rae Quinn and Ella Hammick, University of Southampton
Presented by LPC Law, a specialist firm of solicitors, focused on providing a high quality advocacy service to clients throughout England and Wales.
Highly commended: Ambreen Ahmed, Queen Mary University of London; Kashmira Aukeer, Royal Holloway, University of London; Jodie Chennell, University of Buckingham; Christina Hajisotiris, University of Leeds; Asha Kumaari Mohan, University of Bristol; Alexandros Makrides, University of Bristol; Tanya Napolean, University of Bristol; Marina Popovich, University of Edinburgh; Yovelyn Sanjaya, Newcastle University; Nizana Selvaratnam, BPP London Holborn; Emily Underwood, University of Law Manchester; Valeria Xavier Brown, Keele University; Evlampia Zachariadou, University of Kent
