THE shortlist for the Law Awards of Scotland has been announced, with HBM Sayers leading the field with nominations across six categories.
It is up for firm of the year with fewer than 40 fee earners, litigation firm, family law firm and support team. Kate Bennett, from HBM Sayers, is in the solicitor of the year category while Ellen Matthews is in the paralegal category.
The awards, for which The Herald is official media partner, take place at Glasgow's Radisson Blu Hotel on September 12 and will see Harper Macleod and Thompsons Solicitors competing for the title of firm of the year with more than 40 partners.
Davidson Chalmers, Inksters Solicitors, Kerr Brown Partnership, McQueen Legal, V I Pensions Law and Watermans Solicitors join HBM in the fewer than 40 partner section.
Alongside Ms Bennett in the solicitor of the year category are Beltrami & Co's Gary McAteer, Andy Drane from Davidson Chalmers, Gillian Brown of Morisons, Anne Mackenzie from The Wheatley Group/Glasgow Housing Association and Brenda Mitchell from Thompsons Solicitors.
Lorna Brown from Caritas Legal is nominated for sole practitioner of the year and managing partner of the year, with her firm in line for the private client prize and paralegal Anna Dabrowska recognised in her category.
Neil Robertson from Central Court Lawyers, the duo of Lorne Crerar and Martin Darroch at Harper Macleod, Brian Inkster from Inksters Solicitors and Neil Waterman from Watermans Solicitors are the other nominees in the managing partner category. Other sole practitioners nominated are David Halliday from Halliday Campbell and Vanessa Ingram from V I Pensions Law.
The up-and-coming lawyer of the year will come from Sarah Meehan at Central Court Lawyers, David McKee from Gildeas Solicitors, MHD Law's Jackie McRae, Emma Horne from Morisons, Lisa Rae at Thorley Stephenson and Scott Whyte from Watermans Solicitors.
Simon Whyte of Beltrami & Co, John Scott at Capital Defence Lawyers and Ian Bryce from Central Court Lawyers will contest the criminal lawyer section.
Trainee of the year nominees are Sana Afzal Arshad from Caritas Legal, Iain Witheyman at Inksters, Emma McBride at Kerr Brown Partnership, Paul Sturdy from Livingstone Brown, Waqqas Ashraf from McCusker McElroy & Gallanagh, Gillian Moore at The Wheatley Group/ The Glasgow Housing Association, Thorley Stephenson's Hazel McLauchlan and Natalie Bruce from Watermans Solicitors.
Glasgow City Council, Standard Life, The Wheatley Group/ The Glasgow Housing Association and Virgin Money are nominated in the in-house team of the year.
Jaclyn Wilson from The Wheatley Group / The Glasgow Housing Association is the other nominee in the paralegal of the year contest. Other nominees include Irwin Mitchell, Allan McDougall Solicitors, Livingstone Brown, Bridge Litigation, Gildeas Solicitors, Innes & Mackay, Patience & Buchan, Blair Cadell Solicitors and The Glasgow Law Practice,
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