First Law

Outstanding innovation

Press Release - Wednesday 17th October 2007

Outstanding Law Firm short-listed for Prestigious Legal Awards

The outstanding achievements of First Law have been recognised by the judges of the most prestigious awards in the legal calendar.

First Law has been short-listed for the Law Society's inaugural Excellence Awards in the category of Innovation in Business.

BBC Broadcaster Jeremy Vine will present the awards at a prestigious ceremony which will take place on 25 October at the Honourable Artillery Company in London. The Awards will reward outstanding achievement in the legal profession, in the key areas of practice standards, innovation in business, quality of life, equality and diversity and social responsibility.

First Law’s director, Anthony Armitage, explained, “First Law is unique. It is the only law firm in the world that advises on the conduct of competitive tender exercises for legal services. We have been short-listed for this Award for pioneering the joint procurement of legal services by alliances of local authorities. Since 1999 First Law has advocated the use of fixed fees in place of hourly rates. In our latest tender acting for six London local authorities, we obtained fixed prices from barristers. For the first time, clients can now actually budget for their legal work.”

Andrew Holroyd, Law Society Vice President said, "I have been extremely pleased with the high standard and number of entries received for the first year of the excellence awards. We received 150 entries from across England and Wales and First Law has been very successful in beating off the competition to reach this stage. There's no better way to promote solicitors than to celebrate the excellence and innovation that I see right across the profession. We can all benefit by recognising and learning from the achievements of the leaders and innovators in our profession. The best entrants will gain the accolade of winning what I am confident will soon become the most prestigious awards in the legal calendar".

Ends

Notes to Editors:

The awards have been designed to recognise best practice across the solicitors profession and to celebrate excellence and outstanding achievement in areas that are central to the profession today. They will highlight innovative business and quality of life practices, successful approaches to practice management, contributions through social responsibility and equality and diversity initiatives and personal contributions to the profession.

Entries will be judged by Andrew Holroyd, President of the Law Society, Paul Marsh, Vice President of the Law Society and Bob Heslett, Deputy Vice President of the Law Society, Frances Gibb, Legal Editor of The Times and Neil Rose, Deputy Editor of the Law Society Gazette.

For more information contact Anthony Armitage at First Law on 020 7353 8888 or by email aa@firstlaw.co.uk, or the Law Society Press Office on 020 7320 5902