Family Law Awards 2012 - Shortlist

Jordan Publishing is delighted to announce the shortlist of nominees for the Family Law Awards 2012, sponsored by Anglia DNA. The Family Law Awards judges met in London last week to discuss the nominations and approve the shortlist.

The awards ceremony will be held on 10 October 2012 at the London Hilton hotel on Park Lane, Mayfair and hosted by last year's winner of the Outstanding Achievement award, District Judge Nicholas Crichton.

The number of awards available to win this year has almost doubled from 8 to 15. There are now three award categories for barristers and solicitors respectively to reflect their seniority: partner, associate, and young solicitors, and; QC, junior, and young barristers. We have also added another three awards: International Family Lawyer of the Year, Family Law Legal Executive of the Year, and Family Pro Bono Lawyer of the year.

Of the fifteen awards, the shortlist and winners of nine have been selected by the judging panel, five will be voted for on the Family Law Awards website by the family law community in the coming weeks and the Pro Bono winner will be decided by the trustees of the National Pro Bono Centre.

The judging panel was made up of the heads of the three family law practitioners' associations, the Family Law Bar Association, Resolution and the Association of Lawyers for Children, along with Family Law editors and publishing executives. Judges were not allowed to vote for their own firm or chambers or for any of their colleagues.

The winners of the Pro Bono and Outstanding awards will be announced at the awards ceremony and there isn't a shortlist for these two categories.

The short-listed nominees are (in alphabetical order):

1. FAMILY LAW PARTNER OF THE YEAR

• Charlotte Collier, Atkins Hope
• Antonia Love, Farleys
• Tony McGovern, Creightons & Partners
• Bradley Williams, Family Law in Partnership

2. FAMILY LAW ASSOCIATE SOLICITOR OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by 1 Garden Court:

• Sital Amin, Irwin Mitchell
• Linzi Bull, Harbottle & Lewis
• Rebecca Carlyon, Manches
• Karan Chadha, Freemans

3. FAMILY LAW YOUNG SOLICITOR OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by 14 Grays Inn Square:

• Melanie Barnes, Penningtons
• Catrin Readshaw, Manches
• Amy Rowe, Bindmans
• Maria Wright, Freemans

4. FAMILY LAW QC OF THE YEAR

• Stephen Cobb, 1 Garden Court
• Lewis Marks, Queen Elizabeth Buildings
• Alison Russell, 1 Garden Court
• Henry Setright, 4 Paper Buildings

5. FAMILY LAW JUNIOR BARRISTER OF THE YEAR

• Michael Glaser,14 Grays Inn Square Chambers
• Charles Hale, 4 Paper Buildings
• Elizabeth Isaacs, St Ives Chambers
• Kate Purkiss, Coram Chambers

6. FAMILY LAW YOUNG BARRISTER OF THE YEAR

• Michael Gration, 4 Paper Buildings
• Jacqueline Renton, 4 Paper Buildings
• Lyndsey Sambrooks-Wright, 2 Dr Johnston Building
• Amber Sheridan, 29 Bedford Row

7. INTERNATIONAL FAMILY LAWYER OF THE YEAR

• David Hodson, The International Family Law Group
• Anne-Marie Hutchinson, Dawson Cornwell
• William Longrigg, Charles Russell
• James Stewart, Manches

8. FAMILY LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR AWARD - Sponsored by 4 Paper Buildings

• Atkins Hope
• Farleys
• Goodman Ray
• Hartnell Chanot

 9. FAMILY LAW CHAMBERS OF THE YEAR AWARD

• 29 Bedford Row
• Coram
• 1 Garden Court
• 1 Hare Court

10. MOST INNOVATIVE FAMILY LAWYER OF THE YEAR AWARD - Sponsored by PKF

• Neil Denny, Family Law in Partnership
• Aina Khan, Russell, Jones & Walker, part of Slater & Gordon Lawyers
• Therese Nichols of Russell-Cooke
• Lucy Reed, St John's Chambers
• Sir Peter Singer, Gavin Smith & Rhys Taylor, FamilyArbitrator.com

11. FAMILY LAW ADR PRACTITIONER OF THE YEAR AWARD

• Stephen Anderson, Birketts
• Sarah Anticoni, Charles Russell
• Gillian Bishop, Family Law in Partnership
• Denise Carter OBE, The International Family Law Group
• Joanne Edwards, Manches
• Denise Ingamels, TV Edwards
• Suzanne Kingston, Withers

12. FAMILY LAW LEGAL EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

• Rachel Barlow, Banner Jones Ltd
• Alexandra Boardman, Hartnell Chanot & Partners
• Sarah McCarthy, Tracey Miller Family Law
• Catherine Reynolds, Michelmores LLP
• Katrina Reynolds, Coventry City Council Legal Services

13. FAMILY LAW READERS' COMMENTARY AWARD

• Her Honour, Nasreen Pearce
• Lucy Reed, St Johns Chambers
• Neil Robinson, The Mediation Centre

This year the ceremony will be a larger event held in the ball room of the Hilton on Park Lane and guests will be able to book tables. To book a place or reserve a table, click here.

We would like to congratulate all the shortlisted nominees and thank everyone who submitted a nomination.

Join the conversation about the awards on Twitter use the hashtag: #familylawawards.

For information on sponsorsing the Family Law Awards, please visit www.familylawawards.com/Sponsor-the-Awards.