EXCELLENCE IN LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT
Sponsored by: Brands with Values
Winner: Ampa
This management and leadership skills project stood out due to the scale of its ambition and the impressive return on investment it delivered. Impacts were tracked into real world data and positive business impacts clearly demonstrated.
Highly Commended: Clarion
Highly Commended: Watson Farley & Williams
BEST CSR Initiative
Winner: Matheson
This initiative has helped dismantle physical and social barriers that can prevent people entering museums and art spaces. The scale of community engagement is truly impressive – families, schools and numerous marginalised communities and local groups have all utilised the facility provided by this firm.
Highly Commended: Ashurst
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE INITIATIVE
Sponsored by: The Sustainable Recruitment Alliance
Winner: London Law Collective
The judges were impressed by this firm positioning itself as a socially conscious law firm since its inception and the multi-faceted approach adopted by this firm and the substantial number of volunteers engaged in achieving their ESG goals.
The firm’s principled and authentic approach shone out. Whether engaging with environmental issues, the living wage, or B-Corp status – this small firm is truly having an outsized ESG impact.
Highly Commended: DLA Piper
BEST SOCIAL MOBILITY INITIATIVE
This impressive initiative targets gaps in under-represented groups’ core skill sets to help them better access legal apprenticeships. The programme tracked detailed demographics of the participants and achieved significant levels of impact - as evidenced in the data collected.
EXCELLENCE IN ED&I
This is a truly market leading inclusivity initiative that deployed a wide range of information gathering techniques to inform the firm’s EDI programmes.
The multitude of innovative projects that emerged have generated tangible positive business impact and cross-firm engagement. From neurodiversity healthcare to inclusive bank holidays and adjusted chargeable hours expectations – this firm has set a high bar for others to aspire to.
Highly Commended: Foot Anstey
BEST INNOVATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
Sponsored by: Performance Leader
Winner: Milbank
Adapting to the new SQE landscape, this entry applied strong data analysis with cutting edge technology to provide support for trainee professional skills in a psychologically safe space. The approach has been so successful that it is now being rolled out in many other settings across the firm.
Highly Commended: Burges Salmon
Highly Commended: Clyde & Co
EXCELLENCE IN RECRUITMENT
Winner: Hill Dickinson
This firm has forged a genuinely different approach to driving inclusive recruitment practices. Focused on creating opportunities for candidates who are neurodivergent or have learning difficulties - this programme had real impact in terms of the number of candidates disclosing their conditions and success in finding work placements and permanent paid employment.
BEST EARLY TALENT RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN
Winner: Hogan Lovells
With fantastic social media success and data tracking, this worthy winner generated impacts to match the significant ambition of delivering a unified and global employer brand.
A brilliant example of how to use data to overcome social-media scepticism among senior colleagues and boldly reach out to the next generation of legal minds via TikTok and Instagram leading to tangible results.
Highly Commended: Goodwin
BEST INTERNAL ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN
Sponsored by: Chambers and Partners
Winner: Watson Farley & Williams
The judges felt that the scale, ambition and content of this internally run project demonstrated that this was no ordinary internal comms initiative. Logistically and culturally impressive – uncovering the firm’s values, and connecting past, present and future.
MOST INNOVATIVE PEOPLE INITIATIVE
Sponsored by: Howden Employee Benefits
Winner: Hogan Lovells
Covering Partners, Associates and business services professionals this global mobility programme develops and deepens links between people within an international office network. Tangible impacts include career progression, inter-office work referral, and reduced turnover among the participant population. The programme is massively over-subscribed and reinforces the firm’s collaborative multi-national ethos.
Highly Commended: Clyde & Co
BEST PEOPLE PROFESSIONAL
Winner: Naomi Crozier, Watson Farley & Williams
This firm’s market reputation has seen a significant upturn due to our winner’s skill at analysing and translating data into human stories. Using people and engagement survey data, explaining correlation and using regression analysis – our winner persuaded a sceptical leadership to make real changes – and it has paid off.
RISING STAR
Winner: Nadia Hemmings, Clarion
The breadth of our rising star’s impact over a short space of time has been phenomenal. They have delivered on initiatives that range from:
- social mobility and inclusion; to
- introducing AI tools to the HR team; to
- the hard-nosed re-negotiation of supplier contracts.
They have already delivered very significant bottom-line impact and have real potential to shape the future of their firm.
BEST PEOPLE LEADER
Winner: Rebecca Wardle, Trowers & Hamlins
The judges felt the winner of this award was the sort of powerful and effective people leader every firm would want. They matched ambitious goals with effective use of data and the day to day graft and follow-through that are essential to making change happen.
Their level of personal engagement and impact around their firm has been truly remarkable.
HR TEAM OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by: Accurate Background
Winner: Three Crowns
The judges’ HR Team of the year has delivered effective and strategic people impact to a fast growing firm – bringing structure consistency, and smarter ways of working to everyone. Global HR systems, L&D programmes, health well-being and benefits packages – all launched by a small team operating on a lean budget. Making this HR Team worthy winners.
Highly commended: A&O Shearman
GRAND PRIX
