The evening started with the firm maintaining their stronghold on the Paralegal of the Year award, with Letitia Ait-Tales picking up the accolade, which the firm has now won for four consecutive years.
Partners Mark Cook and David Alcock were then on hand to receive the award for Business Team of the Year, which recognises achievements of the commercial team across the firm’s core sectors. Some of these achievements include the £280m publicly listed bond for WMHG to build new affordable homes across the Midlands; and the joint venture projects between Trafford HT and L&Q, and between Watford CHT and Watford BC.
Led by Partners and Sector Leads, Jas Tamber and Rankeshwar Batta, representatives from the Private Client Team followed Mark and David to the stage to collect the award for Private Client Team of the Year. The team provides support to clients across wills, trusts and probate, family and childcare, clinical negligence, and personal injury claims.
Reflecting on the award, Rankeshwar said: “The award reinforces the excellent reputation the private client team has for the work it does supporting a variety of clients. This year we acted on a £100million prenuptial agreement, secured over £50million in compensation for clients to rebuild their lives following catastrophic injuries and represented over 100 children and 50 parents in Court following local authority intervention. I am proud to have a team that is genuinely committed to improving the lives of individuals and puts them first and foremost in everything they do.”
Jas remarked: “We’re so proud of all of the team and everything they have achieved this year, particularly of the work they do with some of the most underprivileged and isolated clients in need of support.”
Rounding off the evening, ACS won Law Firm of the Year award (16 partners or more) in recognition of its commitment to improving communities and society. Achievements in 2017 included advising Marketing Birmingham on its transformation into the West Midlands Growth Company and ACS’ high-profile work nationally with Care England on the sleep-in crisis affecting the social care sector. The award also recognised the 30% growth of the firm over the last two years through attracting like-minded recruits and clients looking to make a wider contribution to society.
Commenting on a successful night, Peter Hubbard, Senior Partner, said: “To win one award would have been brilliant, but to come away with four awards shows just how distinctive we are as a law firm. We’re not afraid to say that our purpose is to improve lives, communities and society, which means our clients get a committed ACS team, who really buy into what they are looking to achieve.”
Mark added: “This is not the story of an ordinary law firm, but it is a tale of how passionate lawyers can use corporate, commercial and people skills to achieve much more for a better society. Rooted in Birmingham, we influence the national agenda and bring solutions to clients across the country.”
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ACS was also shortlisted in a number of other categories, with its housing sector and procurement, projects and construction teams honoured in the awards’ Excellence in Client Service category.
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