DLA Piper, McSherry Halliday top firms at Law Awards of Scotland

DLA Piper Scotland and Ayrshire practice McSherry Halliday were named top law firms at last night's Law Awards of Scotland for 2015.

The two respectively won the titles Law Firm of the Year with more than 40 Fee Earners, and Law Firm of the Year with fewer than 40 Fee Earners, at the ceremony held at the Radisson Hotel, Glasgow.

Solicitor of the Year was Cat MacLean of MBM Commercial, Edinburgh, who specialises in acting for clients claiming wrongful practices by banks seeking to enforce commercial loans. Her colleague Liina Tulk won the Up and Coming Lawyer award, jointly with Susie Henderson of Harper Macleod.

Legal Personality of the Year was James Wolffe QC, Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, while Professor Robert Rennie, the doyen of property lawyers, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Fred Tyler, senior litigation partner at Balfour + Manson, received the chairman's award.

Other successful individuals were Fraz Ahmed of J R Rahman, Glasgow (Trainee of the Year) and Louise Chapman of the Student Loans Company (Paralegal of the Year).

Innes & Mackay of Inverness, and East Lothian practice Paris Steele, were jointly named High Street Firm of the Year. Harper Macleod won Managing Partner/Team of the Year, and Allan McDougall the Support Team of the Year title.

Winners in the practice area categories were Beltrami & Co, Glasgow (criminal law), Macleod & MacCallum, Inverness (family law), Caritas Legal, Dunfermline (private client), Glasgow-headquartered Thompsons (employment), Allan McDougall, Edinburgh and Midlothian (property), and Halliday Campbell, Edinburgh (litigation).

DWF won the prize for corporate social responsibility, for programmes including its 5 STAR Futures, directed at aspirational young people from low income backgrounds, and Montgomery Smith of Bishopbriggs was awarded Up and Coming Law Firm of the Year. Faculty of the Year also saw joint winners, the Glasgow Bar Association and the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow (with the Trainee and Newly Qualified Society – TANQ).

Mr Wolffe, cited as a "high profile defender of the legal profession and system in Scotland", said on receiving his award: "The law and the legal profession play a crucial role in underpinning a just and economically successful Scotland. The Law Awards give us an opportunity to celebrate the wealth of talent across the whole Scottish legal profession and I congratulate everyone who has received a nomination and won an award."