Ward Hadaway lawyer wins international award for client service

Melanie Pears

Melanie Pears (pictured), Partner and Head of Public Sector at the Top 100 UK firm, has won the United Kingdom Projects and Procurement category in the Client Choice Awards 2017.

Organised by the International Law Office (ILO) and legal industry publisher Lexology, the awards recognise law firm partners across the world that stand apart for the excellent client care they provide and the quality of their service.

To win a Client Choice Award, lawyers have to demonstrate the ability to add real value to clients’ business above and beyond other players in the market.

Client Choice research began with a readership survey of International Law Office (ILO) and Lexology in-house counsel subscribers.

Clients were then asked to rate individual lawyers on the following client service criteria: quality of legal advice, value for money, commercial awareness, effective communication, billing transparency, tailored fee structures, response time, sharing of expertise and use of technology.

Ward Hadaway’s Melanie Pears came out on top in the Projects and Procurement category, reaffirming her leading national reputation in the industry where Melanie and her team advise a raft of organisations in the healthcare, education and local government sectors as well as private sector companies involved in major commercial matters.

Melanie said: “It is a real honour to win this award against competition from lawyers at major firms across the country.

“Whilst it is an individual award, in many ways it is a reflection of the approach which the whole of the public sector team puts into practice every day for our clients.

“What makes it most special is that the award comes from feedback from clients and is a reflection of the high quality service which is delivered to them.

“I’m very grateful for our clients taking the time and trouble to take part in this awards scheme and am thrilled that efforts to go ‘above and beyond’ when it comes to the work which we carry out with them are recognised.

“Being recognised in this way means an awful lot and is a valuable endorsement. My team and I look forward to continuing to do our very best for clients, delivering the added value and high quality service which they have come to expect from Ward Hadaway.”

Jamie Martin, Managing Partner at Ward Hadaway, said: “This award is a ringing endorsement not just of Melanie’s abilities, but also of the public sector team’s approach to client service and client satisfaction in an area of the law which presents a wide range of complex challenges.

“Talking about client service is one thing, but really delivering it is another and this independent recognition from the people who matter most – those who use our services – is extremely valuable.

“Our approach to providing legal services has always been to combine in-depth knowledge with the highest standards of client care and service because only by combining the two can you deliver truly effective legal advice.

“This latest award shows that our approach is really appreciated by those who trust us with assisting them to realise their goals and deliver their priorities.

“Receiving recognition and appreciation from clients is the best endorsement you can get so for Melanie to achieve this on a national and international scale is very gratifying.”

The Client Choice Award is the latest in a series of national award wins for Ward Hadaway.

The team also won Corporate & Commercial Team of the Year (Northern Law Awards) in 2016 and was also shortlisted for the Commercial Team of the Year Award at the British Legal Awards 2016.