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North lawyer shortlisted for national award

A LEADING North property lawyer is in the running for a national legal award.

Lesley Fairclough

Lesley Fairclough

Lesley Fairclough (pictured), Partner and Head of Property Development at law firm Ward Hadaway, has been shortlisted for the Woman Lawyer of the Year Award in the Law Society Excellence Awards 2016.

The Excellence Awards, now in their 10th year running, recognise the best and brightest of the legal profession in a range of categories across the whole of the country.

Lesley has been shortlisted for the Woman Lawyer of the Year Awards by a panel of legal experts in recognition of her work and achievements at Ward Hadaway, one of the UK’s Top 100 law firms with offices in Newcastle, Leeds and Manchester.

As a Partner and the Head of Property Development at Ward Hadaway, Lesley is one of the most senior figures in the firm’s extensive Property department, which encompasses more than 80 lawyers.

She has played an important role in helping to establish Ward Hadaway as a major force in the legal market in the North and is responsible for relationships with some of the Property department’s most important clients.

Lesley also plays an active role in Ward Hadaway’s recruitment programme, mentors and encourages young lawyers in the property department to follow a successful career at the firm and is one of only a small number of women in the UK who is a qualified Notary Public.

Speaking about her nomination for Woman Lawyer of the Lawyer, Lesley said: “It is a real honour to be shortlisted for such an award since there are so many outstanding female lawyers across the country.

“Whilst I have been nominated on an individual basis, there is no way that this could have happened without the support, expertise and hard work of everyone in the Property department and across Ward Hadaway as a whole.

“Providing high quality legal advice is very much a team game so this nomination is as much about the firm as it is about me.

“I also hope that my being shortlisted encourages other women lawyers both within Ward Hadaway and across the legal sector in the North to see that their efforts can receive recognition on a national scale.”

Jamie Martin, Managing Partner at Ward Hadaway, said: “This nomination is thoroughly well deserved by Lesley who is not only one of the most capable and professional lawyers we have, but who is also committed to helping others to progress in their careers in the legal profession.

“To be recognised as among the top in our profession in this way is a real tribute to the hard work, dedication and skill that Lesley brings to her work and everyone at Ward Hadaway is extremely proud of her.

“Lesley’s success is a great example of what can be achieved with expertise, talent and determination and she is an excellent role model for others to follow.”

Lesley already has a track record for awards success with Ward Hadaway’s Property department being named Property Team of the Year at the 2015 Northern Law Awards.

She will find out whether she has won the Woman Lawyer of the Year Award at the Law Society Excellence Awards 2016 in London on October 20.

Please note that this briefing is designed to be informative, not advisory and represents our understanding of English law and practice as at the date indicated. We would always recommend that you should seek specific guidance on any particular legal issue.

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