Matheson LLP is delighted to have won the Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year award at the Women in Business Law Awards, EMEA 2023. The Award was accepted by pro bono partner Niamh Counihan. Special congratulations are due also to Deirdre Crowley who won Lawyer of the Year, Privacy & Data Protection; Angela Brennan, recipient of the Aviation - Lawyer of the Year award; and to April McClements, who was named Lawyer of the Year, Insurance and Reinsurance.
The Women in Business Law Awards celebrate women lawyers who are leaders in their respective fields. They also recognise firms for their efforts in promoting gender diversity and the advancement of women in the legal profession. The diverse categories are designed to recognise the growing talent pool of women in law in the 'Rising stars' category, to celebrate women leaders in their field in the 'Practice area' awards and to acknowledge strong and innovative practices and programmes that highlight women and diversity.
Matheson had been shortlisted across 16 categories in the Awards, including the 'Career Development', 'Diverse Women Lawyers' and 'Gender Diversity' categories. Together with our three winners, a total of eight Matheson lawyers were shortlisted and recognised. They were: Susanne McMenamin for Corporate Governance - Lawyer of the Year, Karen Reynolds for Financial Regulation - Lawyer of the Year and White Collar Crime - Lawyer of the Year. Ruth Hunter was shortlisted for Media & Entertainment - Lawyer of the Year , Anne-Marie Bohan for Trademark - Lawyer of the Year and Aisling Kavanagh was shortlisted as a Rising Star for Litigation. Congratulations to all those who were shortlisted!
Commenting on the awards, Michael Jackson, Managing Partner at Matheson said:
"The success of so many female Matheson lawyers at these important awards is a fantastic endorsement of the skills, hard work and expertise which we see every day across our firm, and it is especially welcome to see a diverse range of practice areas represented. I want to offer my congratulations to all of those who were shortlisted and especially to the winners.”
“We are honoured to be named Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year and this award recognises our continued commitment to expanding the reach and impact of our pro bono initiatives. Supporting access to justice through pro bono legal work reflects our ethos and culture as a firm and I would like to congratulate our pro bono partner, Niamh Counihan, and each and every Matheson pro bono volunteer for going above and beyond to provide free legal assistance to those who need it most."
Commenting on the win, Matheson pro bono partner Niamh Counihan, said: "This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our pro bono volunteers throughout the firm who commit their time and professional skills to support the legal needs of those who need them most. In today's world, access to justice and supporting people in our communities is more important than ever as a result of world events and conflict, and we are committed to using our skills to make a meaningful difference in people's lives. We are privileged to collaborate with a number of our pro bono partners to improve access to justice, including the Irish Refugee Council, the Irish Red Cross, the Ukraine Ireland Legal Alliance, The Irish Rule of Law International, FLAC and PILA, and other members of Pro Bono Pledge Ireland, and this award is a fitting tribute to the importance of this work."
Pro bono is a fundamental element of Matheson's Impactful Business Programme and our vision to deliver and support meaningful, sustainable and measurable change across our community of colleagues, clients and society. As a founding signatory of Pro Bono Pledge Ireland, we are committed to promoting access to justice by providing free legal assistance to those who most require legal representation and advice in our community, and to the organisations that support them. Our practice is led by our dedicated pro bono partner, and is afforded the same priority and resources as our other specialist practice areas, reflecting our firm's ethos and culture.
You can find out more about the Women in Business Law Awards, EMEA 2023 and winners here.
