Leamington lawyer presented with prestigious award

A Leamington lawyer has been presented with the highest accolade at a top regional awards ceremony in recognition of her professional excellence and commitment to supporting others.

Katie Alsop, Partner and Head of Disputes at Wright Hassall, was named 'Lawyer of the Year' at the Warwickshire Law Society Awards at Nailcote Hall, in Berkswell.

The awards are held annually and recognise excellence across the region’s legal sector, with around 200 people in attendance at this year’s event.

Katie joined Wright Hassall in 2004 as a junior secretary and studied part-time at Coventry University in the evenings to obtain her law degree. She has since progressed to Partner in the Contentious Probate Team, now specialising in contested agricultural estates and Practice Lead for the Disputes Group, overseeing all disputes teams and their business development.

She is also a fully qualified member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists.

Katie was presented with the Lawyer of the Year award as a result of her excellent attitude to supporting and mentoring more junior members of staff within their practice, shaped by her own experiences of moving from a junior role to Partner within Wright Hassall.

She was also highlighted as going above and beyond to share her knowledge outside of the firm to benefit others, being recognised for her excellence in the Legal 500 and the Chambers & Partners High Net-Worth Guide and contributing to a range of professional associations and the farming charity, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution.

Katie said: “I am extremely proud to have received this award, and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my colleagues throughout the years.

“I am very passionate about my work, nurturing young talent and sharing knowledge to help the next generation grow, and it is wonderful to receive this recognition from the Society.”

The Warwickshire Law Society was established in 1914 and represents more than 750 solicitors, trainee solicitors and legal executives in Coventry and Warwickshire.

Robert Lee, Corporate Partner at Wright Hassall, is the current president of the society.

More than £1,700 was raised at the awards evening for his chosen charity Young People First, based in Leamington, which provides support to some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people living in Warwickshire.

Robert said: “I would like to congratulate Katie and all of the other award winners at a fantastic celebration of the legal talent across our region.

“The event was once again a great success, with around 200 people in attendance, demonstrating the strength of the Warwickshire Law Society.

“We were also pleased to welcome the presidents of Birmingham, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire to the event.

“It was wonderful to hear from Young People First managing director Jo Squires and raise more than £1,700 for the charity on the evening, bringing the total raised during my two-year tenure as president to around £6,000.

“This was my final awards evening before I hand over to the next president in February, and it has been an incredibly enjoyable two years.

“I am very pleased to have represented Wright Hassall, which has been a long-standing supporter of the society, and it has been great to see the society continue go from strength to strength.

“We are one of the UK’s leading regional law societies, and I am incredibly proud to be part of this.”