Specialist Team of the Year
We have recently scooped the award for Specialist Team of the Year (2011) and have been highlighted as one of the UK's progressive law firms at a prestigious legal conference and awards dinner.
VWV was announced as the winner of the award category by 360 Legal Group, at its annual awards dinner.
360 Legal Group says of the award: "VWV's education team was recognised as Specialist Team of the Year for embarking on a learning curve with a clear strategy to target a specific and growing sector of the market." 360 Legal Group helps law firms across the UK manage and market their practices more successfully as businesses and has over 700 UK law firms as members.
We anticipated the political change that led to significant legal work arising from maintained schools being encouraged to convert to academies. The education team invested ahead of that change in relationships with sector associations such as the National Association of School Business Management (NASBM) and was ready ahead of the Academies Act in July 2010 to win work from academy conversions.
Regional Law Firm of the Year
VWV has also been named Regional Law Firm of the Year at the Bristol Law Society awards. This award recognises the firm's achievements in Bristol and the South West.
An important part of VWV's involvement in the region, particularly over the last year, has been the day to day contact the firm has with, and provides support for, the region's small and medium sized law firms through its role as the hub firm for Connect2Law (a legal network operated by law firms for law firms). In the past 12 months the regional membership of Connect2Law has doubled.
The firm also attaches considerable importance to Corporate Social Responsibility and the role of the VWV Charitable Trust which makes
regular grants to the region's charities. VWV's continued strategic growth, evidenced by the arrival of 3 partners in recent months, growth in key industry sectors and of course strong regional client base all add weight to the firm's success in the region.
VWV managing partner Simon Heald commented on the receipt of both awards:
"We are delighted to have won these awards, which recognise both our regional and national strength.
"Key to the "Specialist Team of the Year" award and our growth in the education sector is our long term relationships with clients and prospects, and a genuine passion for their work. VWV has a long history at the heart of the Bristol and south west legal and business community, and we are delighted that this has been recognised by the Bristol Law Society.
"An important factor in both of these successes is VWV's ability to field the combined resources and expertise of our Bristol and London teams to service clients' needs from both locations."
