Blake Morgan secured two top honours at the Solent Deals Awards on Thursday evening, winning in the Law Firm of the Year and Lawyer of the Year categories.
Partner and Head of Corporate James Hawkeswood won the Lawyer of the Year award while the South Coast team picked up the prestigious Law Firm of the Year title. The success did not stop there with one of the deals they advised on – the sale of Lucketts Holdings to National Express Group – landing the gong for Deal of the Year in the £10M-£50M category.
The annual South Coast corporate finance event flies the flag for the South Central region’s professional community and celebrates the quality and quantity of the transactions it undertakes.
The key criterion for the Law Firm of the Year award was to demonstrate “the most significant impact on completion of deals within the region”. The Corporate team is acknowledged within the legal industry for providing a first class level of service across a wide range of transactions including mergers, acquisitions, management buy-outs, sales, private equity, IPOs and joint ventures.
James Hawkeswood said:
"The Law Firm of the Year award is recognition of the expertise within the corporate team and the commitment we all have to helping our clients achieve their aims. Transactional work is always a collective effort and everyone involved in our deals should be proud of the great team they are a part of. As for me winning the Lawyer of the Year award, it's great to be recognised by my peers, but it's very much a bonus that comes with being part of a great team. That one of our other partners – Mat Wilson – also made the shortlist, was fantastic as well."
He added: “I would like to thank everyone involved in the event, especially all our clients and colleagues, and say how good it was to be able to get everyone together again after the pandemic. These events play a big role in bringing the advisory community together and that is important; it’s a privilege to be part of it.”
The Deals Awards are run by the Business Magazine and recognise and celebrate excellence in deal making across the South Coast. TV presenter Mark Durden Smith, famous for his rugby coverage on Sky, ITV and Channel 5, hosted an entertaining evening at the Hilton at the Ageas Bowl on 24 March.
