Gordons’ Victoria on Woman Lawyer of Year shortlist

Partner Victoria Davey has been shortlisted in the Woman Lawyer of the Year category at the Law Society Excellence Awards. The firm has also been shortlisted in the Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion category for its ground-breaking apprenticeship programme.

Ms Davey is one of five female lawyers from England and Wales competing for the prize and she is the only finalist in the category from a firm with a presence in the North of England.

As well as being a member of the firm’s three-partner executive board and its operations director, Ms Davey is one of Britain’s most experienced intervention lawyers.

Paul Ayre, managing partner at Gordons, said: “We’re very proud of this double recognition by The Law Society. Victoria is pivotal to our continued success. She adopts a variety of key roles, all of which she carries out successfully and with a smile on her face.

“Perhaps her most significant contribution, though, is the encouragement and inspiration she provides for other women at all levels of the business.”

The nomination recognises Ms Davey’s status as a role model for, and significant mentor of, other women at Gordons and in the wider business community.

She has trained and developed numerous staff who arrived as paralegals and have now qualified as chartered legal executives and solicitors. Gordons’ apprenticeship scheme, which was launched in 2011, has also been shortlisted – in the diversity and inclusion category.

The scheme enhancing social mobility by offering careers as lawyers to bright, determined school-leavers who are eager to kick-start their careers without incurring the time and expense of the traditional university route.

The programme admits entrants each September and now includes 11 youngsters.

Mr Ayre said: “We’re very proud too of our pioneering apprenticeship scheme and particularly the outstanding young people within it. They have improved our organisation in so many ways, including through making an ever-increasing contribution to our business success. I have no doubt many of them will enjoy outstanding careers in the profession.”

Winners of the awards will be announced on October 22.