Firm’s community investment excellence recognised in leading award scheme
Thursday 25th October 2012
Gordons’ commitment to investing in the West Yorkshire community where it has been based for more than 160 years has been recognised in a prestigious national award scheme.
The firm was highly commended in the Community Investment category of the Law Society’s Excellence Awards for 2012, operated by the professional body representing solicitors in England and Wales but open to the entire legal sector.
Gordons’ Community Investment entry focused on activities such as its people raising funds in the last 12 months for leading charity Marie Curie Cancer Care’s Bradford hospice and providing considerable free advice and support to local community projects.
Managing partner Paul Ayre said: “We’re delighted to have been highly commended in such a well-regarded and strongly contested scheme for being a good corporate citizen. This is a key element of our philosophy and we’re always prepared to consider investing and doing groundbreaking things to benefit people in West Yorkshire.”
Gordons was also shortlisted in the scheme’s Learning & Development category for its innovative annual apprenticeship scheme. This provides legal careers to 18-year-old school leavers from underprivileged areas, who would otherwise be unable to pursue them, as their circumstances prevent them from attending university.
The Law Society recognition followed other awards success for Gordons in 2012. The firm was runner-up in the Regional Law Firm of the Year category in the annual awards operated by sector publication The Lawyer. It was also named Law Firm of the Year in the Insider Yorkshire Property Industry Awards.
In addition, Gordons took the UK & Ireland Regional Team of the Year accolade in the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners Private Client Awards and Private Client Team of the Year in the Yorkshire Lawyer Awards. Paul Ayre was also named Managing Partner of the Year in the latter scheme.
Decisions are currently awaited after Gordons was shortlisted in two categories of the Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards and one section of the British Legal Awards.