Duncan Lewis is shortlisted for 7 awards at The Law Society Excellence Awards 2017 (4 August 2017)

We are very pleased to announce that Duncan Lewis has been shortlisted for 7 awards at The Law Society Excellence Awards 2017! The Law Society’s Excellence Awards annual ceremony is committed to celebrating excellence across all disciplines in the legal profession and is designed to reward outstanding contributions to the industry. Our shortlist includes: 1. Excellence in Business Development For the second consecutive year, Duncan Lewis has been shortlisted for Excellence in Business Development. The firm has continued to commit to its Legal Outreach Initiative, which has allowed us to ensure we can provide our legal services to vulnerable clients from all pockets of the country with maximum accessibility. We’re very proud that these efforts have been recognised again and congratulate everyone involved. 2. Excellence in Pro Bono: Pro Bono Committee The Duncan Lewis Pro Bono Committee has been shortlisted for Excellence in Pro Bono. The Committee was formed in 2009 and their work is an extremely important facet in the firm’s corporate and social responsibility policy. Duncan Lewis advises and provides clinics at many organisations; such as Brixton Domestic Violence, Hestia, Young Turks Club, Turkish Cypriot Women’s Project and Shelter. Huge congratulations to the Pro Bono Committee for all their hard work being recognised! 3. Excellence in Pro Bono: Housing Team Cardiff Duncan Lewis’s Cardiff Housing Team was also shortlisted for Excellence in Pro Bono. The team are involved in numerous pro-bono projects in the Cardiff area assisting with the most vulnerable of clients who may not possess the means, education or mental capacity to help themselves. Congrats to them too for being shortlisted, here’s hoping for a friendly rivalry between the two teams! 4. Human Rights Lawyer of the Year: Toufique Hossain Director of Public Law at Duncan Lewis Solicitors Toufique Hossain has been shortlisted for Human Rights lawyer of the Year. Toufique specialises in immigration and asylum matters, and is developing practice in wider public law issues. He is committed to challenging the Home Office’s unlawful policies and practices, whilst nurturing a new generation of lawyers to do the same. 5. Junior Lawyer of the Year: Ahmed Aydeed Newly appointed Public Law Director for the Birmingham Office Ahmed Aydeed has been shortlisted for Junior Lawyer of the Year. Ahmed qualified as a solicitor in May 2015 and practises in the Public Law/Immigration Department at Duncan Lewis. He specialises in challenging unlawful detention in complex and high-profile cases, the resulting decisions of which have benefited thousands of detained asylum-seekers. 6. Junior Lawyer of the Year: Lewis Kett Public Law Solicitor Lewis Kett has also been nominated for Junior Lawyer of the Year. Lewis specialises in running Judicial Review challenges in immigration, asylum and human rights. The first trainee solicitor to be named Times Lawyer of the Week, he has played a key role in notable public law cases positively affecting thousands of asylum-seekers and detainees. 7. Woman Lawyer of the Year: Heather Iqbal Rayner Director at the Cardiff Office Heather Iqbal Rayner has been shortlisted for Woman Lawyer of the Year. Heather specialises in housing, civil, public and social welfare law. She is also a past chair of the Junior Lawyers Division, a member of the Law Society's Membership Committee, and an active member of the Law Works & Duncan Lewis Cardiff Pro Bono Clinic. Results will be announced on the 19 October 2017. Huge congratulations to all individuals and team who have been recognized for their hard work and commitment to their respective fields. Good luck everyone! See the full list here: https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/Support-services/Events-training/Excellence-Awards/shortlist