Gareth Peirce receives Lifetime Achievement Award at Inspirational Women in Law Awards

Ms Peirce is one of 12 award winners announced this evening at an awards ceremony hosted by Clifford Chance and addressed by Lady Chief Justice, Dame Sue Carr. The awards recognise those who are both excelling in their areas of practice and are working for the changes needed to ensure women working in the law can thrive.

In her 45-year legal career, Ms Peirce has been involved in some of the most iconic human rights cases in recent British legal history. These include representing the Guildford Four, the Birmingham Six, the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, who was shot dead at Stockwell tube station in a bungled terrorism raid and most recently, Shamima Begum, the British-born woman who entered Syria to join the terror group Islamic State at the age of 15.

After studying at Oxford University, Ms Peirce worked in the United States as a journalist covering Martin Luther King Jr. Inspired by his example, she returned to London in 1970 to study law, specialising in human rights and qualifying as a solicitor in 1978, working with the late Benedict Birnberg and rising to senior partner at Birnberg Peirce where she has worked for her entire career.

Other award winners this year are:

• Solicitor of the Year: Jodie Hill, Thrive Law. A neurodivergent solicitor, Equality Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) consultant, training provider, author and campaigner, Jodie launched her own law firm five years ago, with the founding principles of mental health and wellbeing.
• Barrister of the Year: Jessica Powers, New Square Chambers. Jessica has spearheaded several EDI initiatives for the Bar and her own chambers, including the Social Mobility Mini-Pupillage, the Stephen Lawrence Day essay competition, an annual internal gender and race pay gap review and a judicial and KC appointments mentorship scheme.
• In-House Lawyer of the Year: Kate Cheetham, Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary of Lloyds Banking Group (LBG). Kate has been heavily involved in EDI throughout her time at LBG including as co-chair of its women’s network, Breakthrough, which has a membership of over 10,000 people.
• Rising Star of the Year: Arina Stelmokaite, solicitor apprentice, Allen & Overy. Arina is an active member of the Gender Equality Network and A&Out, the firm’s LGBTQ+ network, building connections with senior legal professionals to share lessons on how to break into law with her junior legal community. She also volunteers for GROW Mentoring.
• Champion of the Year: Reena Parmar, counsel at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. Through her role at The Law Society's Disabled Solicitors Network, Reena has mentored students from diverse backgrounds, raising awareness of diversity within the capital markets sector and contributing towards her firm’s EDI efforts.
• CILEX Lawyer / Chartered Legal Executive of the Year: The only CILEX-qualified lawyer at her firm, her tenacity and determination have inspired her colleagues and provides an inspiration to future female CILEX professionals.