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Awards & Accreditations

Our commitment to excellence is shown by the many awards and professional accreditations we have gained in recent years. To earn these accreditations, we are assessed by independent, kitemark organisations in the legal industry.

We are proud that these independent bodies recognise and verify our firm's commitment to excellence, providing clients with confidence when instructing us.

Firm Accreditations

Lexcel –The Law Society’s quality mark for client care, compliance and practice management. Every year, we undergo a rigorous assessment of our client care procedures and our management of people, risk, finances, information and cases. We have had Lexcel accreditation since 2004 and were one of the first firms in the region to achieve this. Our Lexcel accreditation gives clients peace of mind that we are committed to excellence in client care and management. You can find out more about Lexcel here.

Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) – The Law Society’s recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing practices. This accreditation demonstrates that our firm provides the high standard of residential conveyancing expected by clients, lenders and professional contacts. This is an annual assessment. You can find out more about CQS here.

Wills and Inheritance Quality Scheme (WIQS) – The Law Society’s recognised quality mark for law firms that offer advice in relation to Wills, inheritance and probate/estate administration. This accreditation reassures clients that we are specialists in dealing with the sensitive matters of estate planning and administration. This is an annual assessment. You can find out more about WIQS here.

Resolution – “a community of family justice professionals who work with families and individuals to resolve issues in a constructive way”. Our Family Law team are all members of Resolution and this means they are committed to resolving family legal issues in a constructive and non-confrontational way, particularly when children are involved. This membership demonstrates our team’s values of excellence, empathy and integrity. You can find out more about Resolution here.

Cyber Essentials – A government-backed scheme where certification gives peace of mind that our systems are protected against a range of cyber-attacks. You can find out more about Cyber Essentials here.

Individual Accreditations

Many of our solicitors also hold individual accreditations from the kitemark organisations below. You can find out more about each team member’s individual accreditations by viewing their profiles here.

Legal Directories

Legal 500 – The Legal 500 is a prestigious international rankings guide of law firms, split by region and practice area. Every year, firms must submit a detailed application of case summaries and profiles, together with a list of referees for interview. It is extremely difficult to be listed in the Legal 500 and most firms are not accepted after their first few attempts.

Our Family, Private Client and Commercial Property teams are all listed in the Legal 500 for the South-East: Beds, Bucks, Herts and Middlesex. We are the only solicitors in Welwyn Garden City to have this ranking. Additionally, some of our team have individual rankings. Samantha Webb has been recognised as a Next Generation Partner for Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate. David Bird, Sharon Montgomery, Danielle Peters, Bonnie Twiggs, Chris Brewis, Manish Patel and Georgina Christou are all recommended lawyers. Natasha Khakhar, Janet Martland and Katie Smits are Key Lawyers. You can find out more about the Legal 500 directory and read our firm’s profile here.

Chambers & Partners - Chambers & Partners is a highly-regarded directory of law firms and advisers in the UK and internationally. It is very difficult for a firm to get into Chambers & Partners. Firms are required to submit applications for each of their teams, containing case summaries and a list of referees for follow-up interviews.

In 2023, our Private Client team were ranked in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide for Private Wealth Law. Head of Department David Bird, Partner Samantha Webb and Associate Georgina Christou are individually ranked as well. You can find out more about Chambers & Partners, the High Net Worth guide, and our firm's profile by reading our announcement here.

Our Property team were also ranked in the Chambers & Partners UK Guide for the first time in 2022, with Bonnie Twiggs listed as a ranked individual. You can read our firm's profile here.

Awards

2023 Hertfordshire biz4Biz Awards - Best Legal Services Provider - FINALIST
2023 Hertfordshire Law Society Awards - Lifetime Achievement Award - WINNER - Sharon Montgomery
2023 Hertfordshire Law Society Awards - Client Care Award - WINNER - Sian Churchill
2023 Hertfordshire Law Society Awards - Highest Scoring LPC Student - WINNER - Amy Tapping
2023 Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards - South Herts Business of the Year - HIGHLY COMMENDED
2022 Family Law Awards - Family Law Case of the Year - WINNER - (H-W (Children) [2022] UKSC 17) - 3 Dr Johnson’s Buildings, 33 Bedford Row, 36 Family, 4PB, 42 Bedford Row, Bastian Lloyd Morris, Crane & Staples Solicitors (Sian Churchill), David Barney & Co Solicitors, Garden Court Chambers, Philcox Grey Solicitors
2022 Hertfordshire biz4Biz Awards - Best Legal, Financial or Accountancy Services Provider - WINNER - Crane & Staples LLP
2022 Hertfordshire Law Society Awards - Junior Lawyer of the Year - WINNER - Katie Smits
2021 SME National Business Awards – Service Excellence – WINNER - Crane & Staples LLP
2021 LEAP Modern Law Conveyancing Awards – Client Care – HIGHLY COMMENDED - Crane & Staples LLP
2021 SME Hertfordshire Business Awards – Service Excellence – WINNER - Crane & Staples LLP
2021 British Conveyancing Awards – New Business Champion – WINNER – Manish Patel
2021 British Conveyancing Awards – Risen to the Challenge Legal Secretary – WINNER – Tracey Fenner
2020 Women in Law Awards – Law Firm Leader of the Year – FINALIST – Sharon Montgomery
2020 Women in Law Awards – Rising Star Legal Service Innovator of the Year – FINALIST – Gaby Williams
2019 Asian Legal Awards – Company and Commercial Lawyer of the Year – FINALIST – Manish Patel
2019 Hertfordshire Law Society Awards – Junior Lawyer of the Year – WINNER – Georgina Christou
2018 biz4Biz Awards – Best Legal and Financial Services Provider – WINNER – Crane & Staples LLP
2016 FSB Hertfordshire Business Awards – WINNER – Business of the Year - Crane & Staples LLP