Member Article

David Gray Solicitor wins ‘Legal Aid Oscar’

Mike Bishop, partner at leading North East law firm David Gray Solicitors LLP, has won the ‘Mental Health Lawyer of the Year’ award at the 10thanniversary Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards 2012. The awards ceremony took place on 12 June in central London.

The Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards (LALY), organised by the Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG), celebrates the excellence of legal work in the publically funded sector and recognises legal professionals and organisations who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to their clients and the sector.

Mike was presented with the Mental Health Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year award by Michael Mansfield QC, a leading legal aid barrister.

Also known as the ‘Legal Aid Oscars’, 11 LALY judges select finalists in nine award categories which include criminal defence lawyer, family legal aid lawyer and immigration lawyer. Judges read over 1,000 pages of nominations which include supporting testimonials from clients, medical and other expert, judges and campaigners.

Elspeth Thomson, Managing Partner at David Gray LLP, comments: “We are delighted that Mike’s hard work has been recognised and that he has won the Mental Health Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Award. It is a testament to both his skill as a solicitor and his ongoing commitment to helping people suffering with mental health problems.”

“This prestigious award is a well deserved achievement and rightly recognises Mike as one of the UK’s leading mental health solicitors. It also demonstrates the quality of work we do for our clients as a firm and that we are an important player in the legal services market across the North East of England”, she adds

Mike, who qualified as a solicitor in 1989, has practised mental health throughout his career, focusing particularly on working with patients detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983. Mike represents patients at mental health review tribunal hearings, manager review hearings and at case reviews.

On winning, Mike Bishop adds: “I am honoured and delighted to have received this award especially given the calibre of my fellow finalists. This award means a lot to me and I feel proud to have served the cause of publicly funded legal services in the mental health field for over 15 years. I am grateful to everyone who supported my nomination, and to my colleagues at David Gray for their support. This is a great tribute for the whole firm who all work hard to support the people that really need our help.”

Mike’s nomination for this prestigious award was supported by a number of professionals in the Mental Health service, including Andrew Hope, of the Northumberland Tyne and Wear Foundation National Health Trust. Andrew explains: “Mike’s reputation for representing and upholding the rights of detained patients in the region is well known in fact I would go as far to say legendary. He is a great man that cares passionately for all people. He does not court awards or recognition and knows that a man is measured not by his wealth but his deeds. Nothing it appears has ever been a problem to Mike whether it was working late into the night or giving up a weekend to visit a patient detained in hospital.”

The LALYs, which were launched in 2003, are the only awards aimed solely at those doing legal aid work. They are organised by the Legal Aid Practitioners Group on a not-for-profit basis.

For further information on the awards visit: www.lapg.co.uk/laly2012

For further information on David Gray Solicitors LLP visit: www.davidgray.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Georgia Linscott .