The Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Awards are back for their second year and we’re delighted to announce that two Farleys’ Partners have been shortlisted this year in their respective specialisms.

Paul Schofield, head of our Fraud and Business Crime, and Serious Crime team, has been recognised on the shortlist for Crime Lawyer of the Year. Paul has an exceptional reputation developed over 42 years within the profession. He’s well-known in the Legal 500 and other guides having been listed as a leading individual continually for over 20 years.

Over the last 12 months Paul has continued to act in multi-million-pound fraud and other financial crime cases, and a good selection of serious crime cases.  His work contributed to the firm being listed in the Times Best Law Firms for 2024, within the crime section.

Kelly Darlington, head of our inquests team, is shortlisted for Lawyer of the Year in the Insurance category.  This award shortlisting continues a highly successful 18 months for Kelly who was awarded Solicitor of the Year at the Manchester Legal Awards in 2023, shortly after being named as the Times’ Lawyer of the Week.

Kelly has been involved in a number of important, high-profile cases including the inquest into the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak and subsequent lobbying of the government on reforms to the Housing Act and implementation of Awaab’s law. She has also been representing the families of several patients who died while being treated under Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust which garnered national attention following a BBC Panorama investigation and independent review.

The Legal 500 has been analysing law firms around the world for the last 33 years, and is best known for its annual rankings of firms and individuals, in which we’ve been featured for many years.

The Northern Powerhouse Awards ceremony was first held in Manchester last year but will move to Leeds for 2024. The awards recognise the wide range of legal talent across the North, North West, and Yorkshire & The Humber.

Paul Schofield said:

I’m only one of a superb team here at Farleys, and this nomination is a reflection of the expertise and commitment right through the team.  I’m really pleased for Kelly and her team as well, and the very impressive performance in these and other awards right across our firm.

Kelly Darlington commented:

I am delighted to have been shortlisted in this year’s awards alongside such a high-calibre of firms and individuals. It highlights the inquest team’s passion and dedication to such an important area of law. It is truly an honour to work with our clients in some of the most difficult cases of such public importance.

The award ceremony will take place on Wednesday 13th March in Leeds.