Meet our award-winning colleagues from the Minster Law Awards Ball 2022

Minster Law’s annual Awards Ball is a fantastic opportunity for us to recognise our colleagues’ achievements over the past year and celebrate together at a glamorous ceremony.  

Each year, our colleagues nominate those who they believe have best demonstrated our values, with tenacity, creativity, courage, and teamwork that we uphold every day in our business.  

Our 2022 Awards Ball at the Queens Hotel in Leeds, saw more than 300 colleagues attend to cheer on the finalists and winners across seven prestigious award categories.  

Without further ado, it’s a pleasure to introduce our award-winning colleagues below.  

Stand Together Award – With a shared purpose, we can have a more positive impact on the people around us 

Winner: Andrew Smith, Associate Team Leader 

Time with Minster Law: 5 years 

Andrew is all about helping our colleagues to succeed at work, with their calm and collected personality they inspire confidence and are always happy to offer extra support, help or training, never making you feel like they don’t have the time to help. They are an expert at motivating their team and a natural people manager.   

“I was stunned when I won the award. I completely didn’t expect it. I’d been joking all day that I’d been practicing my “gracious loser” face, but I never expected to win at all. I was over the moon to have been nominated, mainly because that means I’ve had a positive effect on the team and others, and I’ve helped them, which is my main goal.   

It was a great evening though.  Really happy for everyone nominated and who won their categories!” 

Be Courageous Award – Believe in the opportunity and have the courage to follow it to wherever it leads us 

Winner: Elizabeth Burgess 

Time with Minster Law: 13+ years  

Liz is the epitome of our value, ‘be courageous’. She is never one to shy away from a challenge or push herself outside of her role or comfort zone. Liz is always the first to roll up her sleeves and get stuck in on tasks or projects that often take a considerable amount of extra work and effort. This year, Liz has been pioneering in driving collaboration between departments and identifying new ways of working to overcome challenges. 

“I’d been joking about having my acceptance speech at the ready, but I couldn’t believe it when they actually announced my name on stage. I feel truly humbled to be recognised by my colleagues and knowing that people took time out of their days to nominate me really means a lot. It was a fantastic evening, well done to all the finalists.”  

Find a Way – The difference between what is difficult and what is possible lies within our own resolve 

Winner: Jemma Neal, Team Leader 

Time with Minster Law: 10 years 

Over the past 12 months, Jemma has worked hard to find a way to solve problems and issues. She has transformed her area and inspired renewed purpose. Jemma is always on hand to provide support and encourage our colleagues to share their ideas and identify solutions on their own, offering support and reassurance along the way.   

“I was shocked that I won the award as the category was so strong.”  

Community Award – Putting the unity into community by sharing skills, volunteering, and fundraising to improve lives in our local community 

Winner: Callum Harvey, Paralegal  

Time with Minster Law: 5+ years 

Callum has a passion for generating value for good causes and this year alone he has been a powerhouse in terms of fundraising. Although not a member of our CSR committee, Callum has led the way in demonstrating the importance of our CSR agenda to our colleagues.   

“I was absolutely overjoyed and over the moon when I heard my name announced and I felt quite emotional. A lot of the fundraising I had completed during the year were for charities and reasons very close to my heart which made the award even more special to me. Every finalist was a winner in my eyes for the community award, as they have all taken their time out to give back to the community and I truly think it’s such a special award to receive.”  

Great Service Award – Helping and delighting our customers through great service 

Winner: James Heseltine, Compliance and Client Relations Manager  

Time with Minster Law: 10 years 

James is always striving to provide the best support and prides himself on the level of service and care he delivers, continuously looking at not only how he can make a difference to our customers but how he can also support the wider business. James approaches any issue with an open mind and always looks to reach the best possible outcome. The amount of business and area knowledge he has is impressive and appreciated by the wider business, naturally making him the reinforcement we call on. James always manages to turn around a situation and find the best possible outcome for all parties involved. He is a real unsung customer service hero.  

“I was surprised to win the award but also pleased to have received the recognition. Although saying that I’m not really one for the limelight, so was glad when I was off the stage and back at my table! It was a great night and very well organised.”   

Team of the Year Award – Proving that there’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’ 

Winner: Team Triumph 

Over the past 12 months, Team Triumph has continually demonstrated the collective passion, enthusiasm and dedication to our customers and their journey and along the way they have forged strong interdepartmental relationships that contribute to their success. This dedication has led to an incredibly high level of service for our most seriously injured customers, meaning that we are able to offer the best possible level of support that these customers need in a timely and effective manner.   

Team Leader, Paige Corbett, said: “We all felt really emotional and happy that all the hard work put into creating processes and how best to react really quickly to the serious injury cases has paid off, not only for us but customers also.” 

CEO Choice Award 

Winner: Fatbardha Uruqi, Technical Coach 

Time with Minster Law: 5+ years 

Fatbardha is passionate about supporting our colleagues to achieve greatness and be the best that they can be. She inspires confidence by equipping our colleagues with the tools they need to execute their roles. Building confidence and routes to continuous improvement are a real skill of hers. Fatbardha’s knowledge is second to none and with over 30 nominations across all categories from her peers, she is a worthy winner.   

“I was surprised and overwhelmed when I won the CEO Choice Award. I felt very humbled that I have had a massive impact in so many people’s lives across the department.  

It has made me more determined and motivated to continue my role as a technical coach and have a positive influence on many of my colleagues.  

I’d like to thank all my colleagues who have nominated me and everyone who took part in organising this event. It was a great night – thank you all!”