Blake Morgan litigation expert awarded Professional of the Year at the Venus Awards

Blake Morgan Partner and Divisional Director of Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Alison McClure, has been awarded the title of ‘Professional of the Year’ at the prestigious Venus Awards which took place on Saturday 11 November 2017, at a black tie ceremony at The Spark at Southampton Solent University.

The Venus awards, sponsored by Natwest, recognise and reward local businesswomen across the country, aiming to empower women to reach their professional potential. The Professional of the Year category is awarded to inspirational women who have demonstrated success in the Hampshire business community.

Described by Legal 500 as ‘a formidable businesswoman’ and recently named an ‘Eminent Practitioner’ by Chambers and Partners in the 2018 guide, Alison is a member of the Blake Morgan Executive Board and Divisional Director of the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution division, which employs over 230 people and contributes approximately £22m of the firm’s fee income.

In addition to her management responsibilities as divisional director, Alison has also been responsible for driving through some of the firm’s key business transformation projects of the last few years, including the establishment of its core values, the introduction of more efficient case management system, Blake Morgan’s ‘highly commended’ innovation programme and a review of client service for the firm.

Alison has a legal background as a health care litigation specialist, a role for which she has consistently received recognition in the leading legal directories. She enjoys a strong reputation amongst clients, competitor firms and the Bar.

Commenting on her win, Alison said: “I am delighted to have been awarded Professional of the Year at an awards ceremony that celebrates and encourages gender diversity in business. Blake Morgan has a genuine commitment to supporting women’s careers and has a strong track record of women in partnership and senior management positions.

“50% of my peers at the time of my graduation were female, and 30 years later just 20% of senior management and board roles in the legal profession are held by women. The Venus awards are an important event that recognises and promotes women in the business community”

Alison is a business coach and mentor whose management expertise lies in building high-performance teams, developing leadership capabilities in individuals and creating and implementing solutions to leadership and management challenges.

She is firmly committed to encouraging diversity in the workplace and supporting the personal and professional development of her colleagues, particularly newly-qualified professionals. She is currently studying on the Meyler Campbell Mastered Programme to obtain accreditation as an Executive Business Coach.

For more information on the Venus Awards visit www.venusawards.co.uk.