Thompsons won the Law Firm of the Year title, the top award in the profession’s ‘Oscars’, in the face of intense competition from other practices across Scotland.

Senior Partner Frank Maguire accepted the Award at a glittering ceremony attended by the cream of the legal profession at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow on September 17.

The Law Firm of the Year Award recognised the wide scope and range of Thompsons’ services including representing the victims of car crashes, industrial and personal accidents.

Thompsons wins more than 99% of personal injury court cases, obtaining the maximum compensation in the shortest possible time.

Last year Thompsons recovered over £1m a week in compensation for its clients.

Thompsons also:

• Set up a business initiative group within the company
• Launched an internet brand ‘Redress’ for clients who prefer to deal online
• Launched a highly successful TV advertising campaign featuring Thom, an animated plasticine figure
• Secured contracts with two major players in the car market to represent those involved in car accidents
• Demonstrated commitment to staff development
• Opened an office in Aberdeen and expanded its premises in Glasgow and Edinburgh
• Continued to recruit additional staff
• Won a contract to do all of a trade unions work.

Mr Maguire said: “I am delighted to accept this award which recognises the expertise, dedication and sheer hard work of our team of 60 solicitor advocates and lawyers, and their skill in achieving the best possible result for our clients.

“Our clients are at the heart of everything we do, and I thank them for putting their faith in Thompsons.

“These are challenging times for the legal profession generally and for legal practices which specialise in personal injury cases in particular.

“There are various reviews of the Scottish legal system underway, some of which we believe threaten to undermine the principle that access to the law and the courts is a basic human right, and should not be dependent on the ability to pay.  Justice should be accessible to all like health and education.

“The threats include proposals to turn the Scottish Court of Session into an international centre for commercial dispute resolution, and/or relegating personal injury cases to lower courts to make way for what are deemed to be more worthy cases and not placing fatal cases at the centre of our Supreme court.

“At the moment ordinary people who suffer injustice can reasonably expect to have their case heard in the Court of Session.

“But some of these moves would effectively deny ordinary people and trade union members the access to justice which is their right.”

Among the key strengths which helped Thompsons secure the Law Firm of the Year Award were:

• Thompsons is involved in a large number of fatal accidents both in relation to multi-fatality disasters and incidents involving individuals, including
  • The Flying Phantom tragedy
  • The Bond Super Puma helicopter crash in the North Sea
  • Army cadet Kaylee McIntosh
  • Bread van driver Graham Meldrum

• Thompsons appear in the Court of Session Court Rolls more than any other firm
• Thompsons are the experts in asbestos related disease cases, particularly mesothelioma
• Thompsons is the only additional party to the on-going Judicial Review Petition in relation to The Damages (Asbestos-related conditions) (Scotland) Act
• Thompsons is the only Scottish firm which is party to the test case class action in relation to ‘miners knee’ in England
• Thompsons has significant experience of Public Inquiries being actively involved the Inquiries in relation
  • Stockline
  • Hepatitis C
  • The C-Diff outbreak at Vale of Leven Hospital

The judges also took account of Thompsons’ ongoing commitment to offering new and improved services to its extensive trade union client base.