Winners of the 2023/24 STEP Private Client Awards are announced

Friday, 22 September 2023

STEP announced the winners of its 2023/24 Private Client Awards last night during a ceremony at the London Hilton on Park Lane.

The author, broadcaster, entertainer and former MP Gyles Brandreth hosted the awards.

STEP’s Private Client Awards, now in their 18th year, set the standard for excellence in private client practice. They are open to lawyers, accountants, private bankers, financial advisors and trust managers worldwide.

This year saw a record number of entries, with 343 submissions from 29 countries.

The full list of winners is available here: https://pca.step.org/winners-2023

Commenting on the Awards, Mark Walley, Chief Executive at STEP, said: ‘Many congratulations to all this year’s winners, who should be very proud of their achievements.

‘The STEP Private Client Awards celebrate the very best of the best. The judges tell us that each category received entries that should inspire everyone working in private client practice.’

Particular congratulations go to Forsters, who won three awards. These were Digital Assets Practice of the Year, Employer of the Year and International Legal Team of the Year (large firm). We also congratulate Boodle Hatfield, who won two awards: Family Business Advisory Practice of the Year and International Legal Team of the Year (midsize firm).

Other winners include:

  • Young Practitioner of the Year Lisa Barca TEP of Coleman Greig Lawyers in Sydney, Australia
  • Joshua S. Rubenstein TEP of Katten in New York, for the Trusted Advisor of the Year Award;
  • Samantha Morgan TEP of RMW Law in London, UK, for the Geoffrey Shindler Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Profession; and
  • Gill Steel TEP of Lawskills in Winchester, UK, for the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mary Duke TEP, Chair of the judging panel and an independent advisor to families, said: ‘The STEP Private Client Awards are our annual moment to celebrate the talent and achievements of our field.

‘Some of the themes that stood out for us this year have been firms’ commitments to both delivering high quality services to clients while also creating working cultures where colleagues can thrive.

It has been a privilege to read all the entries and see the breadth and depth of what has been achieved.’

We ask entrants to donate to our charity partner for the PCAs, which is Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI). ADI is the international federation of Alzheimer and dementia associations around the world.  We are delighted to have raised nearly GBP60,000 for ADI’s important work.

Evelyn Partners sponsored our champagne reception, and our award sponsors were:

Capital Generation Partners; Casparlaw; Crestbridge Fiduciary; HIGHVERN; Katten; Loeb & Loeb; Penningtons Manches Cooper, Risk Assured; Sarasin & Partners; Schroders Wealth Management; Stewarts and ZEDRA.

ENDS

For more information, please contact Liz Skinner, Communications Manager, STEP, email [email protected] or call + 44 3752 3706

About STEP, the professional body for inheritance advisors

STEP is the global professional association for practitioners who specialise in family inheritance and succession planning. We have more than 21,000 members in 96 countries. STEP works to improve public understanding of the issues families face in this area and promotes education and high professional standards among its members. STEP members help families plan for their futures, from drafting wills to issues surrounding international families, protecting the vulnerable, family businesses and philanthropic giving. Find out more at www.step.org