Freeths will judge finalists in September for the 44th Women of the Year Awards, with the ceremony scheduled for 9 October at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium. The top 50 commercial law firm returns as sponsor of the event, now in its fifth decade as one of Britain’s longest-running platforms celebrating female achievement.
The firm backs the ‘Freeths Woman with Edge’ category specifically.
That prize targets women demonstrating courage, originality and determination when challenging established norms. Judges will conduct panel interviews across September before the Friday evening ceremony in front of what organisers expect will be hundreds of attendees. Other categories on the night include Businesswoman of the Year and the Emmeline Pankhurst Award for Woman of Achievement, which recognises exceptional leadership contributions.
Ambassadors for Women of the Year will select the shortlist. Between now and October, the organisation plans networking events across Britain designed to connect female leaders and create spaces for sharing experience.
Lisa Gilligan manages Freeths’ Leicester office. She sits on the judging panel.
“Freeths’ partnership with Women of the Year continues to resonate strongly with us,” Gilligan said. “Time and again, these awards highlight remarkable leadership and women who are pushing boundaries and creating positive change. Being involved in the judging process is so insightful and a reminder of the difference female leaders can make. We would encourage organisations and individuals to put forward the women who are driving change. Their achievements and their stories deserve to be recognised and celebrated.”
The firm’s renewed involvement follows its B Corporation certification, which measures social and environmental commitments alongside commercial performance. Freeths holds Stonewall’s Champion employer status and secured gold accreditation from Investors in People in 2025. Working Families ranked it among the top 30 employers that same year.
Its client roster spans Centrica, Aldi, Mercedes-Benz UK, Tarmac and Experian. The practice gained wider recognition for securing a landmark High Court victory representing 555 sub-postmasters in their case against the Post Office—described as one of the most significant miscarriages of justice in British legal history. Freeths continues advising on the subsequent compensation schemes.
Law Firm of the Year titles arrived from both City AM Awards 2025 and the Legal Business Awards 2024. Property Week named it Outstanding National Property Firm last year. The Legal 500 Green Guide 2026 featured the practice for sustainability leadership.
Sponsorships of leadership awards by commercial law firms have increased over the past five years, mirroring broader attention to gender equity in professional services. Women held 32 per cent of partner roles across UK law firms in 2024, according to the Law Society’s latest workforce data.
For Freeths, the partnership centres on visibility—putting forward examples of leadership that might otherwise go unnoticed outside immediate industries or communities. The ‘edge’ criterion suggests judges favour disruptors over incrementalists, though previous winners have come from sectors ranging from technology and healthcare to education and local government.
The October ceremony marks the culmination of a nomination and judging process that typically draws several hundred entries. Networking events scheduled before the main awards aim to build connections beyond the competitive element, creating peer networks that extend past the ceremony itself.
Whether the 44th edition draws a record number of nominations remains to be seen. Gilligan’s call for organisations to put forward candidates suggests the organisers want a broader pool than in previous years, particularly from sectors where women’s achievements receive less public attention.
The Etihad Stadium venue seats more than 50,000 for football matches, though the awards will occupy conference and hospitality spaces rather than the pitch. Manchester has hosted the ceremony three times since 2019, reflecting a deliberate shift away from London-centric events.
Nominations close in August, giving potential entrants four months to submit applications. By the time finalists gather for September interviews, the judging panel will have narrowed hundreds of entries to dozens of shortlisted candidates across all categories.
