News - News - Top awards presented at SAL ball

The Society of Asian Lawyers (SAL) announced its 2010 award winners recognising the exceptional achievements of Asian solicitors and barristers practising in the UK.

The winners were: Young Lawyer of the Year: Naim Rahman, of London firm Duncan Lewis; Commercial Lawyer of the Year: Deepa Deb, of City firm Berwin Leighton Paisner; Pro Bono/Human Rights Lawyer of the Year: Katie Gosh, director of the British Institute of Human Rights; Criminal Lawyer of the Year: Ali Naseem Bajwa, of 25 Bedford Row Chambers; Public Service Lawyer of the Year: Jaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor, Lincolnshire; Lifetime Achievement Award: Makbool Javaid, of London firm Simons Muirhead Burton.

SAL chairman Sundeep Bhatia said he was heartened by the calibre of award winners and nominees. He added: “This year’s awards highlighted how far diversity has progressed within the profession and showed that SAL is a broad church, encompassing solicitors, young and old, from private practice and public service, as well as members of the Bar.”

The awards were presented at SAL’s annual ball by Law Society vice-president Linda Lee, Solicitors Regulation Authority chairman Charles Plant, Crown Prosecution Service director of equality and diversity Dale Simon and Sir Desmond De Silva QC, of Argent Chambers.