The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 19: June/July 2015 | Página 11

LEGAL

WILTSHIRE LAW FIRM SHORTLISTED FOR
NATIONAL ETHICAL AWARD
The Swindon office of Withy King solicitors has been named a finalist
in the Ethical Initiative of the Year category at the prestigious Lawyer
Awards 2015. Family solicitor Rebecca Stevens was nominated by her
employers Withy King for this award following her tireless pro bono
work on behalf of a father with learning difficulties who had been
denied legal aid to try and prevent Swindon Borough Council from
having his young son adopted.
Rebecca, who provided over 100 hours
of her time free of charge to help her
client, was praised by the Head of
Family Justice in England and Wales,
Sir James Munby, in a court judgement
in which he threw a spotlight on the
lack of funding available for legal
representation.
“It is an absolute honour to be
shortlisted for the Ethical Initiative
award,” said Rebecca. “Times are
changing for law firms and cuts to
legal aid have had a devastating impact
on the most vulnerable members

of society. Being a viable business
whilst continuing to offer legal aid
is becoming increasingly difficult for
most firms. I am very privileged to
work with a team who are dedicated
to undertaking legal aid work to
help others and to work for a firm
which is committed to upholding the
traditional morals and ethics of the
legal profession. Being a legal aid
lawyer is not a job. It is a vocation and
I am proud to work for a firm which
values this.”
Withy King, which has offices in

Swindon and Marlborough, is one of
eight legal services providers – many
of them heavyweight London-based
firms operating internationally – to
be shortlis ѕ