One of Australia’s most respected innovation and commercialisation lawyers has been recognised at the 2015 International Law Office (ILO) and Lexology Client Choice Awards in London.
Jenni Lightowlers, Partner at Francis Abourizk Lightowlers (FAL) and Deputy Chancellor of Deakin University, was recognised for providing outstanding client service in the Healthcare and Life Sciences sector in Australia.
The Awards recognise the ability of a lawyer to add value to a client’s business above and beyond other lawyers. The award cited the outstanding value Jenni provides “in all of her roles including excellent strategic, analytical, legal, ethical and commercial advice”.
The awards are based on feedback provided by clients in a survey which rates individual lawyers and law firms on: quality of legal advice, value for money, commercial awareness, effective communication, billing transparency, tailored fee structures, response time, sharing of expertise and use of technology. Those shortlisted, from in excess of 2,500 nominations, are then invited to submit up to five referees. The research team conducts follow-up interviews and additional research to identify the best practitioner in each sector.
In London to accept the award, Jenni said that she was absolutely delighted to receive the award, especially as the recognition comes directly from clients.
“I have always believed that to provide good legal advice, you need to understand the big picture – get to know your client’s needs and the issues they face. If that makes us worthy of this award, then we are delighted to receive it. It is simply the way we do business.”
While in the United Kingdom, Jenni met with several of the highly regarded UK Innovation Catapults. The seven Catapult Centres each focus on an area of technology and expertise that has great global potential for UK businesses. The aim is to bring together sector experts and cutting-edge facilities to help business identify gaps in niche areas and to develop new products and services to meet those needs. The Catapults provide a hub for development of innovation and are a model currently being reviewed by the Australian government.
Given her extensive experience in R&D, innovation and commercialisation and corporate governance, entities such as cooperative research centres and the higher education sector in Australia and the South Pacific, Jenni is uniquely placed to work with her clients and with government on next generation initiatives to support Australia’s businesses in a global economy.
We are pleased to announce that FAL’s founding partner, Jenni Lightowlers, has been recognised for Excellence in Client Service in the Health and Life Sciences category at the 2015 International Law Office (ILO) and Lexology Client Choice Awards. She is the only lawyer in Australia awarded in this category.
Jenni was presented with the award at a gala dinner held in London on February 19, 2015 at One Great George Street.
This honour is especially significant, as these awards are determined by our clients. According to ILO
the Client Choice Awards recognise those partners around the world that stand apart for the excellent client service they provide. The criteria for the awards focus on the ability to add real value to clients’ business above and beyond other players in the market
“Clients are asked to rate individual lawyers and law firms on the following client service criteria: quality of legal advice, value for money, commercial awareness, effective communication, billing transparency, tailored fee structures, response time, sharing of expertise and use of technology”.
A big thank you to our FAL clients who nominated Jenni and who provided input via interviews following short-listing.
This is a great honour and Jenni is very grateful for your ongoing support. We look forward to continuing to work with you and providing the kind of service and support that you have come to expect from FAL Lawyers.
You can read Jenni’s recognition here and browse through the award ‘happy snaps’ here.
The ILO/Lexology awards press release is also available here.
