Liverpool law firm Paul Crowley & Co was highly commended at the prestigious Law Society Excellence Awards 2012 this week.

The firm had been shortlisted for the Lexcel Award for Excellence in Practice Management. This category recognises outstanding work from practices that have met the Lexcel accreditation, which is only awarded to solicitors who meet the highest standards of management and customer care.

Coming up against firms from across the country, Paul Crowley & Co was one of only three practices nationally to receive the commendation at a ceremony at Old Billingsgate in London. The calibre of entries was described by judges as ‘unprecedented’, hence the decision to honour three firms rather than one.

Judges noted: ‘Paul Crowley & Co decided that achieving Lexcel would be the catalyst that would determine their future. They quickly developed and implemented service and management standards to achieve accreditation. Since becoming accredited, the firm has experienced tangible growth, and recently opened their fourth office.’

Paul Crowley, Senior Partner said: ‘It’s a true honour for us to be highly commended on a national level. Everybody at the practice worked very hard to achieve the Lexcel accreditation, and this effort has now been recognised amongst a very competitive field alongside some of the biggest firms in the country. The majority of awards went to London practices, so it’s also great to fly the flag for Merseyside.

‘More importantly, implementing the Lexcel framework has streamlined our processes and helped us to offer an even better service to our clients. We have taken the framework to the heart of everything we do, from top to bottom.

‘We have already seen a massive positive impact and recently opened our fourth office, in West Derby. The Lexcel framework has given us a platform for continued growth, which we intend to build upon over the next 12 months and beyond.’