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Ashfords is delighted to have been awarded the British Ports Association Industry Award 2026. The Industry Award recognises associate members whose services, advice or equipment have made a significant impact on the UK ports sector over the past 12 months. Our entry demonstrated the wide range of pro-bono support that we provide to the UK ports sector as well as the high standards of work, innovation, and practical solutions we deliver for port clients. Lara Moore, partner and head of the marine sector at Ashfords said: “We would like to thank the BPA and Industry for recognising Ashfords with this award which reflects the work of colleagues across Ashfords’ marine sector team and recognises the depth of our expertise and longstanding work supporting port and harbour authorities.” Ashfords is recognised nationally for our marine expertise and our work across ports, harbours and coastal developments. Ashfords is currently advising on over £1 billion of port related infrastructure projects. We act for a significant number of ports and harbours across the UK and have a real understanding of the complexities involved in running and managing them.

Ashfords associate Cathryn Butler has won the Fertility Fairness Award hosted by the IVF Network in recognition of her work supporting colleagues experiencing fertility challenges. Having been through her own fertility journey, including both successful and unsuccessful fertility treatment, Cathryn was recognised for her positive action and commitment to raising awareness and improving workplace support for those affected by fertility issues. The Fertility Fairness Awards were held at the Soho Hotel in London during baby loss awareness week and were hosted by the IVF Network, which leads the Fertility in the Workplace Ambassador Scheme. As Ashfords' fertility ambassador, Cathryn regularly engages with the Fertility in the Workplace scheme to learn from other organisations, share ideas and understand how employers can better support colleagues experiencing a wide range of fertility challenges and pathways to parenthood. Cathryn said: “While IVF is often what people think of first when they hear about fertility issues, I am keen to raise awareness that fertility challenges extend far beyond IVF and can affect people in many different ways. They can take many different forms including pregnancy loss, secondary infertility and navigating the path to parenthood for LGBTQ+ individuals and couples, with every person’s experience looking different.” Ashfords has several inclusion groups across the firm, including gender and sexuality, menopause and fertility. These initiatives provide an opportunity for people to come together, shape engagement, raise awareness and help deliver an inclusive and supportive environment at Ashfords.

UK law firm Ashfords has again reported strong financial results for 2025/26 with revenue increasing by 6% to £65m. The performance has triggered a 7% firm-wide bonus for the fifth consecutive year. Following significant investment in technology and people, profit rose by 3%. Over the past year, the firm has implemented Thomson Reuters’ Elite 3E platform and enhanced its employee benefits package, including increased pension contributions, expanded income protection, paid volunteering leave and the introduction of an electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme. Ashfords CEO, Louise Workman, who last year launched a new five-year strategy for the firm targeting sustainable growth, said: “Following a year of significant investment across the firm, it is particularly pleasing to report such a strong set of results. Just as importantly, these results allow us to reward our people, whose expertise, commitment and dedication are central to our success and the service we deliver to clients. Growth at Ashfords is not about scale alone. It is about growing in a way that strengthens our culture, enhances the quality of our work and creates long-term value for both our clients and our colleagues. This year’s results demonstrate that we are successfully delivering on that ambition.” The firm has also continued to attract a strong cohort of lateral hires at partner level. Recent joiners include Thomas Middlehurst and Emma Harris (private wealth), Alexis Karim (corporate), Ben Xu (immigration), and Ben Hogan and David Cave (projects). Other highlights from the year include being named Law Firm of the Year at Bristol Law Society Awards and being shortlisted for Independent Law Firm of the Year at The Lawyer awards.

UK law firm Ashfords has been appointed as a supplier on Government Commercial Agency's (GCA) RM6374 Legal Panel for Public Sector framework, providing legal services to public sector organisations across England and Wales. The appointment sees Ashfords named as a supplier across six key lots, an increase from two lots on the previous framework: Lot 1a – Full Legal Service Provision (All Public Sector) Lot 1b – Full Legal Service Provision (Local Government and Local Communities) Lot 1c – Full Legal Service Provision (Health and Social Care) Lot 2 – Focused Legal Support Lot 3 – Litigation and Disputes Lot 4 – Projects and Complex Advice (including PPP) Robin de Wreede, partner and joint head of public sector at Ashfords, said: “Being appointed to the Government Commercial Agency’s new Legal Services Framework is a significant achievement for the firm and reinforces our commitment to supporting public sector organisations with high-quality, commercially focused legal advice. We look forward to building on our existing public sector relationships and helping clients navigate opportunities and challenges across a wide range of legal matters.” For more information about Ashfords' public sector expertise, please contact our public sector & government team.