THG to gift shares to 500 employees as long as targets are achieved<\/a><\/b><\/p>\nOther winners included Brabners, Eversheds Sutherland and DWF.<\/p>\n
Mr Shepherd was twice the national chairman of Resolution, the national association of famiy justice professionals, where he helped push for vital legal reforms.<\/p>\n
In their citation for Mr Shepherd last night, the awards judges said: “Reforming divorce law has been a professional and personal mission for most of his career. In his first stint as chair, he led Resolution through the highly charged political debate that resulted in the Family Law Act 1996, which would have introduced no fault divorce but was never implemented.”<\/p>\n
Resolution at that time had just one staff member – so Mr Shepherd persuaded members to fund lobbying and PR support through a levy on top of the membership fee.<\/p>\n
The judges said: “As a result, the organisation was able to punch well above its weight and make a significant contribution to the passage of the legislation. It also represented a step change in the organisation\u2019s profile and influence.<\/p>\n
“Nigel accepted the invitation to become chair again primarily because he and Resolution saw no fault divorce, and other key issues of law reform, as unfinished business. In his last two-year term at Resolution, he continued to promote the arguments and be the key spokesperson for change through the print and broadcast media, briefings with politicians, communications with members and through his membership of the advisory board supporting Professor Liz Trinder\u2019s Finding Fault research.”<\/p>\n
In 2018 Mills & Reeve successfully applied for Resolution to intervene in the widely reported Supreme Court proceedings of Owens v Owens, which revolved around the interpretation of so-called “unreasonable behaviour”.<\/p>\n
While Mrs Owens did not get her divorce, the case was a catalyst for change as the Supreme Court called on Parliament to take action. As a result the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 – which removes fault from the divorce process – was passed and was implented on April 6 this year.<\/p>\n
Legal scholar Professor Liz Trinder has said: \u201cDuring his two stints as national chair of Resolution, Nigel has been an absolutely tireless campaigner to support the development of both good family law practice and good family law. He has done so with good humour, endless enthusiasm and passion. I can\u2019t think of anyone who has done more to try to secure divorce law reform in this country.”<\/p>\n