The 2025 Southport & Ormskirk Law Society Annual Dinner sponsored by Datalaw has taken place, celebrating the quality and togetherness of the legal sector in our area.
The society has been operating for 103 years and continues to go from strength to strength.
This year’s event was held at Hillside Golf Club in Southport and was a real celebration of the superb legal talent across the Southport and Ormskirk areas with several local law firms represented.
The annual dinner was hosted by Southport & Ormskirk Law Society President Gerard Horton, Partner at Leigh Day, and was organised by his wife, Kirsty Thomas-Horton, the Head of Business Development at Fletchers Group.
The couple met while studying for their law degrees at Liverpool John Moores University before they went on to work together at Fletchers Group.
Gerard paid tribute to the lawyers present, saying “regional groups like our own society are vital to the communities that we serve”.
There was an excellent speech from Tim Wilkinson, a barrister at Exchange Chambers, speaking about his long and distinguished career as both a solicitor and a barrister.
He was followed by Young Lawyers’ Representative, Chloe Coverdale, a solicitor at Brown Turner Ross, who shared her inspiring story about qualifying in the legal profession.
The Toastmaster – for an incredible 35th year – was legal legend Michael Braham.
Guests included Southport MP Patrick Hurley; President of Liverpool Law Society James Manoush; Fletchers Solicitors founder Rob Fletcher with his wife Eileen; Gerard Horton’s mother, Rosemary; and Stand Up For Southport Director Andrew Brown.
Gerard Horton had enjoyed attending the Liverpool Law Society Awards the previous week and was delighted to welcome James Manoush to join him in Southport to further strengthen links between law firms within the Liverpool City Region.
Money at the dinner was raised for Queenscourt Hospice, with donation envelopes on each table.
The headline sponsor was Datalaw, based in Liverpool, one of the UK’s leading providers of online training.
The drinks reception was sponsored by Unite Professionals Case Management. They specialise in the rehabilitation of clients with catastrophic injuries. The firm operates nationwide and supports solicitors and insurers with assessments and ongoing case management.
In his speech, Gerard Horton said:
“The society wouldn’t be anything without its membership and all of our guests who are here tonight.
“I very recently joined Leigh Day Solicitors, in August, as a Partner in catastrophic injury, working across their Manchester and Liverpool offices.
“As a local resident still, I maintain my ties with this region and our society. What an honour it is to be appointed President.
“It was a pleasure to attend the Liverpool Law Society Awards. It was great to meet our national Law Society President, Mark Evans.
“In his speech I heard him say ‘it is the people who are the fabric of our profession’.
“Now that’s something I can get behind.
“Regional groups like our own society are vital to the communities that we serve.
“We aspire to do more to further these objectives.
“My aim as President is to make our society more accessible, boosting our online presence, making it easier for residents to find our society and our exceptional local lawyers.
“If you are interested in joining our society, our committee or our Young Lawyers Group, please do get in touch with us.”
The guest speaker was Tim Wilkinson, a barrister at Exchange Chambers in Liverpool.
Tim started his career as a solicitor before training as a barrister.
He now lives in Wirral but has strong links to the Southport and Ormskirk area, having been educated at Scarisbrick Hall School.
Tim specialised in catastrophic injury cases and was described in The Legal 500 as ‘a Leading Junior with the practice of a Silk’.
In his speech, Tim Wilkinson said:
“You don’t need to be reminded by me of the importance of the roles that each of you have.
“Not just to your clients; but to your organisation; your firm; your business.
“And very importantly, to each other as professionals, regardless of which business you work for.
“That is why I am profoundly honoured to be asked to come here to speak to you today.
“You are all, as lawyers, as solicitors, a huge inspiration to me, and therefore part of what I try to do each and every day in this wonderful world that we call law.
“On the way here tonight, I Googled, asking what the key skill of a solicitor is.
“And it said this – ‘the key skill of a solicitor is to act with integrity, honesty, with a firm commitment to ethics, and good professional conduct.”
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