Ms Scott was raised in a small town in Wisconsin and is the mother of eight and grandmother of 10. She started her legal career at the age of 50 and has been with Blackadders since August 2015.

She was hired as a private client secretary but, within weeks, was asked to take the role as PA for the managing partner. When a position of trainee paralegal became available, she transferred to the executries team.

She said: “I can’t quite believe this has happened. I came to this career later than most and I have had a wonderful time at Blackadders. It’s a great team to work with and all my colleagues have been a huge help and support to me over the years. It’s so exciting to be recognised in this way.”

Ryan McKay, joint managing partner, said: “Nikki’s win and the shortlisting are fantastic news for the team and everyone connected with Blackadders. There is no doubt it all reflects everyone’s hard work and that our achievements to date signify the national progress we have made as a firm.”

The Paralegal of the Year Award was given jointly for the first time in the event’s history and was shared between Nikki Scott and Maisie Wilson from JustRight Scotland.