The award, now in its ninth year, recognises the outstanding achievement of a newly qualified Scottish solicitor or trainee working in-house.

Co-conveners of the Law Society In-house Lawyers Committee Sheekha Saha and Vlad Valiente, said: “We are delighted to invite nominations for the 2021 Rising Star Award. The award is a celebration of the wealth of talent we have in the in-house legal community and the contribution of those in the early stages of their careers.

“This past year has been one of the most challenging ever faced by the profession, and as we work through the unprecedented circumstances presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, it is important that we continue to recognise talented and committed individuals.”

Catherine Corr, a member of the In-House Lawyers Committee, is part of this year’s judging panel. She said: “The standard of nominations is always incredibly high and I have no doubt that this year’s candidates for the award will be just as exceptional.

“Many of our newly qualified colleagues will have had to adapt to working remotely without the usual workplace support networks and I encourage all my in-house colleagues to recognise their hard work by nominating their legal stars of this extraordinary year.”

Winner of the 2020 Rising Star Award, Marliese Perks, said: “Being awarded the In-house Rising Star Award has been a career highlight for me so far. This was particularly so given the strong talent amongst the shortlist and within our in-house legal community - it was wonderful to be recognised by the judges. I’m very grateful to all of those who have spent time mentoring me and to the Bank for allowing me such a varied and enjoyable role in which to develop.”

The Law Society of Scotland In-house Rising Star Award celebrates and rewards excellence in the in-house legal community, a group that represents about 30 per cent of Scottish solicitors.

Nominees must be Scottish in-house trainees or in-house solicitors with up to five years post qualification experience. The nominations will be judged by members of the In-House Lawyers Committee and key individuals working closely with our in-house lawyer community.

The winner will be announced on 16 June at the In-house Annual Conference, which is to be a virtual event this year.

Nomination forms can be accessed on the Law Society of Scotland website. The deadline for nominations is 5pm on Friday, 21 May 2021.