Burges Salmon has won the Excellence in Client Service category at The Lawyer Awards 2026 for the work of its Legal Project Management team on the UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry.
The recognition, announced after the awards ceremony in London on 16 June, reflects the increasing importance of structured matter management in major public inquiries, where legal delivery depends on coordination, evidence control and consistent working practices across large multidisciplinary teams.
The firm’s Legal Project Management team supported an inquiry required to mobilise multiple legal workstreams and establish common processes across hundreds of lawyers, counsel and Inquiry Secretariat staff.
Burges Salmon said its model brought together Planning, Legal Operations and Secretariat leadership, with the aim of embedding capability and shared ownership within the Inquiry rather than operating solely as an external adviser. Charlotte Whitaker, a partner at the firm, described the award as recognition of the commitment and expertise of the wider team supporting the process.
The UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry is chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett and operates as an independent statutory inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 and the Inquiry Rules 2006. The Cabinet Office acts as the sponsoring department, while the Inquiry retains operational independence over its work.
Burges Salmon provides legal services to the Inquiry, including the Solicitor to the Inquiry, while its Legal Project Management team has supported the coordination of legal workstreams and consistent working practices across the organisation.
The award points to a broader shift in how complex legal mandates are delivered. Public inquiries, regulatory investigations and large disputes increasingly require dedicated project management alongside substantive legal advice.
Clear governance, reliable reporting, disciplined cost control and effective coordination across solicitors, barristers, experts and operational teams are now expected on complex legal mandates. These capabilities directly influence how efficiently evidence is reviewed, hearings are prepared and decisions are communicated across a large legal programme.
Burges Salmon recognition shows solicitors and in-house counsel that client service is judged not only by the quality of legal analysis but also by the effectiveness of delivery.
Law firm management teams may also see legal project management as a competitive factor when bidding for institutional work, particularly where clients expect greater transparency over budgets, staffing and progress.
The professional implication extends beyond public inquiry work. Firms seeking major government, regulatory or corporate mandates will increasingly need to prove that they can design and operate robust delivery structures from the start of an engagement.
Burges Salmon’s award strengthens the case for treating legal project management as a core part of legal service rather than a supporting function added after work has begun.