IHLS Wins Social Mobility Initiative of the Year Award at the Legal 500 ESG Awards 2026

We’re incredibly proud to announce that In-House Legal Solutions has been awarded with the Social Mobility Initiative of the Year Award at the Legal 500 ESG Awards at the Intercontinental Hotel in London.  

The awards celebrate organisations that are driving meaningful change across environmental, social and governance priorities within the legal profession, and the Social Mobility Initiative of the Year category recognises programmes that successfully attract, support and retain talent from less privileged backgrounds, with a clear focus on measurable impact.

Social mobility has been embedded in IHLS’s business model since we were founded in 2016. The firm was deliberately built outside London to allow lawyers in the North West to have the opportunity to work on in-house matters in financial services firms that would usually be dealt with in the City, before expanding to offer a generalist legal team in serving all sectors of business.  The founders have always been passionate about social mobility and the team at IHLS regularly give up their time to take part in a range of schemes and activities.  

Key initiatives recognised by the judges include our Wider Participation–focused Summer Vacation Scheme, where applications from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds are actively encouraged and positively weighted. The scheme provides handson legal experience, structured training (including SQE guidance), community volunteering and meaningful feedback – giving participants exposure and confidence they may not otherwise receive.

We were also recognised for our partnership with the University of Liverpool School of Law and Social Justice, where we are one of only seven firms nationally to fund and host a paid Year in Industry placement. Students are feeearning, clientfacing and embedded in real legal work for a full year, offering a genuine gateway into the profession.

Our “Leg Up to Law” outreach programme was another key factor in the award. Delivered entirely using our own resources, the initiative sees our lawyers visiting schools across the North West, including areas with high levels of child poverty, to explain legal career pathways, provide mentoring and offer workexperience opportunities. Feedback from schools highlights the tangible impact these sessions have on students’ confidence and aspirations.

The award comes shortly after IHLS being ‘Highly Commended’ in the Law Firm of the Year category at the Woman & Diversity in Law Awards 2026.  

Commenting on the award, cofounder Lauren Cannon said:

“To be a small firm alongside organisations such as A&O Shearman, Addleshaw Goddard and KPMG Law – and to come out on top – is a wow moment. Social mobility has always been close to our hearts, and this award belongs to the whole team who give their time to mentoring, outreach and supporting the next generation of legal talent.”

We are grateful to the Legal 500 judges for this recognition and to everyone who supports and participates in our initiatives. Most of all, we are proud of our team for helping us build a business with purpose – and committed to continuing this work in the years ahead.