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CMS picks up two coveted awards at the Partnerships Awards 2022

20 May 2022

International law firm CMS has been named “Legal Advisor of the Year” and winner of the “Culture and Diversity” Award at the Partnerships Awards 2022, held on Thursday, 19 May at The Park Lane Hilton in London. 

The Partnerships Awards is the industry’s biggest and most prestigious awards event and celebrates excellence across public-private partnership infrastructure projects. The judging panel, made up of over 30 industry professionals representing both the public and private sector, sought to recognise outstanding efforts made by organisations that went above and beyond in response to the particular challenges caused by the pandemic. 

On winning the Legal Advisor of the Year title, the judges praised CMS as an exceptional law firm, clearly driven to achieve positive outcomes and socially transformational projects. The judges referenced the firm’s involvement on numerous “first of a kind” projects, including the Czech Republic’s first successful transport PPP; the largest PPP in Poland’s municipal sector and the first energy project in Poland to receive a green loan; and the construction of one of the world’s largest inland floating solar photovoltaic systems in Singapore. 

The firm’s comprehensive coverage across the industry, including in energy, waste, healthcare, education, and technology, media and telecommunications, contributed to the firm’s win, with its ongoing support to schemes such as the Welsh Schools programme, University accommodation projects, numerous operational healthcare projects, the A9 project, Tyne Tunnel and Nottingham Tram as well as its promotion of the use of the PPP model in CEE, MENA and APAC, celebrated by the judges. 

Moving onto the Culture and Diversity category, the judges lauded the clear senior management ownership of the firm’s diversity and inclusion agenda and its impressive range of D&I initiatives, including its Carers policy, reverse mentoring scheme, mental health and wellbeing support, and commitment to tackling the gender pay gap. 

Paul Smith, co-head of the CMS Infrastructure Group and head of the Energy, Project and Construction group, said after receiving the awards: “It’s a privilege to be part of nights like tonight and to win these awards makes me very proud of our team at CMS. We’re so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work on some of the most prestigious projects for amazing clients and for that we’re very grateful. After the last two years, to be back at the Partnerships Awards in person was fantastic. Congratulations to the team at Partnerships Bulletin and to all of the winners on making it such a great night.”

More information on the awards can be found here