Brethertons LLP, a legal firm based in Rugby and Banbury, has been shortlisted to receive the prestigious Lexcel Award for Excellence in Practice Management at the 2011 Law Society Excellence Awards.

The practice, which can trace its heritage back over 200 years, has always banked with Lloyds TSB Commercial and currently employs 170 people. With the bank's support Brethertons LLP has doubled in size in the past two years.

Recognising outstanding achievements in the legal field, the awards showcase best practice and celebrate excellence and outstanding achievement in the profession over the past twelve months. Past award winners range from big City firms through to high street practices, sole practitioners and in-house solicitors.

This year, the Excellence Awards celebrate their fifth birthday. The winners will be announced at a gala awards dinner in London on 18 October 2011.

Categories for the awards reflect the diversity of today's legal profession, and recognise those rising to meet new challenges in the sector. The Lexcel Award for Excellence in Practice Management is sponsored by Lloyds TSB Commercial. Open to Lexcel-accredited practices only, this award rewards excellence in practice management and service delivery from practices that have successfully implemented the Lexcel standard.

The judging panel, which will include John Pickup, Chair of the Lexcel Panel, and Chris Marston, Head of Professional Practices at Lloyds TSB Commercial, will look for practices that have effectively incorporated the Lexcel framework into their business strategies to drive continuous improvement.

Chris Marston, Head of Professional Practices, Lloyds TSB Commercial said: "The Law Society Excellence Awards reward and promote professional excellence across the legal profession and celebrate the outstanding achievements of both individual solicitors and practices.

"The awards are a celebration of the unique contribution that the solicitors' profession makes to society and highlight the tremendous innovation and skill that allows solicitors such as Brethertons to deliver work of the highest quality, even in challenging economic conditions."

Linda Jones, partner at Brethertons LLP, added: "To be shortlisted for such a prestigious award is a real honour. Maintaining the Lexcel standard is very important to the firm and we work hard to continue to provide the best possible service to our clients.

"We work closely with Lloyds TSB Commercial, and we value the knowledge and experience that our specialist Relationship Director, Dale Bostock, brings to our discussions. Dale understands our jargon and is in touch with all the latest developments in the legal profession."