A PROPERTY lawyer in Holsworthy is celebrating after winning a national award at the British Conveyancing Awards.

Laura Vanstone of Coodes Solicitors was crowned Young Practitioner of the Year at an online ceremony on May 25.

Coodes Solicitors was also highly commended for Technology Team of the Year at the event, which was viewed by conveyancing professionals from across the country.

Team members watched the ceremony and celebrated in their homes and offices across Cornwall and Devon. Laura and her Holsworthy colleagues wore evening dresses for the occasion and celebrated with prosecco in the office on Bodmin Street.

The Young Practitioner of the Year award recognises an exceptional individual under 30 years old who has shown a high level of involvement and development within the sector or area of practice. 

Laura joined Coodes as a PA in 2018 and qualified as a licensed conveyancer in December 2020. Based in the firm’s Holsworthy office, she was recently made head of new build, leading the team that specialises in advising buyers of new build properties.

Laura grew up in North Devon and now lives with her husband on the family dairy farm near Bideford.

Partner and head of conveyancing Maria Richards nominated Laura for the award in recognition of her commitment to excellent customer service. In the submission, Maria highlighted how Laura had ‘received consistently positive feedback from clients while managing a large caseload during a challenging year.’

The British Conveyancing Awards recognise individuals, teams and companies who have gone above and beyond to support buyers and sellers to move home. Describing 2021 as ‘the most challenging year the conveyancing industry has perhaps ever seen,’ the award organisers say ‘we have all witnessed herculean efforts by so many individuals, law firms and suppliers.’

Laura said: “It feels like a great achievement to be named Young Practitioner of the Year and shows that hard work pays off. There was a very strong shortlist so it is brilliant to win this national award.

“The thing I enjoy most about my job is supporting first time buyers to get onto the property ladder. It’s very rewarding helping people get their first home. We are a close knit team and the last 14 months have proved just how well we can adapt and work together to give our clients the best possible service.”

Partner and head of residential property, Maria Richard said: “Congratulations to Laura on being crowned Young Practitioner of the Year. In addition to her impressive knowledge, Laura has a commitment to customer service and gets consistently positive feedback from clients, who really appreciate her friendly, personable approach and her strong organisational skills.

“In the past year, Laura has also come up with new ideas to improve our offering to customers through new game-changing conveyancing initiatives. She is a highly valued member of the team and deserves every success.

“We are also delighted to have been highly commended for Technology Team of the Year. This achievement reflects the significant changes we have made to ensure we continue to offer the highest level of service during the pandemic. The property market in Devon and Cornwall is booming so it has been an exceptionally busy few months for us all. It is great for Coodes to have achieved this recognition.”