Home » About » Recommendations and awards

We place great emphasis on ensuring that our legal expertise and client service are of the highest standard to provide reassurance to our clients. This has been recognised by achieving internationally recognised accreditations, which you can find out more about in the summary below.

We are thrilled to be recommended lawyers in global independent industry bodies such as legal directories The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners too; which seek direct feedback from our clients and those who recommend us.

What do Debenhams Ottaway’s recommendations and awards mean for you?

  • reassurance and peace of mind – highly qualified people with the right expertise
  • our reputation for being trusted advisers – recognition by industry bodies
  • you’ll receive legal services of the highest standard – regular assessments to maintain ISO9001 and Lexcel ensure this level is always maintained across the entire firm
  • you can easily identify legal practitioners with proven competency in areas of law that are relevant to you.

  • Lexcel

    Lexcel is the Law Society’s international practice management standard. It is only awarded to law firms who meet the highest management and customer care standards. Lexcel accredited practices undergo rigorous independent assessment every year to ensure they meet required standards of excellence in areas such as client care, case management and risk management.

  • ISO 9001

    ISO 9001 is the international standard for a quality management system (“QMS”).  In order to be certified to the ISO 9001 standard, a company must follow the requirements set forth in the ISO 9001 Standard. The standard is used by organizations to demonstrate their ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements and to demonstrate continuous improvement.

  • Chambers High Net Worth Guide

    The Chambers High Net Worth guide ranks the leading advisers who work with wealthy clients based on feedback from HNW clients and professional advisers and in-depth analysis carried out by a team of researchers. Our current rankings are:

    Private Wealth Law (Watford, Uxbridge and surrounds): The team is ranked in the top band 1, managing partner Susan Glenholme has a band 1 lawyer ranking and partner Rachel Hyndman is band 3.

    Family/Matrimonial Finance – High Net Worth (UK wide): The team is ranked in band 4 and partner Natalie Lester has a band 5 lawyer ranking.

  • Chambers UK

    Debenhams Ottaway is recognised in in the latest Chambers UK. Renowned for its independent research and peer reviews, this legal directory highlights excellence among law firms and lawyers.

    • Band 1 rankings:  Family matrimonial, real estate
    • Band 3: Corporate/M&A. litigation, restructuring/insolvency
    • Band 4: Employment

    Lawyer rankings:

  • Legal 500

    Debenhams Ottaway is recognised in in the latest Legal 500, one of the leading legal directories that benchmarks law firms and individual lawyers based on independent research and recommendations.

    • Tier 1 rankings: Commercial property, corporate and commercial, family and personal tax, trusts and probate
    • Tier 2: Charities and not-for-profit, commercial property and employment
    • Tier 4: Insolvency and corporate recovery

    Lawyer rankings:

  • Wills and Inheritance Quality Scheme (WIQS)

    Debenhams Ottaway was one of the first law firms in Hertfordshire to receive the Law Society’s Wills and Inheritance Quality Scheme (WIQS). WIQS provides a best practice quality mark for Wills and Estate Administration advice that consumers can trust.

    The scheme sets client service standards to ensure transparency in process, costs and communications. It outlines required practices for will drafting, probate and estate administration to help address common risks, errors and inconsistencies that arise in delivering advice.

  • Conveyancing Quality Scheme

    The Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) provides a recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing practices. Membership achievement establishes a level of credibility for member firms based upon

    • the integrity of the Senior Responsible Officer and other key conveyancing staff
    • the firm’s adherence to good practice management standards
    • adherence to prudent and efficient conveyancing procedures through the scheme protocol.

  • Eurojuris

    We are members of Eurojuris, one of the largest law firm networks in Europe and North America with further connections to the Middle East and Asia.  Through this membership we have developed personal connections with lawyers from all over the world allowing us to help our clients operate their businesses and manage their legal affairs internationally. To find out more about Eurojuris, please visit their website.

  • Awards

    Over the years we have been shortlisted for and won of a variety of awards, both locally and nationally including:

    • LawNet Awards 2025-2026, Finalist Law firm of the year
    • British Wills & Probate Awards 2025, Finalist
    • biz4biz Awards 2024 Winner, Best Legal Services Provider
    • National Business Women’s Awards 2024 Winner, Female Business Leader, Susan Glenholme
    • LawNet Awards 2022-2023 Winner, Excellence in Customer Service
    • Hertfordshire Law Society Awards 2022 Winner, Excellence in Client Service
    • Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 2022 Finalist, Excellence in Customer Commitment
    • St Albans Chamber of Commerce Community Business Awards 2021 winner, Customer Service
    • St Albans Chamber of Commerce Community Business Awards 2020 winner, Susan Glenholme, Team Leader
    • St Albans Chamber of Commerce Community Business Awards 2019 winner, CSR
    • Law Society Excellence Awards 2015 Winner, Excellence in Private Client Practice
    • Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 2015 Finalist, Community Champion
    • Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 2014 Winner, Medium to Large Business of the Year
    • STEP Private Client Awards 2014/15 Finalist, Legal Team of the Year (Midsize)
    • Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 2013 Finalist, Excellence in Customer Service.