Simon Bruce wins at the Family Law Awards 2025

Congratulations to Partner, Simon Bruce, who won the Cornwell Award for Outstanding Contribution to Family Law at the LexisNexis UK Family Law Awards 2025.

The award, decided by a judging panel, recognises an individual who has made a major contribution to the field of family law, either through practice, commentary, teaching, pro bono and/or judicially. With over 40 years of experience in some of the top cases, Simon is most passionate about ensuring the children are put first in every case, whether pro bono, legal aid or big money cases and he shows such commitment and dedication to all of his clients, at both Dawson Cornwell and in his pro bono work at Dads House family law clinic and other pro bono agencies.

Simon says on winning the award “I am profoundly grateful to my sixty colleagues at DC. I always wanted to join this firm. John Cornwell’s philosophy and practice have had a massive impact on my career and on every client whom I help. The welfare of the children always comes first. Children are always more important than money. The culture of this firm is very precious.”

The prestigious award is particularly close to the heart of DC, as it was renamed in 2013 in honour of our co-founder, John Cornwell. He dedicated his working life to the development and progress of family law. In 1982 he founded the Solicitors’ Family Law Association (now Resolution), drafting a code of conduct that has guided family law solicitors to practice to the highest standards.

Head of our Matrimonial Department, Russell Bywater says “The Family Law Life Time achievement award was won by the late John Cornwell in 2012. It subsequently was renamed the Cornwell award. Since then, many other prestigious practitioners and members of the judiciary have been honoured . We are therefore extremely touched that Simon Bruce a partner at the firm which bears the same name of the award itself has been entrusted with custody of it for this year. Simon was quite rightly overcome with delight not least so he can as he put it “bring it home”. John Cornwell himself a founder of the Islington Legal Advice Centre would have been very proud of Simon’s commitment to pro bono work through Dads House and elsewhere.”

The Family Law Awards bring the family law community together for its biggest night of the year, celebrating excellence, networking and recognising its vital contribution to society. Now in its fourteenth year, the Family Law Awards were launched in 2011 to recognise the important work of family lawyers, and celebrate their many successes and outstanding achievements.