celebratory email landed in our inbox recently, announcing that we have been shortlisted in the Legal Week Innovation Awards – for the third time in as many years.

Previously a ‘Future of Legal Services Innovation (ABS)’ finalist and winner, in 2019 and 2021 respectively, this year we wanted to nominate our founder Pete Byrne for a special accolade.

Shortlisted for the ‘Lifetime Contributor to Innovation – Supplier’ category, Pete is one of three finalists in the running for this outstanding achievement.

We put Pete forward following his commitment to improving the provision of employee relations (ER) for HR teams, so they not only place it first on their strategic agendas, but it also helps them to drive meaningful change throughout their organisations.

Having established esphr in 2003 to fill a market gap, Pete has successfully launched our ER case management tool MyHRCases, helped build ESP Law to become one of the UK’s first integrated ABS employment law firms to be approved by the UK’s Solicitors Regulation Authority, and proved the concept that a disruptive law firm business model can be flexible, challenge tradition and, ultimately, work.

Now in its eighth year, the Legal Week Innovation Awards recognise legal sector evolution through precedent-setting, game-changing tech projects and initiatives, and celebrate the outstanding achievements of law firms, chambers, in-house legal departments, ABS organisations, and suppliers.

View the shortlist and join us in wishing Pete good luck for the winner’s ceremony on 29 April, to be held at the Hilton London Bankside hotel!