The 22nd Annual Scottish Legal Awards, sponsored by Denovo, is proud to announce the winners of two of its most prestigious honours: the Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by The Times, and the Business Leadership Award. The awards will be formally presented in front of an audience of more than 660 guests at the ceremony on Thursday 18th September at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Glasgow Central.
The Lifetime Achievement Award 2025 has been awarded to The Right Hon Lord Hodge, Deputy President of the Supreme Court. Patrick Stewart Hodge, Lord Hodge, was appointed Deputy President of the Supreme Court in January 2020, having originally joined as a Justice on 1 October 2013. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1983 and appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1996. Throughout his distinguished career, Lord Hodge has held numerous key positions, including part-time Law Commissioner at the Scottish Law Commission, Judge of the Courts of Appeal of Jersey and Guernsey, Procurator to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and Senator of the College of Justice, where he served as Commercial Judge, Scottish Judge in Exchequer Causes, Scottish Intellectual Property Judge, and as a Judge in the Lands Valuation Appeal Court. This award recognises his outstanding contribution to Scottish law and his exceptional judicial service.
The Business Leadership Award 2025 has been awarded to Fraser Oliver, Partner, Chief Executive, and Strategy Board Member at Digby Brown LLP, in recognition of his transformative leadership in the Scottish legal sector. After training with Shepherd and Wedderburn, Fraser joined Digby Brown as a newly qualified solicitor in Dundee in 1994, quickly taking on leadership roles and becoming a partner in 1998. He moved to Glasgow in 2002 to head the Union department and later led the firm’s Injury Litigation department, its largest at the time.
Appointed to the Executive Board in 2008, Fraser became Digby Brown’s first-ever Chief Executive in 2013 and is now in his third term. Under his leadership, the firm has grown from £8 million in turnover in 2008 to £53 million in 2025, expanding to seven, soon-to-be eight, offices across Scotland. Fraser has driven strategic changes that established Digby Brown as the best-known legal brand in Scotland, achieving recognition as a top SME 300 business, the first Scottish Living Wage-accredited law firm, a Platinum Investors in People-accredited firm, and one of the UK’s best places to work. The firm has also maintained top-tier ratings for personal injury work in Scotland by both Chambers and Legal 500 for 17 consecutive years. Fraser’s leadership accolades include Managing Partner of the Year in 2015 and inclusion in The Lawyer magazine’s Top 100 UK lawyers in 2025.
Speaking on the announcement, Lorna Jack, Chair of the Judging Panel, commented: "The Scottish Legal Awards are about recognising the very best in our profession, and this year’s recipients of the Lifetime Achievement and Business Leadership Awards could not be more deserving. Lord Hodge has dedicated his career to serving the law at the very highest levels, with a record of excellence and integrity that has strengthened the Scottish and UK legal systems. Fraser Oliver has demonstrated outstanding vision and leadership, transforming Digby Brown into a modern, progressive, and highly successful firm while setting new benchmarks for workplace culture and client service. Both winners exemplify the values of dedication, innovation, and leadership which these awards were created to celebrate."
The Scottish Legal Awards celebrate excellence, leadership, and innovation across Scotland’s legal profession. Both The Right Hon Lord Hodge and Fraser Oliver exemplify the remarkable contributions these awards seek to recognise.