The firm won in the Pro Bono Work National Firm of the Year category, while three Matheson lawyers — Deirdre Crowley, Angela Brennan and April McClements — received individual prizes in the privacy and data protection, aviation and insurance and reinsurance categories.

Pro bono partner Niamh Counihan collected the pro bono prize at the awards show in London on behalf of the firm.

In total, Matheson had been shortlisted across 16 categories, including in six individual categories: Susanne McMenamin for corporate governance, Karen Reynolds for the two separate categories of financial regulation and white collar crime, Ruth Hunter for media and entertainment, Anne-Marie Bohan for trademark law and Aisling Kavanagh as rising star for litigation.

Michael Jackson, managing partner at Matheson, said: “The success of so many female Matheson lawyers at these important awards is a fantastic endorsement of the skills, hard work and expertise which we see every day across our firm, and it is especially welcome to see a diverse range of practice areas represented.

“I want to offer my congratulations to all of those who were shortlisted and especially to the winners.”

He continued: “We are honoured to be named Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year and this award recognises our continued commitment to expanding the reach and impact of our pro bono initiatives.

“Supporting access to justice through pro bono legal work reflects our ethos and culture as a firm and I would like to congratulate our pro bono partner, Niamh Counihan, and each and every Matheson pro bono volunteer for going above and beyond to provide free legal assistance to those who need it most.”

Ms Counihan added: “This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our pro bono volunteers throughout the firm who commit their time and professional skills to support the legal needs of those who need them most.

In today’s world, access to justice and supporting people in our communities is more important than ever as a result of world events and conflict, and we are committed to using our skills to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

We are privileged to collaborate with a number of our pro bono partners to improve access to justice, including the Irish Refugee Council, the Irish Red Cross, the Ukraine Ireland Legal Alliance, The Irish Rule of Law International, FLAC and PILA, and other members of Pro Bono Pledge Ireland, and this award is a fitting tribute to the importance of this work.”