A North Wales solicitor has scooped the ‘Rising Star’ category at this year’s prestigious Wales Legal Awards.
Elissa Thursfield, a director and head of employment law at Gamlins Law, beat off competition from lawyers across the country.
Elissa, who has previously won the Law Society’s Junior Lawyer of the Year, joined Gamlins Law in 2013 after training with a global firm in Manchester.
Elissa received her ‘Rising Star’ award at a ceremony at the Mercure Cardiff.
The judges said: “Since joining Gamlins Law six years ago as a newly qualified solicitor, Elissa Thursfield has become a director responsible for the firm’s employment team.
“She has also developed the firm’s CSR programme, co-founded Ladies that Launch and has been a volunteer RNLI crew member in Abersoch.’
Last month, Elissa made history becoming the first ever female helmsman at the Abersoch lifeboat station.
It means she can now take command of the Atlantic 85 lifeboat at the station where she has been a crew member for 14 years. Since 2014, she has also been a member of the flood rescue team and is a community first responder.
The Ladies that Launch networking group was established in 2017 by Elissa and fellow Gamlins Law director Kate Sutherland. The group aims to give female businesswomen the opportunity to meet and connect and share experiences.
