A career built over a lifetime and a career just taking flight were both honoured at the 2026 Bristol Legal Awards, with Thrings winning two awards that recognised talent across the generations.
Former Senior Partner, Jeremy Thring, was awarded the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising the impact of his seven-decade-long legal career, and the civic work he has done for communities in Bath and across the wider West of England.
Having turned 90 this year, Jeremy remains an active figure in the firm as a consultant, meeting clients in the offices and supporting the opportunities for junior colleagues to grow in the firm he ran for 17 years.
Outside of the office, his contribution to the education and healthcare sectors has been significant, with his serving as Pro-Chancellor of the University of Bath, Chairman of the Royal National Hospital NHS Trust, and Governor of Bath High School among his many roles over the years. He was also made a Deputy Lieutenant for Avon and later for Somerset.
Thrings’ second win of the night was for Sam Longmore, Senior Associate in the Succession and Tax team, who was named Junior Lawyer of the Year.
Dividing his time between the firm’s Bristol, Bath and Romsey offices, Sam qualified in 2023 after completing his training with Thrings and achieved promotion in both 2025 and 2026. Ranked in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide for the first time this year, he is also a previous winner of Hampshire Law Society’s Junior Lawyer of the Year.
Also featuring at the awards as a finalist was Summer Heal, Thrings’ first legal apprentice, based in the firm’s nationally ranked Residential Property team, being shortlisted in the “Rising Star” category.
Simon Holdsworth, Thrings’ Managing Partner, said: “You don’t often get law firms where someone who has been practising for almost 70 years is in the same room as a colleague who qualified this decade, but we are proud that is the case at Thrings.
“To have more than 60 years between Jeremy and both Summer and Sam, and for all three to be recognised at this year’s Bristol Legal Awards is amazing. What I’m delighted to say hasn’t changed in that time is the thing that matters most – caring about the support and quality of advice we provide our clients.
“Jeremy has shown us what a lifetime of service to others looks like, and Sam and Summer are showing us what comes next. Congratulations to all three on this well-deserved recognition.”