A FORMER Mayoress of Winchester recently won the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Lifetime Achievement Award.

On Thursday September 21, local solicitor Gill Steel of LawSkills Ltd collected the prize at the STEP Private Client Awards.

Mrs Steel said: “I am honoured and proud to have been recognised by my peers in this way.”

The STEP Private Client Awards are seen as the hallmark of quality within the private client industry.

READ MORE: Hampshire woman ties knot at same church as parents and grandparents

Open globally to both STEP members and non-members, the awards recognise and celebrate excellence among private client solicitors, lawyers, accountants, barristers, bankers, trust managers and financial advisors.

All entries undergo rigorous judging with up to five finalists in each category. Judges are supported by an independent panel of experts in wealth management. The winners were announced at the awards ceremony on September 21 at the London Hilton in Park Lane.  

In the judges' feedback, they said: “Gill is very well respected by colleagues and is an inspiration to them.

“She has demonstrated commitment to the profession through her roles in STEP and the Law Society and is held in the highest regard as a go-to person for any difficult issues in relation to trust and estate practice. She is highly praised for her long-term and high-quality contributions to knowledge sharing across the private client profession.”

Mrs Steel was mayoress when her husband John Steel was Mayor from 2002-2003.