The ‘Oscars of the private client world’ return this year to Raffles London at The OWO. The Spear’s Awards 2026 will once again celebrate the leading lights of wealth management, law, property, philanthropy and more – recognising those who set the benchmark for excellence in serving HNW and UHNW clients.
For more than a decade, the Spear’s Awards have honoured the advisers, innovators and entrepreneurs at the forefront of this ecosystem. Ahead of the ceremony on 3 November, we are delighted to reveal the finalists for the 18 award categories.
[See also: Book a table to attend the Spear’s Awards 2026]
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Judging process
Most categories are judged by an independent panel of experts, chosen for their outstanding sector-specific knowledge, alongside two members of the Spear’s editorial and research team. A small number of awards, including special honours such as the Spear’s Impact Award and the Entrepreneur of the Year Award are deliberated by Spear’s alone.
In the selection of independent judges with sector-specific expertise, every effort is taken to avoid conflicts of interest, or the appearance thereof. Each judge is asked to consider a limited number of awards categories, where their expertise is most relevant. Judges are asked to declare an interest if they have a personal connection to any candidate, but professional relationships (such as being a client of a candidate’s firm, or being a service-provider to a candidate) is not considered grounds for recusal.
[See also: A guide to the Spear’s Awards: Everything you need to know]
In the vast majority of cases, judges could not be considered competitors of candidates for the awards categories that they are asked to evaluate. The only exception to this is where the previous year’s winner is invited to return as a judge. If they accept this invitation, they are of course not eligible to win any award in 2026. Where relevant, they are also forbidden to vote for any colleague from the same firm.
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The judges are asked to consider the awards submission form supplied by candidates and also their own knowledge of the candidates. This year, judging sessions were held at luxury hotel The Londoner.
Judges award one point to their third preference, two points to their second preference and three points to their first preference. The winner is the candidate who receives the most points. In the event of a tie, the chair of judges has the casting vote.
The judging panel and shortlist for each award is listed below.
The Spear’s Awards 2026: the complete shortlist
HNW Wealth Adviser of the Year
- Tom Braithwaite – Lincoln Private Investment Office
- Andrew Cumming – JM Finn
- Aidan Faik – Weatherbys Private Bank
- Andrew Mina – Partners Wealth Management
- Jo-Ann Welman – Quilter Cheviot
- Mike Winstanley – Bentley Reid
Judges: Rhian-Anwell Hamill (Institute of Entrepreneurship & Private Capital), Nick Dogilewski (Exeter Partners), Billy Stephenson (Stephenson Executive Search), Rupert Phelps (Family office adviser), Aisha Alli (Spear’s), Edwin Smith (Spear’s)
UHNW Wealth Adviser of the Year
In association with Locate Isle of Man
- Edward Cullen – HSBC Private Bank
- Valerie Genin – Barclays Private Bank
- Harinder Hundle – Hundle
- Khaled Said – Capital Generation Partners
- Winston Yap – UBS
Judges: Rhian-Anwell Hamill (Institute of Entrepreneurship & Private Capital), Nick Dogilewski (Exeter Partners), Billy Stephenson (Stephenson Executive Search), Rupert Phelps (Family office adviser), Aisha Alli (Spear’s), Edwin Smith (Spear’s)
Financial Services Firm of the Year – Boutique
Judges: Rhian-Anwell Hamill (Institute of Entrepreneurship & Private Capital), Nick Dogilewski (Exeter Partners), Billy Stephenson (Stephenson Executive Search), Rupert Phelps (Family office adviser), Aisha Alli (Spear’s), Edwin Smith (Spear’s)
Financial Services Firm of the Year
- Arbuthnot Latham
- Evelyn Partners
- HSBC Private Bank
- Investec
- Lombard Odier
- Quilter Cheviot
- UBS
- W1M
- Weatherbys Private Bank
Judges: Rhian-Anwell Hamill (Institute of Entrepreneurship & Private Capital), Nick Dogilewski (Exeter Partners), Billy Stephenson (Stephenson Executive Search), Rupert Phelps (Family office adviser), Aisha Alli (Spear’s), Edwin Smith (Spear’s)
Family Office Adviser of the Year
- Catherine Grum – Catherine Grum Consultancy
- Gary Heynes – RSM
- Richard Joynt – Highvern
- Robert Kalff – HSBC Private Bank
- Tom McGinness – JTC Private Office
- Russell Prior OBE – HSBC Private Bank
- John Russo – LS Private
- Mark Somers – Somers Partnership
Judges: Rhian-Anwell Hamill (Institute of Entrepreneurship & Private Capital), Nick Dogilewski (Exeter Partners), Billy Stephenson (Stephenson Executive Search), Rupert Phelps (Family office adviser), Aisha Alli (Spear’s), Edwin Smith (Spear’s)
Property Broker of the Year
- Alex Evagora – Arete & Co
- Jamie-Leigh Harvey – Knight Frank
- Joshua Marks – Park Lord
- Alexander Millett – Alexander Millett International
- Marcus O’Brien – Sotheby’s International Realty
- Thomas Van Straubenzee – Knight Frank
Judges: Dean Main (Rhodium), Nick Beckett (Knight Frank), Sophie Rogerson (RFR), Simon Chadowitz (Fladgate), Edmund Fetherston-Dilke (Farrer & Co), Aisha Alli (Spear’s), Edwin Smith (Spear’s)
Super-Prime Property Development of the Year
- One Palace Green
- Park Hyatt London River Thames Residences
- St John’s Wood Square
- The Penthouse at Chelsea Barracks
- The Penthouses at Marylebone Square
Judges: Dean Main (Rhodium), Nick Beckett (Knight Frank), Sophie Rogerson (RFR), Simon Chadowitz (Fladgate), Edmund Fetherston-Dilke (Farrer & Co), Aisha Alli (Spear’s), Edwin Smith (Spear’s)
Lawyer of the Year – Tax
- Damian Bloom – Winston Taylor
- Jonathan Conder – Stephenson Harwood
- Ashley Crossley – Baker McKenzie
- Phineas Hirsch – Payne Hicks Beach
- Robert Macro – Druces
- Beatrice Puoti – Stephenson Harwood
- Dhana Sabanathan – Michelmores
Judges: James Rivett KC (Pump Court Tax Chambers), Alexandra Hollingshead (Farrer & Co), Morag Ofili (Edwin Coe), Aisha Alli (Spear’s), Edwin Smith (Spear’s)
Lawyer of the Year – Family
- Claire Blakemore – Withers
- Harriet Errington – Payne Hicks Beach
- Caroline Holley – Farrer & Co
- Mark Irving – Harbottle & Lewis
- Byron James – Expatriate Law
- Jane Keir – Kingsley Napley
- Simon McKirgan – Vardags
- Sarah Williams – Forsters
- Anna Worwood – Penningtons Manches Cooper
Judges: Nichola Gray KC (1 Hare Court), Robert Creighton (Family Mediation Council), Heather Hostetter (Hostetter Strent), Sam Longworth (Stewarts), Aisha Alli (Spear’s), Edwin Smith (Spear’s)
Lawyer of the Year – Reputation
- Hanna Basha – Payne Hicks Beach
- Matt Bosworth – Russell-Cooke
- Ben Keith – IHR Advisors
- Tom Rudkin – Farrer & Co
- Chris Scott – Slateford
- Rachael Somerset – Level Law
Judges: Oliver Shah (Newcome Advisory), Salamander Davoudi (Tancredi), Sir David Eady (High Court), Emma Woollcott (Mishcon de Reya), Aisha Alli (Spear’s), Edwin Smith (Spear’s)
Law Firm of the Year
- Farrer & Co
- Harbottle & Lewis
- Hughes Fowler Carruthers
- Kingsley Napley
- Payne Hicks Beach
- Penningtons Manches Cooper
- Stephenson Harwood
- Winston Taylor
Tax Adviser of the Year
- Sean Bannister – Edwin Coe
- John Bull – Blick Rothenberg
- Ashley Hill – Irwin Mitchell
- Ben Lee – Andersen
- Richard Montague – BDO
- Adrian Smale – EY
Judges: James Rivett KC (Pump Court Tax Chambers), Alexandra Hollingshead (Farrer & Co), Morag Ofili (Edwin Coe), Aisha Alli (Spear’s), Edwin Smith (Spear’s)
Philanthropy & Impact Advisory Firm of the Year
- Charities Aid Foundation
- J.P. Morgan Private Bank
- National Philanthropic Trust UK
- Prism The Gift Fund
- The Twentieth
- Thuso
Judges: Rhian-Anwell Hamill (RAH Partners), Nick Dogilewski (Exeter Partners), Billy Stephenson (Stephenson Executive Search), Rupert Phelps (Family office adviser), Aisha Alli (Spear’s), Edwin Smith (Spear’s)
Emerging Leader of the Year
- Jess Alden – Slateford
- Katie Bancroft – Jaffa & Co
- Jonny Harris – Level
- Michael Holland – Blick Rothenberg
- Henrietta Ronson – Corker Binning
- Verity Sherwin – Payne Hicks Beach
- Matthew Walker – Raedas
Private Client Innovation of the Year
- Delfin Private Office
- HSBC Private Bank
- Hugh James
- Paracelsus Recovery
- Withers Art & Advisory
- Y-Tree
Spear’s Woman of the Year Award
- Catherine Bedford – Harbottle & Lewis
- Victoria Hagmann – UBS
- Diana Hamade – Diana Hamade Attorneys at Law
- Penny Lovell – Hottinger Group
- Jules Maury – Scott Dunn Private
- Emma Sims-Hilditch – Sims Hilditch
- Annabel Spring – Allfunds
The Impact Award
Winner to be announced on the night
Entrepreneur of the Year
Winner to be announced on the night
Highlights from the Spear’s Awards 2025
Partnerships
The Spear’s Awards 2026 is presented in partnership with Locate Isle of Man and Unforgettable Travel Company at Raffles London at The OWO.
The Spear’s Awards provide a platform to connect in person with over 400 of the most influential figures in the world of private wealth. In addition, partners of the awards benefit from a multi-platform offering across digital, social, multimedia and print to ensure maximum exposure to an exclusive audience.
Partnership enquiries can be directed to Spear’s commercial director, Shady Elkholy (shady.elkholy@spearswms.com).
