School of Law student Abigail Herron wins prestigious French-English essay prize

Abigail, a final-year student at the School of Law, has been awarded the Gide and Gray’s Inn French-English Law Essay Prize 2024.

The prestigious competition, jointly organised by Gide Loyrette Nouel, the first international law firm to have originated in France, and Gray’s Inn, showcases excellence in comparative legal research.

The topic for this annual prize focused on a comparison of law relevant to commercial transactions in the French and English legal systems. For the 2024 prize, the title was: “To what extent do the duties and responsibilities of a company director, and the consequences of their breach, differ in the laws of France and England? What do these differences reveal with respect to the legal and business cultures of the two countries, and how, if at all, has history played a part?”

Expressing her excitement, Abigail shared: “It’s a privilege to receive this recognition from Gide Loyrette Nouel, a leading international law firm, and The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, one of the four prestigious Inns of Court.”

The competition invited participants to explore company directors' duties under French civil law and English common law, examining historical, cultural, and legal factors shaping these frameworks. Abigail’s winning essay introduced a Total Risk Management approach for corporate social responsibility, demonstrating innovation and a practical perspective.

Describing her approach to the essay, she said: “To make my analysis unique, I discussed a Total Risk Management approach to enhance the corporate social responsibility of a fictional business I created, allowing me to address relevant corporate governance issues that I had uncovered through research, which made my essay practical and purposeful.”

Abigail also credited her exchange experience in France and her French Law studies for providing the foundation for her unique analysis.

Reflecting on the experience, she noted:

Without any prior knowledge of company law, I spent the summer immersing myself in the subject through independent study and research. I was also able to draw on my exchange experience in France and my French Law studies, which provided valuable insight and helped me approach the question with a solid understanding of both systems.

Recognition from legal experts

Abigail received a £1,500 prize and a two-week paid internship with Gide’s London office. At the prize-giving reception at the end of November, she was commended by a panel of notable experts in the fields of French-English law and/or Franco-British relations:

• Lady Justice Andrews, Vice Treasurer of Gray’s Inn and President of the Judging Panel
• Saadia Bhatty, partner, Gide London
• Michael Butcher, President of the Franco-British Data Society, bencher of Gray’s Inn and organiser of the prize from Gray’s Inn’s side
• Michael Collett, KC, barrister at 20 Essex Street
• Dr Catherine Pedamon, senior lecturer, Westminster Law School
• Fabienne Schaller, President in the International Commercial Chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal

On the announcement of the prize winner, judge and Gide partner Saadia Bhatty commented: “The judges were very impressed by the efforts of our winner and runner-up, who both rose to the challenge of the question and displayed an impressive level of knowledge and analysis. They should be very proud of what they have achieved, and we wish them every success in the future as they pursue their ambitions to become part of the next generation of lawyers.”

The School of Law is very proud of Abigail’s success and would like to extend our congratulations!