Today, the Law Society will welcome finalists from across England and Wales to its headquarters at Chancery Lane for the 2026 Legal Heroes Awards, celebrating solicitors who have made an exceptional difference to the lives of others, their communities and society.
Among this year’s finalists are two Welsh lawyers whose careers demonstrate the many ways in which the law can be used to improve lives – Glyn Maddocks KC and Michael Imperato.
The pair have something else in common. Both are previous recipients of the Legal Hero Wales award at the Legal News Wales Awards in 2025 and 2026, having each been recognised for careers dedicated to public service, access to justice and improving the lives of others.
A career dedicated to overturning miscarriages of justice
Few lawyers have devoted as much of their professional lives to tackling miscarriages of justice as Glyn Maddocks KC. Qualifying as a solicitor in 1986, he spent the bulk of his distinguished career with the South Wales firm Gabb & Co, where he developed a nationally recognised expertise in criminal appeals and wrongful conviction cases, becoming one of the UK’s leading authorities in the field.
Throughout his career, Glyn has represented numerous individuals seeking to overturn unsafe convictions, helped establish APPEAL, acted as a special adviser to the Westminster Commission on the Criminal Cases Review Commission and contributed to national discussions on the future of the criminal appeals system. He was appointed an Honorary KC in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the law and his largely pro bono work on behalf of victims of wrongful convictions.
His most celebrated recent success came in the case of Oliver Campbell, whose murder conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal in 2024 following more than 24 years of determined work on his behalf. During the final stages of that case, Glyn worked as a consultant with Watkins & Gunn, continuing the commitment to justice that has defined his career.
Championing access to justice through public law
Michael Imperato is Head of Public Law at Watkins & Gunn and one of Wales’ most respected public law practitioners. Early in his career Michael worked with Glyn at Gabb & Co.
The Law Society shortlisted Michael for his role in transforming access to specialist public law representation in Wales, helping communities secure expert legal support in cases involving education, health, local government, social care and human rights. His work includes landmark judicial reviews, representing more than 300 victims of the infected blood scandal and securing essential support for vulnerable children and young adults.
Earlier this year, Michael was named Legal Hero Wales 2026 by Legal News Wales in recognition of a career dedicated to public service, accountability and access to justice. Through the specialist claimant public law practice he established at Watkins & Gunn, he has helped ensure that individuals, families and communities across Wales can challenge decisions affecting their lives and livelihoods.
While their careers have taken different paths, both men exemplify the values at the heart of the Legal Heroes Awards: service, perseverance, integrity and an unwavering belief that the law should improve people’s lives.
Whatever the outcome at Chancery Lane, Glyn Maddocks KC and Michael Imperato are a reminder of the significant contribution Welsh lawyers continue to make to justice, public service and the communities they serve and we wish them all the best for the national Legal Heroes awards ceremony.
