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Agriculture and estates: Mid Wales

David Vaughan and David Lloyd are the key contacts at Gabb and Co. The team advises landed estates on the full range of matters, including diversification, and also acts for tenant farmers.

Clive Margrave-Jones at Margraves has moved into a consultancy role; Patrick Bourdillon is now the key contact. The focus is on tax and estate planning and trusts. Professor Chris Rogers, an agricultural expert, is also a consultant.

Agriculture and estates: South Wales

New to the ranking this year, Hugh James is legal adviser to the Welsh government, and to the FUW. Richard Locke leads the practice, and Wiljo Salen is recommended for contentious issues, particularly probate related. The firm has strong tax, trusts and property teams.

JCP Solicitors is legal adviser to the NFU and its members. The knowledgeable Rory Hutchings runs a team which takes a holistic approach to its clients’ needs. Malcolm Thomas joined from the NFU, to act as rural client manager. The firm is recommended for advice on CAP appeals, and on the transition between the SPS and the BPS, as well as for succession and estate planning matters.

Morgan LaRoche Limited has a commercial and practical approach, and advises a number of family estates in the region. Williams Waters is well respected for his tax and trusts knowledge; and the ‘exceptionally able and practical’ Kevin Thomas is recommended for planning, and property management and development – he has ‘invaluable’ industry knowledge. Jason Williams ‘provides sound advice’ on contentious issues.

Edward Harris Solicitor’s name partner is renowned in the region for common land and village greens work.

Wyn Williams at Harding Evans LLP handles commercial and property issues for agricultural clients.

The ‘extremely helpful’ Huw Jones at Hutchinson Thomas acts for various landowners in South Wales. Roger Morris advises on commercial property.

The Hon Adam Bruce, of Ungoed-Thomas & King, is well regarded, and acts for business owners and farmers.

Agriculture and estates: North Wales

John Gwilym Owens at Gamlins is recommended for complex trust and land issues.

In Chester, Richard Forrester at Aaron & Partners LLP, and the ‘practical’, ‘no-nonsense’ Richard Williams (FALA) at Walker Smith Way are recommended for advice on business, property/development and estate related issues.

Charities

At Geldards LLP, Giselle Davies has been promoted to partner. She has built the department into a dominant force nationally, advising more than 100 charity clients. Work in 2011 included advice to trustees in relation to a controversial bequest, and advice on corporate governance structures.

Hugh James takes a cross-departmental approach, led by Alun Jones. It has a strong social housing client base, and advises Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust and Headway Cardiff.

Huw Jones at Hutchinson Thomas advises church-based charities on property transactions, on a national basis. Roger Morris advises Hafal, the mental health charity, and Mencap (Neath).

Simon Ellis at Aaron & Partners LLP and Duncun McAllister at Hillyer McKeown assist a number of charities in North Wales.

Family: Cardiff

Malcolm Stevens at Hugh James has a strong reputation, within the region and beyond, and regularly acts in multimillion-pound divorce cases. Mark Powell QC is head of the child care practice, and solicitor Alun Thomas is recognised for his work in abduction cases.

Melanie Hamer – an ‘outstanding lawyer: creative and astute’ – and Thea Hughes – noted for her ‘flawless professionalism’ – have built up a strong brand at Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice. It attracts clients nationwide, and is instructed in divorces involving substantial assets, by business and sports professionals. Resolution, Advanced Panel, and collaborative lawyers all feature in the team, which is ‘friendly’ and ‘commercial’, and delivers an ‘excellent level of service’. Sarah Wyburn made partner in 2011.

Children’s Panel member Kerry Mordey is now at the helm of Hopkins Law, following Wendy Hopkins’ move to a consultancy role.

Margaret Phillips at Howells Solicitors is well known in Cardiff for advice in high-value and complex cases; her team covers all aspects of family law.

The team at Hutton’s includes Rebecca Oakley, who is recommended for divorce/separation work. Gerard Griffiths is a collaborative lawyer.

Anne Broughton at Leo Abse & Cohen is an experienced family law expert, and Advanced Panel member.

At Martyn Prowel, consultant and Children’s Panel member Bob Edwards is recommended as ‘a safe pair of hands’. Christine O'Brien joined the firm from Hutton's in April 2012, and heads the child care team.

Morgans has offices in Cardiff and Swansea, each with experienced, panel-member solicitors.

Family: South and Mid Wales

Resolution member Katie McColgan at Berry Smith is chair of the South Wales mediation group. Her team is well placed to deal with all aspects of family law, including issues relating to children, such as contact and abduction matters.

Ceri Price and Suzanne Edwards at Harding Evans LLP are both Advanced Panel members, and have well-established reputations. They advise on divorce and separation, often involving diverse assets including agricultural property.

Hutchinson Thomas has an ‘excellent’ team. The ‘tactful, firm, trustworthy’ and ‘reliable’ Robert Williams is known for high-end divorce work. The firm’s experienced children law team includes the ‘professional’ and ‘knowledgeable’ Debbie Richards.

JCP Solicitors has an experienced team featuring Advanced Panel members Beverley Webb and Sali Jackson-Thomas. The latter is a collaborative lawyer and experienced mediator.

Resolution member and collaborative lawyer Sophie Hughes heads an experienced team at Watkins & Gunn, which includes Children’s Panel member Kate Roberts and Lindsay Taylor, who work with victims of abuse.

Avery Naylor has strength in depth in children matters, with three partners spcialising in children law. The firm also assists with the financial aspects of divorce/separation. Lynne Naylor has particular expertise in public law proceedings.

Advanced Panel and Resolution member Nicola Conley at Douglas-Jones Mercer has a strong reputation for divorce and separation advice.

Hugh Candler at Gabb and Co has moved into a consultancy role.

At Goldstones, consultant Pamela Bateman is an Advanced Panel member, and specialises in domestic violence, ancillary relief and child law. Associate Amy Stewart undertakes public law children work.

Resolution member Gaynor Dickens heads the team at Graham Evans & Partners, which advises on all family matters including handling public law children work.

Jayne Hunt at Howells Solicitors’ Caerphilly office deals with divorce and children matters, undertaking a significant amount of publicly funded work. The firm also has offices in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Talbot Green.

Catherine Roblin and collaborative lawyer Sally Matthews at Passmores Solicitors deal with divorce and separation. Roblin specialises in issues relating to children, including public law children work and abduction matters.

Catrin Griffiths heads the team at Red Kite Law, which has expertise in farming and pension ancillary relief cases. Solicitor and Resolution member Anna Weaver focuses on children work.

Resolution member and collaborative lawyer Valerie Henley heads the team at Rubin Lewis O’Brien LLP.

Sally Goldstone Family Law’s name partner advises on all aspects of divorce and separation.

Advanced Panel member Susan Bennett, and public child care lawyer Graham Jones at Smith Llewelyn Partnership are recommended.

At Ungoed-Thomas & King, Huw Owen is set to retire; the recently recruited Pauline Owen will be stepping into his shoes.

Family: North Wales

Children’s Panel and Resolution member and collaborative lawyer Alison Brebner heads a substantial team at Allington Hughes Solicitors.

Rachel Wynn Jones at Walker Smith Way comes highly recommended. A collaborative lawyer and Resolution member, she is ‘pragmatic’ but also ‘an excellent advocate’ for her clients; she has a particular interest in separation/divorce involving farms and estates.

Gamlins has offices spread along the North Wales coast.

Personal tax, trusts and probate

All of the firms listed feature STEP (Society of Trusts and Estate Practitioners) members. ACTAPS is The Association of Contentious Trusts and Probate Specialists.

Alun Jones is ‘approachable, measured and tactically aware’, and heads the ‘pre-eminent’ asset management team at Hugh James. Its combination of experienced estate planning and administration practitioners, and efficient technology, has resulted in contracts to handle work for the customers of three major high street banks. ‘Experienced and practical’ litigator Wiljo Salen specialises in contested probate. Andrew Harding is a Court of Protection deputy.

Sian Williams and Helen Downes at Geldards LLP make a formidable team; they are ‘excellent, professional, informed, and thorough’, and noted for ‘good communication and sensitivity’. It is a firm of choice for referrals by other professionals, particularly for complex and high-value estates, and is on the panel to advise Lottery winners. Downes is recommended for tax planning, and inspires ‘complete trust and confidence’.

At Berry Smith, Chris Beames advises on estate planning, and is handling an increased amount of Court of Protection work. The firm acts for one the country’s leading equity release providers. ACTAPS member Iwan Doull is recommended for contested probate.

The ‘remarkably knowledgeable’ Jonathan Powell heads the team at Douglas-Jones Mercer, which is a popular choice for local IFAs.

Gabb and Co has recruited tax expert Edward Jones as a partner, following the departure of Stephen Meredith.

Louise Williams, Rhian Williams and Sandra Pickering (FILEX) at Hutchinson Thomas provide a good mixture of experience, technical strength and professionalism. ACTAPS member Simon Thomas advises on contentious matters. Jennifer Melly has left to set up her own firm.

JCP Solicitors has an experienced team. Chris Shaw and Arwel Davies specialise in high-value estate administration, and Amanda Rees focuses on Court of Protection work. Contentious specialist Neil Jacobi (ACTAPS) has expertise in agricultural estates.

Claire Johnson joined Morgan Cole from Leo Abse & Cohen to head the private client practice.

Steve Davies and Karl Beckett are recommended at Allington Hughes Solicitors;

Rhian Rees joined Dolmans Solicitors to replace Jo McGill and Kelly-Marie Brown.

Kay Winston is recommended at Francis & Co.

Bob Petters is the name to note at Gamlins.

Solicitor Paul Lindsey at Harding Evans LLP counts high-profile sports professionals among its clients.

Following expansion in 2010, Howells Solicitors now has two private client partners: Claire Davis and John O’Connell. The firm has six offices across Cardiff.

Jennifer Melly left Hutchinson Thomas in 2011 to set up a niche probate, tax and trusts firm, Jennifer Melly Law. She is joined by agricultural and property expert Ieuan Morris.

The ‘knowledgeable’ Lisa Davies now leads the team at Leo Abse & Cohen, following the departure of Claire Johnson to Morgan Cole.

Patrick Bourdillon at Margraves is recommended for trusts and estate planning.

Court of Protection deputy David Birchall set up a team at NewLaw Solicitors in 2010, to service the needs of its brain injury clients. Client wins include life insurance company e-Life Compare.

Carli Evans and Neil Willetts are recommended at Passmores Solicitors.

At Red Kite Law, the hands-on Tim Haggar heads the team, and specialises in Court of Protection matters. Agricultural relief specialist Mathew Bowen made partner in 2011.

Smith Llewelyn Partnership is recommended in Swansea.

Trusts expert Hon Adam Bruce at Ungoed-Thomas & King is recommended for estate planning.

Walker Smith Way’s team includes recommended associate Lisa Jones, who partly works out of the firm’s Wrexham office. The firm also has partner capability in Chester.

Headed by Court of Protection Deputy Dianne Evans (FILEX) , the team at Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice is ‘professional, courteous and diligent’, and ‘will go the extra mile’.

Watkins & Gunn’s team has expanded under the lead of associate Nicky Sherrard. It offers a good blend of ‘youth, experience and expertise’.

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