The Legal 500

Within Corporate and commercial: Cardiff and South Wales, Hugh James is a second tier firm,

Hugh James acts for public and private sector clients, such as the WRU and Natural England. New instructions included advising leading fishing product manufacturer Rapala on its £5.3m acquisition of a UK company. Corporate head Gerallt Jones acted for Finance Wales in relation to various investments. Richard Lane leads on commercial matters, and advised Cardiff Council on procuring its IT partnership with Tata.

Within Crime: Cardiff, Hugh James is a second tier firm,

Hugh James’ practice head Martin Jones represents local businesses, prosecutors and regulators. Recent cases include carousel fraud, and health and safety prosecutions.

Within Licensing, Hugh James is a first tier firm,

Hugh James’ Martin Jones acted for organisers of the Beach Break Live music festival on a contested licensing application. Other clients include the WRU and University of Wales Institute.

Within Commercial litigation , Hugh James is a first tier firm,

The ‘formidable team’ at Hugh James recently led on a successful defamation case against the Mirror Group. It also advised on proceedings against Celtic Manor Resort and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. Clients include high-net-worth individuals and public authorities such as Finance Wales and the Environment Agency. Richard Locke leads the team, and Gareth Williams is ‘extremely perceptive and provides practical advice’.

Within Debt recovery, Hugh James is a second tier firm,

Hugh James’ Melanie Watkins specialises in debt recovery matters.

Within Banking and finance, Hugh James is a second tier firm,

Hugh James’ team has ‘sector knowledge of a high standard’ and is led by ‘excellent lawyer’ Dominic Marshall. It acted for Santander on refinancings and Finance Wales on SME investments. Robert Morgan acted for the WRU/Millennium Stadium as borrowers to a multimillion-pound facility. Noted for his real estate finance expertise, Christopher Agius acts for Co-op Bank on high-value lendings.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Hugh James is a third tier firm,

Hugh James’ Robert Morgan and Richard Locke handle insolvency work. Morgan has acted for the WRU, Deloitte and Handelsbanken.

Within Employment: Cardiff, Hugh James is a third tier firm,

Hugh James delivers ‘sound expert advice from a legal perspective and a commercial/practical point of view’. Both well-regarded practice head Alison Love and newly promoted partner Louise Price can ‘translate often complex legal issues into simple layman’s terms’. They successfully defended the WRU in an unfair dismissal claim. Other clients include Braces Bakery and a range of HR directors, while new instructions came from the Farmers Union Wales and Bywaters.

Within Pensions , Hugh James is a second tier firm,

Hugh James’ Louise Price recently advised on outsourcing matters and corporate dissolutions. Clients include local councils, the WRU and Hafod Care Association.

Within Clinical negligence: claimant, Hugh James is a first tier firm,

Hugh James’ dedicated and experienced team acts for Welsh Community Health Councils, insurers and charities. Practice head Stephen Webber is ‘first rate, handling very high-value claims with aplomb, and is an extremely calm solicitor who instils great confidence’. Webber and Andrew Davies, who fights cases well’, led on a number of high-value brain injury settlements. Senior associate Hannah Williams settled a £4m-plus spinal cord injury case.

Within Personal injury: claimant, Hugh James is a first tier firm,

Hugh James is praised for its ‘professionalism, care and concern’, and has specialist teams in areas such as group actions and industrial disease, while high-volume accident claims are now handled through its legal outsourcing service Involegal LLP. Andrew Harding leads on catastrophic injury cases. Mark Harvey is praised for his ‘conviction, personable approach and clear advice’, and handles harmful product and overseas accident cases. It continues acting for miners union NACODS on osteoarthritis claims.

Within Personal injury: defendant, Hugh James is a first tier firm,

Hugh James acts for insurers, and corporate and public sector clients. Philip Dicken leads, with Pauline Lewis handling high-value and catastrophic claims. The team advised Chartis on various issues relating to the Buncefield litigation.

Within Professional negligence, Hugh James is a second tier firm,

Hugh James, led by Richard Locke, has a ‘good professional and personal approach’. Senior associate Llyr Davies acts for a number of finance groups, and recently advised on a number of negligent advice claims regarding investments into the suspended Arch Cru fund. Senior associate Alun Tobias handled a £1m-plus construction claim against a national firm of 
surveyors.

Within Regional review, Hugh James is a first tier firm,

Hugh James continues to focus on a commercial approach, recently transferring its high-volume insurance claims service to its outsourced legal provider Involegal LLP.

Within Charities, Hugh James is a second tier firm,

Hugh James’ cross-departmental team is led by managing partner Alun Jones. It advises on contentious and non-contentious matters, including establishing new charities and trustee duties. Clients include churches, housing associations, Wales Air Ambulance Charitable Trust, and Carmarthen Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

Within Family: Cardiff, Hugh James is a first tier firm,

Hugh James’ ‘very strong and experienced team’ is led by Malcolm Stevens, who specialises in matrimonial finance and has an ‘excellent, client-focused attitude, and is commercial: a very safe pair of hands’. Stevens recently acted in a complex case involving multimillion-pound overseas assets. The ‘very experienced and very well-respected’ Alun Thomas specialises in abduction work.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate, Hugh James is a first tier firm,

Hugh James’ ‘efficient, highly skilled team offers an extremely competent service’. Clients include high-value, high-profile and vulnerable members of society. Managing partner Alun Jones advises high street banks; and Lynn Wheeldon and senior associate Sarah Cash handle high-value, complex trusts and estates. ‘Experts in their field’ on the contentious side, Wiljo Salen and senior associate Matthew Evans act for various trust corporations and charities.

Within Project finance and PFI, Hugh James is a second tier firm,

At Hugh James, Ioan Prydderch is ‘a knowledgeable individual who has a good approach to clients and is keen to provide a good service’. The firm has advised Welsh Water and the Environment Agency.

Within Public sector , Hugh James is a first tier firm,

Hugh James’ team is led by Ioan Prydderch, with key clients including local authorities, the Assembly Government and University of Wales Institute. Gareth Williams handles litigation, while Richard Lane focuses on procurement. In social care, Mark Powell QC specialises in child protection issues. Shaun Jamieson joined from M & A Solicitors LLP and provides public law expertise.

Within Commercial property: Cardiff, Hugh James is a second tier firm,

Led by David Roberts, Hugh James acts for public sector bodies, private developers and housing associations, with areas of focus including student housing and renewables. Peter Hurn advised the WRU on Olympic-use agreements for the Millennium Stadium, and also acted on wind farm and residential developments. Penny Cranston advises Watkins Jones Group on student accommodation schemes, and Christopher Agius handles real estate finance.

Within Construction , Hugh James is a first tier firm,

‘Very proactive and realistic in its approach’, Hugh James advises private, public and third sector clients; it has particular strength in solar energy projects, 
and also advises housing associations on multimillion-pound developments. It advised Dudley & Sons on constructing a retail superstore over a collapsed tunnel site, and a Welsh eco-centre on a contractor dispute relating to the Wales Institute for Sustainable Education. Ioan Prydderch leads the team, while Shaun Jamieson, who joined from M & A Solicitors LLP, provides PFI/PPP expertise.

Within Planning and environment, Hugh James is a second tier firm,

Hugh James’ Wiljo Salen advises on CPOs, 
s106 agreements and inquiries. Recent work includes acting for Pennant Walters on wind farm projects; 
Barratts on a town and village green High Court case; and Cardiff Council on the Llanishen Reservoir judicial review.

Within Property litigation , Hugh James is a second tier firm,

Hugh James’ Neil Morgan has strong property litigation experience, and recently advised on the high-profile Merton Green town and village green dispute brought by local residents, with the High Court ruling in favour of Barratts. Senior associate Rebecca Rees focuses on the public sector, and advised Newport City Homes on debt relief orders.

Within Social housing, Hugh James is a first tier firm,

The team of ‘acknowledged specialists’ at Hugh James is led by Neil Morgan, who is ‘solid, knowledgeable 
and thoughtful, much more than just a safe pair 
of hands’. Social housing specialist Yvonne Davies 
advised Hafod Care Association on a care home agreement with Cardiff Council. Associate Jamie Saunders leads the anti-social behaviour team, and is ‘very keen to deliver practical solutions’.

Within IT and telecoms, Hugh James is a first tier firm,

Richard Lane leads Hugh James’ IT and communications work, and advised Natural England 
on negotiating multimillion-pound IT outsourcing with Defra and IBM. Richard Locke represented the Environment Agency in a licensing dispute with 
Oracle.

Within Sport , Hugh James is a first tier firm,

Hugh James’ senior partner Gareth Williams ‘has an air of authority and provides advice that is direct and practical’, combining commercial litigation and sports law experience to lead the practice, whose primary client remains the WRU. Williams also led a successful appeal against the Welsh Football League, regarding its decision to relegate two clubs from division three of the league.