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Douglas-Jones Mercer

16 AXIS COURT, MALLARD WAY, SWANSEA, SA7 0AJ, WALES

What we say about the firm's legal practice in Wales

Corporate and commercial

Within Corporate and commercial: Cardiff and South Wales, tier 5

Douglas-Jones Mercer’s ‘totally trustworthy and extremely efficient’ team is led by Ken Morgan. It advised longstanding client Veolia Transport on restructuring across Wales and England, while other clients include Svenska Handelsbanken and Action for Children.

Dispute resolution

Within Commercial litigation , Douglas-Jones Mercer is a third tier firm,

Led by Hugh Hitchcock, Douglas-Jones Mercer continues to represent Alberto-Culver, Action for Children and Grant Thornton. Philip Graham focuses on construction litigation, while other recent work includes high-value professional negligence claims.

Within Debt recovery, Douglas-Jones Mercer is a second tier firm,

Hugh Hitchcock leads the debt collection team at Douglas-Jones Mercer, which recently acted in a claim against a local authority regarding a six-figure backdated rates liability.

Human resources

Within Employment: Elsewhere in Wales, Douglas-Jones Mercer is a second tier firm,

Matthew Ratcliffe joined Douglas-Jones Mercer from Berry Smith and has experience acting for national clients.

Insurance

Within Personal injury: claimant, Douglas-Jones Mercer is a third tier firm,

At Douglas-Jones Mercer, senior associate Nicholas Llewelyn handles fatal accident, RTA, and occupational and public liability cases.

Within Personal injury: defendant, Douglas-Jones Mercer is a second tier firm,

Douglas-Jones Mercer’s Jeremy Wolfe is ‘a true gentleman. Ever polite and thoughtful, he brings vast experience and knowledge of civil litigation law to the table’. The firm acts for corporate and public sector clients, notably fire and police 
services.

Overview

Within Regional review,

Mid-tier firms demonstrate specialist expertise to actively compete with regional heavyweights. Darwin Gray opened a Newport office and continues to develop strengths in commercial and property litigation. Capital Law LLP is increasingly competitive in the media and IP fields. In Swansea and West Wales, Morgan LaRoche Limited, Douglas-Jones Mercer and JCP Solicitors, Harding Evans LLP and Hutchinson Thomas act for key corporate and commercial clients in the locality and beyond.

Private client

Within Family: South and Mid Wales, Douglas-Jones Mercer is a first tier firm,

Douglas-Jones Mercer’s practice is led by Nicola Conley, who came from The Gwyn George Partnership following Beverley Webb’s departure to JCP Solicitors, and focuses on privately funded cases. Associate Richard Scott handles cohabitation disputes.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate, Douglas-Jones Mercer is a third tier firm,

Douglas-Jones Mercer’s team is led by Jonathan Powell, with areas of focus including powers of attorney, Court of Protection matters, and Islamic wills.

Real estate

Within Commercial property: Elsewhere in Wales, Douglas-Jones Mercer is a first tier firm,

Douglas-Jones Mercer’s Michael Snowdon is ‘proactive and entirely reliable, and provides excellent advice’. The firm advised Action for Children on site disposals, and Bristol-based Merchant Investors Assurance is another key client. Michael Price is well regarded for his client focus and efficiency.

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Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

  • HOUSING

    In Nzinga Maswaku v Westminster City Council [2012] EWCA Civ 669 the Court of Appeal clarified that in offering a homeless person with alternative temporary accommodation the local authority is obliged to point that if the offer is refused it has discharged its Part VII duties under the Housing Act 1996.
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  • COUNCIL TAX

    In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.
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  • QUEEN’S SPEECH

    Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.
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  • Standards

    In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.
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  • A justified retrospective

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  • Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

    In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:
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  • Public Sector Equality Duty

    Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.
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  • Judicial Review

    The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.
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  • The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

    After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.
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  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue:
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP
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