Roman Kubiak > Hugh James > Cardiff, United Kingdom > Lawyer Profile

Drawing upon ‘genuine expertise and strength-in-depth’, Hugh James‘ multi-disciplinary practice advises landowners, farmers, public sector clients and developers across a range of private client and property work, in particular. Private wealth head Matthew Evans has considerable experience in the sector, including in the context of contentious probate and proprietary estoppel. Combining ‘charming charisma with a first-rate intellect’, Roman Kubiak is also a key team member, regularly handling private wealth disputes work for farming clients.

Recognised as ‘the pre-eminent estates and trusts dispute firm in the country’, Hugh James attracts work across England and Wales, from ordinary families to large institutions, charities and high-net-worth-individuals. Key to the firm’s success in the area is the expertise of ‘dynamic and effective litigator’ Roman Kubiak, who ‘combines a charming charisma with a first rate intellect’. Kubiak’s skill in the area is underscored by his involvement in numerous reported cases during 2022, including his involvement for the respondents in a Court of Appeal case dealing with testamentary capacity and proprietary estoppel. As part of his role as overarching head of the firm’s private wealth group, Matthew Evans also regularly handles matters with a contentious angle and has gained particular strength in relation to farming-related proprietary estoppel cases. The team was also bolstered by the arrival in October 2022 of senior associate Sarah O’Grady  from Clarke Willmott LLP, who ‘is very experienced in contentious probate and 1975 Act cases’.

At Hugh James, the ‘empathetic and professional’ Matthew Evans spearheads the firm’s overarching private wealth group which has the strength-in-depth to advise individuals, financial institutions, charities and trust corporations across tremendous range and volume of contentious and non-contentious work. The ‘very accomplished’ Eleanor Evans heads up the firm’s trusts and estates administration offering, providing a ‘cost-effective and professional’ service to the firm’s impressive roster of financial institution and trust corporation clients. Senior associate Austin Gill  is also engaged in administration work, although his workflow is more aligned to individual clients (as opposed to fiduciary ones); he is particularly adept at ensuring IHT exemptions are properly applied and that death duty taxes are structured in an efficient manner. Led by the ‘incredibly commercial’ Gareth Wisdom, the firm has a traditionally strong reputation handling volume will writing for financial institution clients, while the arrival in September 2022 of Catrin Griffiths  from Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice strengthens its capacity to provide a bespoke service to high-net-worth-individuals. For litigation, Roman Kubiak is a market-leading contentious probate practitioner, whose ‘charming charisma combined with a first rate intellect, and tough negotiation skills’ ensure that he is a formidable opponent both locally and nationally.

As well as its traditional strength in the social housing space which elicits a considerable amount of property and employment work, in particular, Hugh James continues to pick up a growing number of charity legacy mandates, which is serviced by the firm’s market-leading private wealth offering. In this context, in addition to will drafting and the administration of estates involving sizeable charitable donations, the team is also noted for its disputes work, with leading contentious probate practitioner Roman Kubiak regularly engaged by both national and local charities on legacy protection. The team also regularly works alongside the firm’s core charities group, which is led from the London office by Peter Spencer. In summer 2023 the firm acquired Cardiff-based boutique Loosemores, which is known for providing ‘clear guidance and insight’ across a range of issues, including for clients seeking charitable status, as well as on governance and constitutional matters. Although her remit is broad, ‘proactive and responsive’ Rebecca McCarthy is particularly adept at advising clients in the sports and Christian church sectors; she recently acted for Welsh Sports Association on the structure, set-up and registration of a new charitable incorporated organisation, The Welsh Sports Foundation.