Aled Walters > Hugh James > Cardiff, United Kingdom > Lawyer Profile

Leveraging a ‘good depth of professional knowledge’ throughout the team, Hugh James provides ‘highly attentive and commercially minded’ advice to an impressive roster of longstanding regional heavyweight corporate clients, including S.A Brain & Company and Rockwool, on their ongoing commercial requirements as well as on ad-hoc corporate transactional work. The firm’s already strong presence in the sports and media sectors were recently enhanced following the merger in July 2023 with boutique firm Loosemores  Solicitors, with that firm’s name partner Mark Loosemore  a leading expert on work in the sector. The ‘strong, pragmatic and commercial’ Gerallt Jones  also handles a considerable volume of sports-related transactions as part of his broad-based corporate/M&A skillset, including a considerable amount for longstanding client Welsh Rugby Union. Greg Williams is ‘a good communicator and provides high levels of sector expertise’, particularly in the context of healthcare-related M&A deals, as well as work for investors in the life sciences sector. Aled Walters , who heads up the commercial side of the practice, is particularly acclaimed for his work negotiating complex commercial contracts for clients in the media, tech and gaming sectors.

Leveraging an impressive cadre of long-term commercial clients, including within the rail, financial services, gaming and utilities sectors, and also instructed on an ad-hoc basis, Hugh James regularly advises end-users and suppliers across a range of technology and IT-focused contracts. Under the guidance of Aled Walters, the team has developed a strong grounding in software and cyber-security IT matters, as was recently underscored by its advice to Cardiff University on the establishment of its new Cyber Innovation Hub. Telecoms-related work is invariably handled by commercial property partner David King, who specialises in advising on telecoms leases, the acquisition of telecoms sites by investors and operators, and the decommissioning of telecoms sites. On the contentious front, Tracey Singlehurst-Ward regularly oversees IT-related contract disputes as part of her wider commercial litigation prowess.

With a core sector-specific offering which is led by the ‘exceptional’ Aled Walters, as well as the ability to effectively leverage the relevant expertise across the firm’s full-service offering, Hugh James ‘provides a 360-degree legal service’ to a myriad of stakeholders in the sector, running the gamut from advice on co-production agreements through to IP matters and financing arrangements. Walters has a ‘deep understanding of the media sector’ gleaned through private practice as well as his former role in-house at national broadcaster S4C; consequently he has tremendous insight into the nuances of the sector, regularly advising large UK-based television and film production companies across a range of complex commercial and corporate matters. ‘Professional’ and ‘very knowledgeable’ solicitor Ilan Jones, who was also formerly in-house at S4C, aids Walters with contractual and compliance mandates. The arrival of the ‘exceptional’ Mark Loosemore  in July 2023 (following the absorption of his former firm Loosemores Solicitors) has also given the team an extra dimension, given his ‘strong legal credentials across the wider sports industry’ and the relevant media work within that sector, including advice on sponsorship and licensing agreements. Consultant solicitor Sara Griffiths retired in October 2023.

Led by the ‘knowledgeable and helpful’ Aled Walters, Hugh James has ‘an excellent understanding of legal issues relating to IP’. Formerly in-house at national broadcaster S4C, Welsh-speaker Walters has an excellent insight into IP issues within the media sector, and is also noted for his prowess within the gaming space, including for IP licensing agreements. IP litigation work is spearheaded by Tracey Singlehurst-Ward, who as well as handling copyright and trade mark disputes also has niche media law expertise and oversees a considerable amount of sports-related IP disputes work, including for governing bodies. The firm’s merger in July 2023 with boutique law firm Loosemores Solicitors also enhances its credentials in the sports and media sectors, particularly in light of Mark Loosemore‘s expertise in the space.