Capital Law Limited > Cardiff, Wales > Firm Profile

Capital Law Limited > The Legal 500 Rankings

Wales > Corporate and commercial Tier 1

Displaying ‘dedication beyond the call of duty, along with expertise and professionalism’, Capital Law Limited provides a ‘solutions-led‘ approach to private and listed companies on transactional work in the immediate geographical confines, as well as beyond the Welsh borders. Under the guidance of ‘unassuming and intelligent’ corporate head Tom Kelleher and ‘effervescent’ senior partner Duncan Macintosh (who was himself formerly in-house counsel at 3i Group), the team has particularly strong credentials among stakeholders within the private equity/growth capital sector, including funds and management teams. As well as his continued work for core client WestBridge on an array of investments and exits, Kelleher also recently deepened the firm’s ties with BGF, acting for it for the first time in a sponsor capacity in relation to its investment in Welsh online retailer Fun Brands Group. ‘Passionate and talented‘ senior associates Laura Spendiff and Gareth Williams-Davies are also key members of team and are recognised as the ‘next generation of business leaders‘ for the firm. Maria Coggins leads the commercial offering at the firm and excels in advising on commercial contracts and data protection. Philip Barratt joined TLT in December 2021.

Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation Tier 1

Noted for its flexible approach to fees, which includes access to the firm’s own litigation fund, the ‘high-quality‘ team at Capital Law Limited provides ‘good value for money’ to a myriad public and private sector clients across a wide array of litigation. ‘Calm, authoritative and methodical‘ team head Stephen Meade  is at the forefront of the most significant work handled by the team, including a high-profile challenge by the BMA relating to unilateral service charges levid on government-owned GP surgeries and many businesses in Covid-related Business Interruption Insurance claims. ‘A strategic thinker’, Andrew Brown  launched Capital Dispute Finance (the aforementioned litigation fund) and as part of his broad practice regularly represents private sector clients accessing the fund. Praised for ‘outstanding practical and strategic judgement‘, Nicola Mead-Batten excels in public law-related litigation, including judicial reviews. Philip Jones  has an excellent perspective across a range of corporate and finance litigation, including derivative claims and shareholder disputes. Guto Llewellyn is also recommended.

Finance > Banking and finance Tier 1

Capital Law Limited has a ‘wide knowledge of financial transactions’ for a balanced roster of lenders and borrowers. Reshma Jogia  leads the firm’s corporate banking offering which has expertise advising stakeholders throughout the capital structure and continues to pick up financing work from the firm’s growing private equity client base on their investments. Consultant Huw Thomas  is well-versed in commercial property finance mandates, while  Rachel Hillier  takes the lead on financial regulatory matters, including advice to fintech providers.

Finance > Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 1

Drawing upon the firm’s broader commercial litigation skills and the ability to provide clients, including a number of IPs, with the potential opportunity to fund cases utilising the firm’s litigation fund, Capital Law Limited ‘s sweet-spot lies in the context of contentious insolvency work. The ‘vastly experienced‘ Philip Jones  takes the lead on much of this work and in the case of corporate insolvency mandates, he brings particular expertise to bear in relation to advise on directors’ duties. On the non-contentious front, Maria Coggins regularly handles corporate restructuring work as part of her broader commercial practice.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property Tier 1

The ‘personable, friendly and focused’ team at Capital Law Limited provides ‘solutions-focused‘ advice to a private sector focused client base, including tech companies and those in the creative industries, seeking to commercialise and to protect/enforce their IPR. On the litigation front, the firm is particularly adept at handling contentious trade mark and copyright matters, where its willingness to provide a flexible approach to fees ensures that smaller companies/individuals are able to realistically bring claims against clients with much deeper pockets. Senior associate Kellsey Logue  continues to flourish on the non-contentious front, including on behalf of tech companies seeking to commercialise their IPR.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport Tier 1

Tapping into ‘incredible connections’, the result of many years’ involvement in the sector, and displaying a ‘true commitment to their clients’, which include regional football (Cardiff City FC), rugby (Pontypool Rugby) and cricket (Glamorgan CC) clubs, Capital Law Limited remains one of the leading firms in the space. The nature of the work for the firm’s sports clients is broad and cuts across many different practice areas, including litigation, commercial, IP, regulatory and employment. David Lewis is also recommended and handles a range of employment and immigration work for players, coaching staff and management of professional sports clubs.

Dispute resolution > Debt recovery Tier 2

Less commoditised than some of the firms in the ranking, Capital Law Limited's strength lies in its recovery of "problem debts" in a business to business context. In this regard the firm is effectively able to leverage the firm's broader market-leading commercial litigation offering and has significant experience of utilising complex interim applications for injunctive relief, including freezing orders. Team head Guto Llewellyn has an excellent reputation and as well as leading on much of the high-profile debt collection work, has also been active of late assisting several retail clients in relation to improving their internal debt collection procedures.

Employment > Employment: Recommended Firms Tier 2

Drawing upon the expertise of 'empathetic and accessible' individuals within the five-partner team, Capital Law Limited provides 'timely and pragmatic advice' to a myriad private sector (including a growing number of technology and pharmaceutical clients) and public sector entities. David Lewis is 'incredibly knowledgeable about all employment law matters', including as it relates to discrimination and whistleblower litigation for employers - an area that he regularly undertakes the advocacy himself before the tribunal. Sarah Austin  has significant non-contentious experience, including as it pertains to collective consultation advice pursuant to redundancy procedures and corporate support work, including in relation to private equity-backed M&A. As well as his discrete fee-earning advice, which includes trade union and labour relations expertise, team head Richard Thomas  is popular among clients and non-clients alike for his training across a range of hot-button employment and data protection issues, including in the context of Brexit.

Employment > Immigration Tier 2

Housed within the broader employment offering which is headed by Richard Thomas , Capital Law Limited provides 'legally and commercially sound advice' to both local and multinational companies on their business immigration concerns. The scope of this work is broad, running the gamut from compliance advice (including right to work audits), assisting companies become licensed sponsors, through to immigration due diligence on corporate transactions. Senior associate Alex Christen  'goes the extra mile and provides solutions-oriented advice' to clients including on the implications of Brexit with regard to UK-bound migration of EU workers, and on issues arising during the pandemic, including advice on the permissibility of furloughing sponsored workers.

Insurance > Professional negligence Tier 2

Professional negligence work forms a significant part of Capital Law Limited‘s broader commercial litigation workflow. In this regard, the firm has experience bringing claims against solicitors, accountants and property professionals both nationally and internationally. ‘An excellent strategic thinker‘, Andrew Brown is at the vanguard of third-party funding and has frequently utilised the firm’s litigation fund (which he helped to establish) to provide innovative funding solutions to clients bringing professional negligence claims. Lucy Emanuel is ‘innovative and extremely thorough‘ and regularly acts for financial institutions in claims against solicitors, valuers and construction professionals.

Private client > Charities and not-for-profit Tier 2

Effectively able 'to leverage knowledge from wider practice areas', the 'helpful and organised' multi-disciplinary team at Capital Law Limited provides an 'outstanding' service to charitable businesses, not-for-profit education providers and trade unions. Nicola Mead-Batten  demonstrates 'the right blend of technical expertise and client facing skills' and leverages her market-leading public law/regulatory expertise for many clients in the not-for-profit sector.

Wales > Public sector Tier 2

The ‘extremely cohesive, efficient and well organised’ multidisciplinary team at Capital Law Limited is ‘fantastically knowledgeable‘ in the space, as was recently underscored by its impressive showing across a multitude of lots on the NPS. The undoubted ‘star player‘, however, remains team head Nicola Mead-Batten  who has ‘the right blend of technical expertise and client facing skills’ and is according to one client: ‘probably the best public law solicitor in England and Wales at the moment’. This expertise manifests itself in a range of ways, including in relation to freedom of information requests and judicial review matters.  ‘Extremely efficient and organised‘ senior associate Trish D’Souza is also a key member of the team, particularly as a result of her ‘excellent knowledge of higher education in the public sector’. 

Real estate > Property litigation Tier 2

Combining its strong overarching dispute resolution expertise with specific property sector knowledge, Capital Law Limited regularly represents owners, landlords, tenants and developers, both in litigation, as well as from a crisis management perspective. Although it is active across a range of industry sectors, the firm is particularly well regarded for its work in the healthcare industry, an area that 'excellent' team head Stephen Meade  is particularly well-known.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms Tier 2

Led by Maria Coggins , Capital Law Limited regularly advises clients on IT-related matters, including on the commercial contractual arrangements to facilitate large IT projects, as well as on software development, licensing and managed service solutions. Senior associate Chris Coughlan  understands the 'the nuances and vagaries of technologies and how this can be mitigated through legal documentation matters' and has successfully grown the firm's offering for technology clients since he joined in 2019.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media and entertainment Tier 2

Combining IP, litigation and commercial contract expertise, in particular, Capital Law Limited provides a comprehensive service to a range of media and entertainment clients.

Real estate > Commercial property Tier 3

Working collaboratively with complementary practice groups, including construction and planning, as well as frequently teaming up with external consultancy firms, Capital Law Limited's four-partner team provides a 'holistic and commercial approach' and is particularly well-suited to advising on complex development/regeneration projects. Equally accomplished at handling both private and public sector mandates, team head Leanne O’Brien has been pivotal to engendering this approach throughout the group and continues to take the lead on the property front for UK forecourt operator Ascona Group on its ambitious growth plans. O'Brien also handles a significant amount of property-related work in the education sector, including for Bridgend College on a significant town centre campus development and relocation which will be the centrepiece of an ambitious town centre regeneration project. As well as handling a considerable amount of domestic work, Jon Ely  has been pivotal to the growth of the group on projects outside of Wales, principally as a result of his focus on high-value business space lettings in the London occupier market.

Real estate > Construction Tier 3

The 'extremely versatile' six-strong team at Capital Law Limited displays an 'excellent mix of local and national knowledge', ensuring that its balanced roster of public and private sector clients are well served across the gamut of their non-contentious and contentious construction needs. A 'pleasure to deal with', team head Stuart Pearson has developed a particularly strong reputation advising on the construction aspects of major energy and infrastructure projects; he has gained particular recent expertise drafting and negotiating contracts implementing the Mutual Investment Model (MIM) - an innovative way to invest in public infrastructure developed in Wales. 'Phenomenal' associate Samuel O’Callaghan has 'in-depth knowledge on a wide variety of construction contracts' and is also well regarded for his contentious skills.

Real estate > Social housing Tier 3

Now headed by construction lawyer Stuart Pearson following the departure of Liz Gibbons to Acuity Law in November 2021, Capital Law Limited's multi-disciplinary team provides a cohesive and well-integrated offering to a growing number of Wales based housing associations. Employment law-related advice remains a strong driver of the practice, an area that senior associate David Sheppard  is particular adept, both in terms of fee-earning work as well as training/seminars on hot-button issues, including on vaccination policies.