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Big enough to trust,small enough to care, smart enough to win…

www.hughjames.com

“A dedicated team that always works to get the best results for their clients”.Chambers UK

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We are a Top 100 firm with a team of around 550 people, including 40 partners, and offer our clients – who range from owner-managed businesses and private individuals to multinational corporations, financial institutions, public bodies and not-for-profit organisations - the range, strength and depth of expertise they need.

In a nutshell, whatever your legal requirement, Hugh James can help. Our team will gain a thorough understanding of your goals, unravel complex issues and offer clear advice with a creative yet pragmatic approach to help you reach them.

But it’s not just the very best legal advice that you can expect from the team at Hugh James. Our clients say that our difference lies in our people’s ‘commercial, can-do attitude’,

‘exceptional capability, attitude and integrity’ and balancing of ‘attention to detail with an ability to see the bigger picture’.

These qualities translate into the way we run our business, too. We’re still growing organically, inspired by our clients to explore new markets and services. And, as we work alongside you as part of your team, you can be assured that we will be

treating your business with as much care as our own, whether you’re a commercial client, a public sector body or a private individual.

Alun Jones Managing Partner

Introducing Hugh James…

Our specialists are proactive, totally client-focused and want to make the difference to your business by providing clear solutions and a measurable return on your investment in our services.

Our commitment is to ‘get alongside’ our clients as a trusted part of your team, so that we thoroughly understand your business and provide expert advice which is plain-speaking and achieves your goals.

Our team includes specialists in almost every area of the law, as well as experts with experience in many diverse sectors, from banking and finance to energy, from

agriculture to sport, from the armed forces to healthcare, from construction to the creative industries, from retail to social housing. Whether you are a business, a private individual or operating in the public/not-for-profit sector, we can help. And, in the unlikely event you brought us a matter we have a huge professional network of experts which, through our membership of MSI Global Alliance, reaches, quite literally, around the world.

If you would like to know more about how we could help, please call us on 029 2022 4871 to speak to the right expert for you.

We offer our comprehensive range of legal services across the UK from offices in Cardiff and London, tailoring them to the specific objectives of our business, public sector and individual clients both nationally and locally. Our teams are informed, our turnaround is tight, our services are efficient and up-to-date, our quality control is excellent and our client loyalty is high.

Whatever your legal requirement, Hugh James can help

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“ A highly innovative firm, it creates competitive advantage through a blend of excellence in client service, bespoke technical systems and the expertise of its people.” Chambers UK

Our teams include experts in almost every area of the law so we can provide our clients with a high quality team to deliver the right blend of transactional, litigation and advisory legal support.

For business

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From asset management to employment matters, from corporate crime to corporate risk and from commercial property to tax advice and insurance claim handling, our specialist lawyers can help.

But we consider the strength and depth of our teams to be a given. For us, the real difference is in the relationship – and we work hard to build lasting ones with our clients. Our teams start by seeking to understand your legal and business requirements thoroughly so we can be proactive, commercial and innovative as we help you achieve your objectives.

Our growing volume business, Hugh James Involegal - which provides specialist volume legal outsource solutions – was born out of this innovative approach. We felt that consolidating this specialised business would expand and improve the service to our clients. Involegal brings a broad spectrum of professional, processing and customer service skills alongside traditional legal roles to deliver an efficient and cost-effective volume service to several household name companies.

We are also a member of MSI Global Alliance, a Top 20 ranked, international association of independent professional firms. This means we can quickly source reliable, local expertise wherever in the world our clients are involved in doing business.

As a result, our diverse client base includes private and quoted companies all over the UK, and we are a top tier player in the Welsh corporate and commercial markets.

“ The service delivered by Hugh James is excellent and I would have no hesitation in recommending Hugh James to a client or any other business.” Chris Price, Director (Wales), Royal Bank of Scotland

For public & not-for-profit organisations

“Hugh James have always worked to the highest possible standards and we have found their advice to be clear and practical. They have always provided good value for money and have been willing to ‘go the extra mile’ when required. I have every confidence in their judgement and professionalism” Newport Housing Trust

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Our public and not for profit team is made up of experts from all the relevant areas of law, each with an understanding of the particular challenges organisations face. And you can be assured that we will provide you with value for money and deliver on time and on budget.

Our understanding of the issues and pressures in this sector is the result of our unrivalled experience of working with the public sector over many years. We act for the Welsh Government, UK central government departments, non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies, and are on the legal panels of many local authorities in England and Wales as well as various regional frameworks.

Many of our lawyers have worked in-house within the sector, whilst a number have been on secondments to our public sector clients, enhancing knowledge transfer between our teams.

We are passionate about social housing and committed to working in partnership with our clients to make real differences in communities. Over the last 30 years, we have established ourselves as

a leading social housing law firm, ranked in the top tier by the legal directories and today we count more than 40 housing associations and local authorities among our clients. In addition to handling the day to day legal requirements of a busy registered social landlord, our in-depth knowledge of the banking sector is particularly valuable in helping housing association borrowers negotiate complex facility agreements.

We have also represented schools, colleges, local education authorities and FE and HE establishments on matters ranging from governance, employment, corporate and commercial, to intellectual property, debt recovery, property and construction. Our specialists understand the challenge of pursuing both educational and commercial goals and deliver astute commercial

solutions which comply with the sector’s ever-changing and increasingly complex framework of legal and regulatory requirements.

Similarly, our experience working with charities means we understand the contribution that astute commercial and legal advice can make whilst always remaining mindful of the rules and obligations of governance. Whether you require support with employment, litigation, property or governance matters, our team will help you operate efficiently and effectively, welcoming the opportunity to act as a sounding board while providing solid commercial advice.

For individuals

An individual’s legal requirements can be as varied as those of a business. From will writing and trusts to family breakdown, from tax and financial planning to disputed wills, from property or personal injury matters to powers of attorney, we have experts who can help you protect your assets and those of your family.

To make sure we meet all your needs, we give you a relationship partner who works with you to establish your legal requirements, and ensures that you are directed to the lawyer or lawyers most appropriate to your particular needs.

At all times our service is built around you, keeping you informed and meeting your needs with discretion, sensitivity and exceptional service and customer care.

Our specialist private client lawyers provide advice on the full range of your personal legal and financial matters, with discretion, sensitivity and exceptional customer care.

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“ It was nice to feel part of the process and not just another client.” Private client

Hugh James in the Community

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We believe that strong, positive relationships with colleagues, suppliers and our community are key to our success, and that running our business sustainably is not only the right thing but a commercial imperative. All our people are encouraged to recycle, re-use and reduce their and our carbon footprint wherever possible, and we have systems and policies in place to ensure that we are constantly improving our performance in this area.

Our teams fundraise throughout the year for our annually selected charities, chosen by a committee of colleagues from across the business, at office-based and special events. Causes we have supported include LATCH, the children’s cancer charity, Comic Relief, Children in Need, Tŷ Hafan, the children’s hospice, Tenovus, Headway and the Prince’s Trust. Colleagues have taken part in events as diverse as sponsored Nordic walks, bike rides, football tournaments, dragon boat races and the Three Peaks Challenge.

We work closely with Careers Wales to provide mentors for 14-16 year olds in Cardiff as they plan their futures, helping with CV preparation, exam preparation and GCSE choices. We currently have 30 volunteers mentoring around 70 young people.

We also support the Cardiff Literacy Strategy, where volunteers from the firm work with young pupils to help improve their reading skills. The scheme has had very positive results, not just with improving the children’s reading, but also their confidence and motivation.

We work hard to ensure our pro bono work delivers on a number of levels, and our partnership with Cardiff Law School’s Pro Bono Clinic to run a legal clinic which advises on continuing healthcare for the elderly is a prime example. We created and delivered a training programme in conjunction with Cardiff University, Age Cymru and the Alzheimer’s Society to enable the law students to meet and give advice to clients. We also oversee all correspondence sent and received by the pro bono clinic, advise on file progression and give feedback to students. The project saw Cardiff Law School and Hugh James scoop the Student Team Award at the Law Society Junior Lawyers’ Division10th Anniversary Pro Bono Awards.

For us, it’s not just about what we do, but also about how we do it.

If you would like to know more about how we could help, please call us on 029 2022 4871 to speak to the right expert for you.

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www.hughjames.com