Lawyers in Wales

Charles Felgate

Charles supervises the Planning and Environmental team, which has a significant contentious and non-contentious practice acting for both the private and public sector. The team advise on planning processes and decision making, appeals, judicial reviews, statutory challenges, enforcement and certificate applications and appeals. They also have expertise in compulsory purchase and associated compensation matters, including certificates of appropriate alternative development and references to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber). Charles advised Calderdale Borough Council in relation to the land assembly for a number of strategic transport and regeneration projects. He represented the Welsh Government in relation to the M4 Corridor around Newport proposals and in relation to marine planning policy matters and represented Powys County Council at the Mid Wales Conjoined Windfarm Inquiry. Charles advises all three of the Welsh National Park Authorities and he also has a significant section 106 practice, acting for both the private and public sectors. He recently completed a minerals planning appeal on land at Tir Pentwys, Torfaen, a planning appeal in relation to a mixed use scheme at Castlewood Business Park in Nottinghamshire and defended an application for a declaration that an historic planning permission could be implemented at Aberdyfi.

Geldards LLP

Charlotte Morgan

I work in a dual role as a Managing Knowledge Lawyer and a Senior Lawyer in our rockhopper team. Prior to this I was a Managing Associate in the employment team, having qualified into the team over a decade ago. As Managing Knowledge Lawyer, I work in a team of specialist lawyers, keeping colleagues and clients up to date on the latest and upcoming developments to employment law and policy. My role includes providing internal training, supporting with technical legal queries, writing and editing articles and supporting with podcast content and production I have a particular interest in TUPE and have experience advising employers throughout corporate transactions and outsourcings. This focus has continued in my knowledge role, where I regularly provide TUPE updates to the employment team, maintain know-how documents and have supported in responding to government consultations Recent areas of focus in my work have been on neurodiversity, zero hours contracts, holiday pay and the right to disconnect. I have previously been on secondment to both a US bank, working in the EMEA employment legal team, and to an international law firm, working in the HR team.

Lewis Silkin

Chris Price

Partner, UK and European Patent Attorney

EIP

Chris Williams

Chris is Head of Commercial Law in Cardiff. He advises private, public sector and voluntary organisations on the negotiation and structuring of complex commercial contracts including trading agreements, agency and distribution contracts and partnership agreements. He advises clients on complex commercial contracts helping them to identify and manage any risks and negotiate terms. He is able to draw on experience from sectors such as health, local and devolved government and travel so that the legal arrangements are tailored to the context as appropriate. This helps clients in saving time and ultimately money in the negotiation process.

Geldards LLP

Christian Farrow

Christian leads our corporate practice in Wales from our Cardiff office as part of our wider corporate team. With a career spanning more than 20 years, Christian regularly advises listed and private companies on acquisitions, disposals, mergers, IPOs, EOTs, fundraisings and joint ventures, frequently with cross-border aspects. His track record in leading on multi-million pound landmark transactions across a range of sectors, most notably in financial services and CleanTech and Renewables, means that he his highly regarded by both clients and peers alike. In addition to his technical ability, Christian brings his innovative thinking and personality to deals. Clients particularly rate his enthusiasm and sound commerciality. Christian’s contribution to the deal market has been consistently recognised in the business community: he has been nominated twice as Insider Wales Dealmaker of the Year and was named Young Dealmaker of the Year. His esteemed ranking as a leading individual by the Legal 500 underscores his role as a trusted advisor for businesses in Wales and beyond.

Browne Jacobson LLP

Christopher Agius

Christopher joined Acuity Law as a Partner in September 2021, having previously led teams at Capital Law, Harrison Clarke Rickerbys and Hugh James. He has significant experience as a real estate finance lawyer and has acted on an extensive range of banking transactions, including refinance transactions and a full range of funding types, including development, investment, SIPP, healthcare, charity, social housing and mezzanine. Christopher has been extensively involved in representing market-leading banks throughout his career, having acted for niche funders in high-volume lending, in addition to all the major high-street lenders on a bespoke basis. He is a specialist in development finance, investment finance, third sector/charity finance, acquisition finance, refinance, and social housing finance. Chris’s practice has been built on the principles of identifying problems, suggesting commercial solutions and backing them with commercial advice. He places excellent service and relationship management at the heart of everything he does and has developed a strong reputation advising banks, funders, and borrowers in all manner of funder transactions. Chris’s clients include Julian Hodge Bank and the Development Bank of Wales. He is ranked as a Notable Practitioner by Chambers and Partners. Expertise: Acting for funders when they are lending to commercial businesses, third sector organisations and the care sector Acting for all of the Clearing Banks, and many challenger banks, including Santander, DBW, Shawbrook Bank, Julian Hodge Bank and others Particular skill in lending to the third sector, maintaining relationships with funders such as Triodos Bank and WCVA Acting for borrowers faced with funder due diligence Acting in the insolvency sector, with strong relationships with LPA receivers and the wider insolvency community

Acuity Law

Claire Knowles

Claire is a senior partner and shareholder at Acuity Law, and a member of our Senior Leadership Team. She joined Acuity to lead the Employment team and has since been the driving force of its growth. She provides commercially focused direction using the wealth of knowledge and experience she has built up over more than 15 years at top-tier national and international law firms. Claire’s advice is both responsive and strategic. She focuses on achieving the best commercial outcome, which has enabled her to become a true business partner for several of Acuity’s key clients. She exploits her deep understanding of each client’s business to not only handle issues as they arise but pre-empt and mitigate risk by ensuring all internal people strategies are fully effective and optimised. She works with board members and senior management teams to shape and develop their people initiatives and implement cultural change programmes. She is a member of Acuity’s ESG group, providing support on both social and governance initiatives, as well as board efficiency audits. Claire has also been instrumental in creating new Acuity products, such as our IR35 tool, redundancy costs calculator and training programmes – all designed to support and augment our clients’ operations. Her proven track record, combined with her personable and honest style, has allowed her to build an effective and long-term rapport with her clients. She is adept at both strengthening existing relationships and developing our client base, meaning a significant portion of her work is won through client referrals – testament to the high standard of work that she and her team deliver. Claire’s reputation and expertise were recognised when she was awarded “Best Professional in Business” at the Welsh Women’s Awards 2022, an event showcasing female professionals and entrepreneurs across the region. She has also been acknowledged as a Leading Individual by both Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500. Claire’s standing in the market continues to grow and she is regularly asked to speak at large-scale events. Assisting organisations across a wide range of disciplines in both the private and public sectors, including SMEs, PLCs, national and international clients, Claire handles both contentious and non-contentious employment issues. Her extensive contentious experience includes restrictive covenants and associated disputes, tribunal litigation and director and shareholder disputes. She also works closely with our Corporate team to provide strategic employment advice on the duties and obligations arising out of company acquisitions and mergers and restructures. Additionally, Claire serves as Acuity Law’s Director of People, setting the strategy and developing our internal HR and Learning and Development function. This has involved developing our vacation scheme, training contract recruitment processes and various wellbeing initiatives. Expertise: All aspects of employment law and people management Contract formulation and disputes The Equality Act 2010 Employment tribunal litigation Restructures and reorganisations Restrictive covenants Strategic workforce planning TUPE transfers Employee benefit schemes and share option schemes Cultural change initiatives Board efficiency audits Board-level support to set people strategies

Acuity Law

Claire Laviers

Claire is a Senior Associate in the Construction team, experienced in transactional construction matters advising on all aspects of construction contract drafting and negotiation, from standard industry forms to bespoke project specific contracts. She has expertise in assessing and advising on responsibility for construction risk, both during and after the construction period and putting in place measures to mitigate such risks. Claire regularly acts for public sector entities such as local authorities, government departments and higher education establishments as well as private sector banks, energy providers, developers and charities. Claire is adept at advising from differing perspectives whether for a landlord or tenant, contractor or developer, funder or borrower. She provides comprehensive commercial advice to assist the parties in reaching agreement, whilst meeting the client’s objectives and risk profile. In addition to advising on building contracts and the usual ancillary documents, much of her private sector work involves advising on and drafting construction elements of property sale agreements or agreements for lease.

Geldards LLP

Claire Laviers

Associate

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP

Claire Rawle

Claire is a Partner who leads the Health, Safety and Environmental team which is recognised as having one of the leading Health and Safety practices in the UK. Claire leads the firm’s cross-office Compliance, Investigations and Prosecutions team which is recognised as having one of the leading Health and Safety practices in Wales and the South of England. Claire has over 28 years’ experience advising and representing clients in the private and public sectors across a range of industries on a variety of regulatory and criminal enforcement issues and Coroner’s Inquests.

Blake Morgan LLP

Claire Williams

Consultant

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP

Clare Gregory

Clarke Willmott LLP

Clare Keates

Senior Associate

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP

Collette Davies

Associate

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP

Cordelia Payne

Cordelia leads the Intellectual Property team at Acuity Law. She qualified into the IP department at Harbottle & Lewis LLP, where she was employed until March 2012. During that time, she worked as in-house counsel for Virgin Atlantic Airways, Argus Media and on the brand protection team for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG). Cordelia is particularly conscious of her clients’ commercial needs, which she puts down to these early secondment experiences. In October 2015, she joined Maple & Black Law as its first and only IP lawyer, singlehandedly building the IP practice until the firm merged with Acuity Law. Cordelia has extensive expertise advising on both contentious and non-contentious IP matters. She specialises in the protection, exploitation, and enforcement of all intellectual property rights, with a particular focus on copyright, trade marks, design rights and confidential information. She regularly appears in actions at the UK and EU intellectual property registries and ICANN under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy. She also provides technical and strategic pre-action advice to clients on civil actions for infringement of IP rights and passing off. Her non-contentious work involves brand protection advice, including filing and enforcing UK, EU and worldwide trade mark and design right registrations and working closely with overseas IP lawyers. Increasingly, clients are assigning representation of their entire registered IP portfolios into Cordelia’s management. Cordelia also advises on and drafts agreements involving the exploitation of intellectual property rights, in addition to IP matters forming part of wider corporate deals. She has a hands-on approach and advises individual and business clients from a range of sectors. These include the media, entertainment, and creative industries, with a focus on fashion, art and publishing, health and fitness, communications, and technology, both in the UK and cross-border. At a previous firm, Cordelia acted for LucasFilm on the high-profile Star Wars copyright infringement case, from its inception through to success at the Supreme Court (Lucasfilm Ltd & Ors v Ainsworth & Anor [2011] UKSC 39). This gave her valuable contentious experience as well as technical acumen in copyright law. Cordelia’s extensive experience, tenacity and personability, not to mention her ability to achieve the very best for her clients, is recognised in regular, repeat work from clients both big and small. Expertise: UK, EU and international trade mark filings and prosecutions Brand protection strategy Commercial contracts with an IP focus Licences and assignments of intellectual property rights Intellectual property disputes at the UKIPO, EUIPO, IPEC and High Court Domain name registration and disputes

Acuity Law

Damien Cann

Damien is a partner in the Real Estate team and is involved in both equity and debt-funded property development schemes. An established adviser on the acquisition, disposal, letting and funding of commercial properties, Damien has a long track record of advising clients in the healthcare sector, including Achieve Together, CHOICE, LifeCare and Portman Healthcare Limited. Damien acted for Rightacres Property Co Limited, an innovative commercial property developer specialising in occupier-led property solutions for business, in connection with the former Brain’s Brewery site in Cardiff known as Central Quay. This included a transaction for the waterfront residential scheme comprising the development of Plots 1 and 2 Central Quay to create approximately 700 new residential units, from studios to three-bedroom penthouse apartments, which has now been completed by long leasehold disposal to L&G. Damien has acted for Rightacres for several years in relation to its funding agreements, culminating in several hundred million pounds' worth of investment into the Central Square project in Cardiff. Damien has also led on several exciting new restaurant opportunities for the Pasture restaurant group, and retail boutiques in prime central London locations for New York-headquartered beauty and cosmetic company Malin + Goetz. With particularly strong technical legal skills, Damien brings a wealth of commercial experience and is known for his expertise in innovative funding options. Damien has a specialism in marina and waterfront developments for clients including Associated British Ports and Boatfolk Marinas. Damien has many years of experience in acting on social housing acquisition and development in England and Wales including pension-funded investment structures and bond issues. Expertise: Annuity-funded structures in property development Acquisition and development of commercial property Property-secured finance Commercial projects and contracts, including long-term contracts between the private and public sectors All aspects of leasehold property management

Acuity Law

Daniel Gilligan

Principal Associate

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP

Daniel Taylor

Daniel is a Senior Associate in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution team in Cardiff specialising in commercial disputes, and public law matters. Daniel advises clients on a broad range of commercial and civil claims. He has significant experience of contractual claims, debt recovery, negligence cases and partnership disputes. Daniel also undertakes public law work, to include judicial review, procurement challenges, education, safeguarding, mental health and mental capacity law. He also has experience in dealing with public inquiries work. Daniel regularly advises both public and private sector clients. Daniel has extensive experience in the following areas: Court of Protection Bringing and responding to applications on behalf of Local Authorities and Health Boards in connection with the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) framework. Advising on matters when individuals lack capacity in complex welfare disputes involving sensitive issues such as social media, sexual relations, residence, care and contact. Advising in relation to: a) Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the relevant Codes of Practice; b) Mental Health Act 1983 and 2007; c) Issues surrounding consent to medical treatment; d) Detention and restraint. Education Understanding and experience of advising in relation to Special Educational Needs or Additional Learning Needs, and regularly represents local authorities in relation to matters in the Education Tribunal for Wales, when matters are unable to reach early resolution. Daniel is adapt to advise on the new Additional Learning Needs system in Wales and has provided training to local authorities on the new Act. Procurement Daniel regularly advises contracting authorities and economic operators in relation to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (“PCR2015”) and The Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 (“DSPCR2011”). Daniel advises on all aspects of procurement law to include: a) Advising on modifications to contracts; b) Reviewing evaluation and award criteria; c) Reviewing standstill letters; d) Procurement disputes – challenging or defending a public contract award. Daniel’s recent experience of procurement disputes include: a) Advising NHS England in relation to procurement and supply of key medicines; b) Representing NHS England in relation to a procurement challenge concerning a seven-year contract for the provision of orthodontic services in East Hampshire, where the Technology and Construction Court developed the law concerning the “sufficiently serious” test. This matter was heard at the Court of Appeal; c) Advising Cardiff University on a major construction procurement relating to post-award modifications in accordance with Regulation 72 of the PCR2015; d) Advising a leading supplier of protective and tactical equipment for military and emergency services sectors in relation to a procurement of sniper equipment in accordance with DSPCR2011; e) Representing a global medical products company in relation to procurement of pharmaceutical equipment; f) Advising the Welsh Government on a procurement challenge issued by an unsuccessful economic operator pursuant to the PCR2015. To include issues dealing with standstill period, limitation periods and clarifications. g) Representing a charity in relation to domestic abuse services in the South West of England. Judicial Review Daniel has experience of advising public sector clients on judicial review challenges, both through the medium of the English and Welsh language. Commercial Disputes Daniel advises on a range of commercial disputes (both pre-action and in litigation), to include contractual disputes (including sale of goods and debt recovery), shareholder disputes, corporate transactions disputes and unfair prejudice petitions. Daniel is regularly instructed in relation to matters at the County Court and High Court, and has recently represented clients at the Court of Appeal. Daniel’s recent experience of commercial disputes include: a) Advising and representing an entrepreneur in relation to an alleged breach of contract claim relating to an asset swap agreement with a former business partner. This matter was heard at the Court of Appeal; b) Representing a Respondent to a multi-million-pound unfair prejudice petition concerning a property joint venture and three related disputes; c) Representing a charity in a claim for damages arising from a breach of an implied contract for the supply of services, which also included claims for quantum meruit remuneration; d) Representing the Welsh Government in a claim arising under the Highways Act 1980, which included complex considerations relating to limitation and causation. Public Inquiries Daniel is currently working on behalf of core participants in the Infected Blood Inquiry and the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. Daniel has provided advice to clients on witness statements, rule 9 requests, what documents should and should not be disclosed and has advised on issues of privilege. High Value / Complex Personal Injury Claims / Inquests At the start of his career, Daniel specialised in high value and complex injury claims, involving catastrophic and other serious orthopaedic injuries, to include spinal and amputee injury claims. Daniel also represented families following a bereavement, which included representation at inquests.

Blake Morgan LLP

Daniela Smith

Daniela is a partner and commercial property solicitor with wide experience of all aspects of commercial property work for both the public and private sectors. Daniela’s work includes the acquisition, funding, development and letting of commercial, industrial and residential property, and property aspects of acquiring and disposing of companies. Daniela has been involved in many of the high value and high profile transactions undertaken by the firm. Daniela's significant experience includes: Acting for igloo Regeneration Partnership in the £250m regeneration of 40 acres of derelict land at Roath Basin in Cardiff Bay in achieving in 2007 a comprehensive development agreement with the Welsh Ministers and all statutory and planning agreements required to bring forward the development over the next 15 years; the first phase of this involves the 167,950 sq ft development of the Media Capital for BBC, which has now opened. A £43m sale of the investment to British Steel Pension Fund was exchanged in 2011. Acting for (Amber Infrastructure) Babcock and Brown (preferred developers of the Welsh Government in bringing forward the WISP (Welsh Investment Strategic Partnership) to deliver up to 1m square feet of new office space in regeneration centres across Wales over the next decade – beginning with schemes in Swansea, Newport and Cardiff) in handling in 2010 a sale to L&G at £23.4m of two completed developments in the WISP scheme. Acting for Welsh Government, Newport City Council and Newport Unlimited in the development and sale of a new £40m city centre campus for the University of Wales, Newport which opened in January 2011. Acting for the University of Glamorgan and the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in the £22m re-development of the College’s campus on North Road Cardiff and creation of a new concert hall and rehearsal studios scheduled to open in August 2011. Acting for two GP surgeries and a local LHB in acquiring a new, bespoke Medical Centre via a conditional contract with leases to be granted on practical completion, which contain provisions relating to the National Health Service (General Medical Services Premises Costs) (Wales) Directions 2004 issued pursuant to the National Health Service Act 1977 as substituted by the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006.

Blake Morgan LLP

Danielle Llewellyn

Associate

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP

David Emberson

Partner

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP

David Farmer

Legal Director

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP

David Hughes

Principal Consultant

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP

David Marshall

Senior Associate

Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP