Howells Solicitors is opening a specialist conveyancing centre of excellence in Bridgend, and taking another step towards our aim of becoming one of the top five conveyancing firms in the UK.

The new conveyancing hub will extend our branch network of six offices between Swansea and Newport, creating thirteen new jobs and safeguarding a further three.

Based at No. 1 Court Road in Bridgend town centre, the hub will serve all parts of the UK, with a strong focus on the English market.

Our investment, which was made in response to opportunities arising from the improvement in the property market post-recession, was backed by £100,000 from the Welsh Government's Economic Growth Fund.  

Economy Minister, Edwina Hart, said:

“Legal services are a key component of the financial and professional services sector – one of our priority economic sectors that is expanding rapidly.

“The growth of the legal sector in Wales is high on the Welsh Government’s agenda, and I am pleased the Economic Growth Fund is supporting the expansion of Howells Solicitors, creating new jobs and opening up new market opportunities across the UK.”

A Record Year for Howells Solicitors

This expansion comes after a record year for Howells, as in 2014 turnover exceeded £6m for the first time in the company’s history.

Earlier this year, we also further strengthened our position as one of Wales’ largest law firms by completing the issuing of new shares to three directors of the company in a six-figure transaction.

Mark Hobbs, one of the company’s six directors, said:

“The new conveyancing hub is a great opportunity to build on our success, expand into the wider UK market and offer a high quality, competitively priced service to customers and partner organisations in England. Support from the Welsh Government has enabled us to take immediate advantage of the emerging market opportunities and to expand and create jobs in Wales, which is great news.

“Data from HM Land Registry places Howells Solicitors in the top twenty conveyancing firms in the UK and we now want to build on the existing strength of our brand to achieve top five status.”

Howells Solicitors - Expert Conveyancers

At Howells Solicitors, we pride ourselves on the high level of service that we provide our clients. Our dedicated team of experts are on hand to make buying and selling property as simple and as straightforward as possible, always ensuring that our clients receive the personal service that they deserve.

Find out how we can make your move easier. Call us now on 02920 404020 or fill in our online enquiry form and we will be in contact to provide you with a competitive quotation of our fees.

Two more trainee solicitors have completed their training contracts at Howells Solicitors, taking the total of successful applicants over the last 18 months to five, with five more due to complete before the end of the year.

Hayley Rees and Richard Jones, gained law degrees from Cardiff and Swansea universities respectively and both completed their Legal Practice Course at Cardiff University before starting their employment with Howells in 2012.

Gaining Experience with Howells

During their time with the firm, and as part of their training, Hayley and Richard have gained experience in all of Howells’ different legal departments. Following the successful completion of their training both graduates were offered positions as solicitors in the law firm. Hayley is now working in our Private Client departments, while Richard can be found in our Residential Conveyancing department, both are in the Cardiff office.

Rhidian Hobbs, director at Howells Solicitors said, “Recruiting and training talented young lawyers such as Hayley and Richard is key to our long term success. The time spent during their training has enabled us to identify their strengths and we have worked together to find a position within the firm upon completion of their training to enable them to qualify into their chosen area of law. I wish Hayley and Richard a very successful career at Howells”

Hayley Rees, solicitor in the Private Client department of Howells said, “Howells have supported my career development and I'm thrilled to have been offered this position. I look forward to playing an increasing role in the growth and success of the team and wider organisation."

Commenting on his appointment as a solicitor in the Residential Conveyancing department, Richard Jones said, “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with Howells. Since joining I’ve experienced working in the head office and regional branches and am very pleased to have been offered the position in their award winning conveyancing department.”

Launching Your Career with Howells

Are you looking to start your legal career in South Wales? At Howells Solicitors we are always looking for enthusiastic, talented lawyers to strengthen our practice. If you want to work at Howells then why not check out our current vacancies today? We have a wide range of roles available in locations throughout South Wales.

Howells Solicitors have for the past few years been proud to sponsor the University of South Wales’ Prize for Best Performance in Property Law and Practice, which is awarded to the highest achieving student on the course with the best overall performance.

This year the very worthy winner of the prize is Kimberly Matthews.

Kim started studying for the LPC at the University of South Wales in September 2013 on a part-time basis whilst also undertaking a training contract with a Cardiff legal firm and looking after her one year old daughter.

Not content with just passing her course and qualifying in Law, Kim set her sights on winning the Howells prize.

A Word from Kimberly

“Once I realised that I would obtain a Distinction for my studies, I soon moved on to wanting to win an award, specifically The Howells Legal Prize for Best Performance in Property Law and Practice. On my results day, I was eagerly scanning through to see if an award had been won and indeed it had.

This award is extra special to me as I currently work in property and it proved that not only had my hard work and determination paid off, but that maybe I did have the potential to be good at what I do (my supervisor was also impressed!). This award has taken pride of place on my mantelpiece and reminds me daily of my achievements over the last two years. I can also note the award on my CV which will undoubtedly enhance it.

I would like to personally thank Howells for taking the time to sponsor this award as it really does mean a great deal to me."

Tristan Lewis, Business Development Manager of Howells Solicitors is very impressed by Kim’s achievement and the drive and motivation demonstrated to study whilst also working and looking after her daughter.

“I’m sure Kim will have a successful career in the legal industry. Kim is a talented and dedicated young professional and we wish her every success for the future.

We enjoy a strong working relationship with the University of South Wales and have first-hand experience of the quality of the courses they provide and the graduates qualifying from their law courses. We look forward to continuing to work with the University and their students in the future.”

Howells Solicitors are delighted to have been shortlisted again for both the Direct and Regional Conveyancing Firm of the Year hosted by the Law Firm Services Awards 2015.

Howells won the Regional Conveyancing Firm of the Year for the Wales and West Midlands category in 2014 and was shortlisted for the UK’s Direct Conveyancer Firm of 2014 category. Click here for the story.

Howells on Being Shortlisted

Managing Partner, Mark Hobbs, commented, “We are over the moon to be shortlisted once again. These awards are judged by well-respected leaders within the industry so it is an honour to be recognised.

We enjoy what we do, are passionate and have a constant drive to want to do it better and this award would illustrate that we are heading in the right direction. It will also be a big pat on the back to all our staff who work very hard and great for them to have the recognition and benefit of the award.” 

How the Process Works

As part of the judging process, the firm were mystery shopped to obtain an initial conveyancing quote. Howells scored 53 out of a possible 57 points scoring maximum points in most of the categories including “How did you rate the friendliness of the call”, “Did they explain the quote” and “Please rate the quality of the written material”.

The mystery call comments were:

“Very good call.  I was given lots of information and I was told the company had a no sale/ no fee policy.  Had an upbeat manner about Howells and even suggested opening a file for me. I would have felt very comfortable using this company.”

Howells were then called by two of the judges to discuss their submission. The results will be announced at the annual LFS Conference and Awards Ceremony 2015 which takes place on Thursday 17th September.

Howells Solicitors have achieved a first for a Welsh law firm and won three categories at the conveyancing industries prestigious annual Law Firm Services Awards including the premier ‘Overall Conveyancing Firm of the Year’.

Winners of Three Prestigious Awards

Attending the ceremony on Thursday evening at the Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, Mark Hobbs, managing partner of the law firm with six offices across South Wales and members of his team were invited onto the stage three times to receive awards for:

• Best Conveyancer for Wales and the West Midlands
• Best Direct Conveyancing Firm of the Year
• Best Overall Conveyancing Firm of the Year

Howells faced stiff competition from law firms based throughout the UK all of whom were assessed by an independent panel of industry experts including the Chief Executive of the Council of Licensed Conveyancers.

The judging process involved detailed interviews with all entrants, submission of qualifying documentation and client satisfaction reports from house purchasers and sellers who had used the law firms.

Proud of the Work We Do

“This is the highlight of my professional career,” said Mark Hobbs, managing partner of Howells Solicitors. “To be named as the ‘Best Overall Conveyancing Firm of the Year’ for the whole of the UK in the conveyancing industries flagship awards is a fantastic achievement on its own, and to also win an additional two categories including the Best Direct Conveyancing Firm is quite unbelievable!”

“I am delighted and extremely proud of all our teams in the six offices. These awards are testament to our dedicated, consummate professionals who deliver an exemplary service for our clients.”

Over the last 18 months Howells Solicitors have made significant investments in the business by promoting three partners to the position of directors and opening a dedicated conveyancing hub in Bridgend with the assistance of a Welsh Government’s Economic Growth Fund  enabling the law firm to expand and target  the wider UK market by offering a high quality, competitively priced service to customers and partner organisations in England.

Howells Solicitors for Conveyancing

If you want to use a multi-award winning converyancing firm then get in touch with us today. Give us a call on 08001782773 or fill out the online enquiry form and find out for yourself why we've been named as the Best Overall Conveyancing Firm of the Year.

Five solicitors at Howells have been named in the recently published Legal 500, 2015 Edition.

The independent guide assesses the strengths of lawyers and law firms across the UK using a series of in depth criteria, and highlights those who excel in their area of expertise.

Leaders in Probate

Laith Khatib has been identified as one of only three solicitors in Wales who are considered ‘leading individuals’ in the field of contentious probate and trusts. Clients are said to be ‘lucky to have him on side’. The contentious probate team at Howells has achieved a very high overall ranking.

The non-contentious wills, trusts and estates team has been recognised as providing a ‘second-to-none’ service, with John O’Connell recognised as being ‘highly regarded for estate, trusts and deputyship matters’. Claire Davis is mentioned as head of department.  

Excellent Choice for Matrimonial Finance and Family Law

In family law, Richard Scott is noted as an ‘excellent choice for matrimonial finance’ and is said to be a ‘no-nonsense negotiator’ with expertise in ancillary relief work involving police pensions.

Jayne Hunt is said to be well regarded for children law cases with international elements. Our business and commercial services team have been ranked for their work involving commercial property.

Commercial Property Department Ranked

Headed by Rhidian Hobbs, the commercial team act in a broad range of commercial transactions including real estate, business acquisitions and disposals, and general company commercial matters.

Well Deserved Recognition

Mark Hobbs, managing partner said, “This is well deserved recognition for the named individuals and departments. They are excellent examples of the expertise and quality of service we aim to provide for our clients. I thank all of our employees for their contributions to the continuing success and expansion of Howells Solicitors.”

Get Expert Legal Advice from Howells Solicitors

At Howells Solicitors, we understand that the legal world can seem complex or daunting. That’s why, whether you are buying a property, running a business, or having relationship difficulties, our expert team of Solicitors are here to guide you.

Howells Solicitors is an approachable law firm that will take time to talk things through and understand your needs. With local offices throughout Wales (Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Talbot Green and Caerphilly) and expertise in key legal areas, we deliver an unrivalled service at a competitive price.

Find out how Howells Solicitors can help you. Call us now on 0808 178 2773 or fill in our online enquiry form and we will be in contact.

Our honest, transparent approach to the home conveyancing process really does make us different to the majority of our competitors. In a recent survey of conveyancing firms conducted by TM Group, over 60% of respondents refused to give quotes over the phone, the majority failed to follow up the call and almost a quarter failed to provide their phone number on their website!

Howells Solicitors are in the minority of the 100 firms mystery shopped who provide an ‘Advanced’ service

Howells Solicitors was included in the survey and found to provide positive / favourable replies to the majority of the questions asked by the mystery shopper.

In addition to this, Business Development Executive, Lauren Cubitt, who answered the call, was complimented for her ‘very polite and friendly’ manner.

We were commended for the following aspects of our conveyancing quoting process and marketing of this service:

• Mobile friendly website 
• Google maps placement 
• Telephone number clearly displayed on the home page
• Show customer reviews on website
• Phone answered quickly and the appropriate person available 
• Provided a verbal quote on the phone and confirmed by email 
• Polite introduction and asked the caller's name 
• Friendly telephone manner and demonstrated local knowledge 
• Not pressurised and willingness to explain conveyancing process with caller 
• Jargon free explanation 
• Made a follow up call to mystery shopper and sent email to politely attempt to close 

Howells aims to make your homemove as straightforward as possible

“Moving home is for many a stressful process,” explained Tristan Lewis, Business Development Manager at Howells Solicitors.

“We aim to make the whole process as straightforward as possible and this starts from the moment a potential client contacts us."

"Over the last two years we have been using our own online quoting system that enable our team to provide quotes immediately and that automatically uploads all the information onto our servers."

"When clients call a conveyancing firm they are looking to engage and find out the price they will pay for the service. Not providing this to clients seems a strange way of doing business. At Howells we explain our service and offerings to clients and then discuss the costs for these fees which we feel are extremely reasonable, especially since we were recently voted the Best Overall Conveyancing firm in the UK."

"We have also held training courses for our client facing staff to help them improve the customer service experience we provide. Our teams have worked with market leading trainers who have helped us develop a telephone answering process that involves and extracts the information we need from clients to enable us to quickly and effectively answer their initial query.”

Get in touch with Howells Solicitors 

If you are considering moving home and would like to benefit from our ‘advanced’ conveyancing quoting system and extremely competitive fee structure, please get in touch by calling 0808 178 2773 or emailing info@howellslegal.co.uk. 

Some of the Howells’ private client solicitors and legal professionals recently organised a five mile sponsored walk around Cardiff Bay, taking in many of the Bay’s landmarks.

Fundraising for George Thomas Hospice Care

We chose to donate all proceeds from our walk to George Thomas Hospice Care, a local charity providing palliative care services. The charity needs to raise funds of £1.4m each year to help the 100 plus patients and their families and we wanted to do something to support them.

A walk in the sunshine

On a lovely autumnal afternoon under a blue sky and wearing our Howells t-shirts, we headed off at a leisurely pace walking from the bronze statues overlooking the old landing piers passing Techniquest to Penarth Marina and then along the Cardiff Bay Barrage. We then turned for home and continued to the Dr Who exhibition centre and Norwegian Church before arriving at one of the Bay’s pubs for a refreshing drink.

A word from Laith Khatib

Laith Khatib, Partner and Director helped to organise the walk, he said,

“George Thomas Hospice Care provides much needed help and support for cancer patients and their families. The charity is heavily reliant on fundraising to support its essential services and we are very happy to have raised some money to help.  We now plan to arrange further events in the future to support this and other charities - so watch this space.”

Make your donations here

We are aiming to raise £500 and have set up a Just Giving page for people to make donations.

Last Friday Howells Solicitors won The Gold Award in The Best Large Conveyancing company category of The Sunday Times / The Times Estate Agency of the Year 2015 Awards.

Competing against conveyancing companies from across the UK, the judging panel awarded us the top prize and said we are ‘a stand out business.’

This achievement follows our success in September when Howells achieved a first for a UK law firm and won three categories at the conveyancing industry's prestigious annual Law Firm Services Awards including the premier ‘Overall Conveyancing Firm of the Year’.

A Word from Mark Hobbs

Managing partner Mark Hobbs said of our successes in 2015:

“The Award is a fitting finale for Howells in 2015. We started the year by announcing a record turnover for the company and have created over 31 jobs across all of our six branches with more planned during 2016.

“Every member of staff has contributed to our success and should be proud of their contribution. Customer satisfaction feedback has been exemplary with many clients taking time sending kind words to express their thanks for the service they have received. We are fortunate to employ a very talented team of legal professionals.”

Howells Solicitors Continues to Grow

Investment in new systems and software has had a prominent role in our continued growth. Both sets of judges recognised the improvements we have made and how these have enabled us to speed up the conveyancing process as well as improve communications with stakeholders including clients, estate agents and mortgage providers.

We will certainly not become complacent following the successes of 2015. In 2016 we will be moving into additional floor space in our Cardiff office on Newport Road, recruiting more staff in all of our branches and introducing new legal services for clients.

Buy or Sell Property with Howells

For more information on how the Howells Solicitors conveyancing team can help you, call us now on 02920 404020 or fill in our online enquiry form and we will be in touch.

A ‘leader in the field’ has now been appointed to join the Howells team and head up our employment law department.

Meet Our New Head of Employment Law 

Howell’s plans for growth are exciting! The business is uniquely positioned in the market to be able to build on an excellent base by way of organic expansion in all key areas of law.  For my part, I am confident Howells will soon be recognised as a new significant player in Employment Law in Wales and the South West. I am looking forward to establishing myself within the business and achieving the objectives we have set for growth of the Employment Law department.”

Last Thursday, we were delighted to win the Professional Services Award at the Cardiff Regional Awards finals.

What Are the Cardiff Regional Awards? And Why Were We Nominated?

The glittering ceremony at the Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel and Spa celebrated the achievements of companies and individuals operating in and around the capital.

Howells Solicitors were one of the shortlisted businesses in the Professional Services category, competing against well-known and respected companies. We were nominated by our clients and public votes counted towards the winners overall score.  

We were very proud to accept the award on behalf of all of our dedicated team who continue to provide a comprehensive range of legal services for our clients.

Commenting on the win, Tristan Lewis, Business Development Manager of Howells Solicitors said, 

“We were pleased to be named as a finalist and to then win the Award is a fantastic achievement. It’s a glowing endorsement of our firm as a whole, and the efforts made by everyone involved with Howells to be the best we can be.”

Learn More About Howells Solicitors 

To learn more about our awards, certifications or the latest company news please take a look at our latest Howells news posts here. Or to discuss our services and what we can do for you, talk to one of our friendly and experienced solicitors by calling 0808 178 2773. 

Experienced residential conveyancing solicitor Abigail Cumpstone has joined Howells Solicitors to strengthen our legal team in Newport.

Howells' Experienced Team is Growing 

Since qualifying in 2010, Cwmbran born Abigail has progressed through the ranks of another legal firm where she had a key role in the opening of their Cardiff office.

Abigail will be working alongside recently promoted Associate Joanna Ingles in Howells’ Newport office to further develop relationships with local estate agents, as well as to work on national conveyancing cases.

"It’s a key appointment to maintain our competitive edge and achieve growth plans," explains Mark Hobbs, Managing Partner at Howells. He said, “Howells has enjoyed a sustained period of growth over the last couple of years. We are now the conveying company of choice for many national introducers as well as a growing number of repeat customers. To maintain this, we need to ensure we recruit professionals of Abi’s calibre.”

Abigail wanted a new challenge and quickly realised the opportunity being presented at Howells. She said,

“When I first became aware of the position at Howells I knew it would be the correct career move for me. Howells are an award winning company with UK wide recognition, it is an exciting opportunity for me to take on more responsibility as we work to increase the market share of the Newport office locally and provide support for the company as a whole for the national work."

Learn More About Howells' Legal Team  

If you'd like to learn more about our friendly team or our latest company news, read more blog posts here or check out the 'Our Team' profiles here. 

Our fantastic conveyancing teams have been recognised for their outstanding service once again, resulting in us being shortlisted in the ‘Conveyancing Firm of the Year – Wales’ category in the Modern Law Conveyancing Awards 2016.

What Are The Modern Law Conveyancing Awards?

The Modern Law Conveyancing Awards recognise innovative legal service providers who are dedicated to providing unique and creative solutions for both their businesses and clients. It celebrates the individuals and teams who have achieved great success over the last 12 months, and awards those who always go the extra mile to champion client care. 

Why Was Howells Selected?

We understand there was a large number of entrants for each of the categories this year, all of whom were judged by prominent individuals representing the conveyancing industry. This esteemed panel includes well-respected faces, such as: Eddie Goldsmith, Chairman of the Conveyancing Association and partner at Goldsmith Williams, Sheila Kumar, Chief Executive at the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, and Alasdair Lewis, Director of Legal Services at The Land Registry. 

The judging criteria was comprehensive and included the entire customer service process, from start to completion. It also looked at:

•Our approach to dealing with any service issues or complaints which arise

•Client and introducer retention 

•New business policy

•Commitment to staff loyalty and retention

•Contribution to the local economy

•Approach to IT security and cyber-crime prevention

•Overall approach to risk

•Our overall ambitions

Tristan Lewis, our Business Development Manager has said, 

“We are delighted to have been shortlisted and named as finalist alongside other industry leading firms. It’s been an incredibly busy year for the conveyancing teams in all of our offices. Legislative changes, a booming housing market and record levels of new business have all impacted on the company and their response has been fantastic.”

When Are the Winners Announced?

At a glamorous champagne reception and awards ceremony on Thursday 14th July 2016 at the Rum Warehouse in Liverpool. 

Whilst waiting for the results to be revealed, if you would like to learn more about the awards and certifications Howells have gained over the years - or the latest company news – you may like to read our Howells News blog section. 

We are delighted to announce that three of our trainee solicitors have completed their training contracts and have qualified into positions within the firm.

Howells Solicitors’ Team Expands With New Appointments

Angharad Rayner, Kathryn Morgan and Rhoslyn Harford will be based in our Cardiff office in the Employment Law, Personal Injury and Commercial Property departments respectively. They will further strengthen the growing teams that are experiencing increased workloads as the company develops in all areas of personal and business law.

Newly qualified solicitor, Kathryn Morgan, said:

“When we started our careers with Howells, we were aware of the firm’s reputation and wanted to undertake our training with a proactive law firm. The company has significantly grown over the last couple of years in particular and we are pleased to have contributed to this.” 

Angharad Rayner, when commenting on her career progression to date, said:

“It has been a fulfilling experience and one that has benefitted my career. We have worked hard and been challenged, but it’s been enjoyable, very worthwhile and the three of us are very much looking forward to beginning our careers as solicitors.”

The training contract required the newly qualified solicitors to gain experience in different departments within the law firm. Rhoslyn Harford explains:

“As Howells is a full service firm, we have had opportunities to work and gain experience across a variety of areas of the law. This has not only increased our legal knowledge, it has also helped us to develop our client and management skills which we will be able to use as we take on more responsibilities.”

Rhidian Hobbs, Training Principal and Director at Howells Solicitors said:

“We believe in developing our own staff to fulfil their potential. Our training programme has been developed over a number of years and we see it as an investment. We are delighted that Angharad, Rhoslyn and Kathryn have chosen to accept positions within the firm progress their career with Howells.

“Our training programme continues and we have recently appointed three new candidates to commence their training contracts to service the need for newly qualified solicitors within our various departments and compliment the development of the firm”.

Learn More About Howells' Legal Team 

If you would like to learn more about our solicitors, discover our team page here, or read our latest company news here.

Howells Solicitors is delighted to announce that we have won ‘Conveyancing Firm of the Year – Wales’ at the Modern Law Conveyancing Awards 2016.

The awards celebrate conveyancing firms who ‘provide unique and creative solutions’ for their clients, as well as delivering ‘outstanding customer service’. This was judged by a panel of industry experts, including Sheila Kumar, Chief Executive at the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, and Alasdair Lewis, Director of Legal Services at The Land Registry.

The award ceremony including a champagne reception took place this evening at The Rum Warehouse in Liverpool, where all the finalists gathered for a fantastic evening before finding out who had won the individual honours.

Mark Hobbs, Managing Partner at Howells, is thrilled with the win,

"Winning the Award for the Conveyancing Firm of the Year in Wales means a lot to the whole company. We have conveyancing departments in all six of our offices and every member of the team deserves praise for their part in helping us to achieve this title. The number of cases we have completed has increased significantly during the past 12 months but our recruitment and staff training and development policies has enabled us to maintain our high standards as the company grows.”

Read more: Howells’ Teams Are Shortlisted for Modern Law Conveyancing Awards 2016

Last night, we swept the board winning three UK conveyancing industry awards including ‘Best Overall Conveyancing Firm of the Year’ at the Law Firm Services Awards in Birmingham.

It is the second consecutive year we have won the title, a first for any UK law firm and one that we are proud to say positions us as a market leader in the conveyancing industry.

Howells Solicitors were also named as the ‘Best Regional Conveyancing Firm of the Year in Wales and the West Midlands’ and the ‘Best Direct Conveyancing Firm’.

Warm Words of Congratulations 

Mark Hobbs, our Managing Director here at Howells Solicitors, is delighted to have won the awards for a second time. He has said: 

“Winning the three awards last year was very special and we certainly didn’t expect to repeat that level of success. This year is our 20th anniversary and being named once again as the Best Overall Conveyancing Firm of the Year is fantastic recognition for everyone at Howells Solicitors who has contributed towards our success during this time.

“Over the last 12 months, alongside other conveyancing companies and those involved in the housing market, we have had to deal with a surge of investors and landlords all wanting to purchase properties before the changes in Stamp Duty Land Tax in April, the uncertainty in the market both pre and post Brexit and the subsequent interest rate changes which has impacted on the number of conveyancing cases we deal with. 

“Our conveyancing teams have worked incredibly hard to maintain our high standards of customer satisfaction, whilst our business development department has nurtured our local client base as well as developing relationships across the whole of the UK with introducers and with direct customers.  Winning the Best Regional and Best Direct Conveyancing Awards is testament to this.”

Learn More About Howells Solicitors

For more information about Howells awards and accreditations, or to see the friendly faces behind the company, take a look at the latest company news here. 

We are delighted to announce that our family law team has been shortlisted for a prestigious Family Law Award 2016. Howells Solicitors has been nominated in the Family Law Regional Firms of the Year – Wales category. 

The winner will be announced in glamorous awards ceremony in Bloomsburg Big Top, London, on Wednesday 23rd November.

What Are the Family Law Awards 2016?

The Family Law Awards recognise the work undertaken in this specific area of law. Nominations are made by clients and fellow industry professionals and the shortlist of winners is chosen by a judging panel including the heads of the Association of Lawyers for Children, Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, Family Law Bar Association and Resolution, along with Family Law editors and publishing executives. 

Why Has Howells Been Nominated? 

We offer a comprehensive range of family law services including children disputes, prenuptial agreements, cohabitation and financial matters. The department is also a preferred resource for a growing number of organisations including the South Wales Police Federation.

The family law team also provide pro-bono advice for numerous voluntary organisations and charities across South Wales that help and support people faced with social, physical and mental issues. Plus, they work with, and for, the students and staff at the University of South Wales, providing legal advice and guidance.

Mark Hobbs, Managing Director of Howells Solicitors is pleased that the work of our family law department has been recognised on a national level. Commenting on the announcement of the award shortlisting he said:

“Family law is often an emotive and complex area. Our team are vastly experienced and each have specific areas of expertise to enable us to provide a comprehensive service for clients. 

“Our family law department receives a large number of referrals and repeat business which demonstrates how well respected the work they undertake is. The department was also recently listed in the prestigious Legal 500 publication. We look forward to the Award finals in November and hope to achieve further success.”

Learn More About Howells Solicitors

For the latest company news, as well as useful resources, take a look at our law blog, and to learn more about Howells’ awards and accreditations click here.

Five of our solicitors and various departments have been recognised for their expertise and experience in the industry renowned 2016 edition of the Legal 500 publication.

What is the Legal 500?

Essentially, the publication is a leading guide to UK based law firms. Individuals, departments and companies are ranked based on feedback received from 250,000 clients, applications and interviews undertaken by the publishers.

Who Has Been Included in the 2016 Edition of the Legal 500?

Nathan Vidini, Partner and Head of Employment Law has been individually mentioned as a professional who is ‘passionate about claimant work’ and a ‘trusted pair of hands’, and the employment department has been named as‘one to watch’ as a result of Nathan joining Howells.

Our family law team was recognised as being one of the best in Wales and our clients singled out Richard Scott, Partner and Solicitor as‘a good and sensible family lawyer’. 

Individuals in our personal tax, trusts and probate department received strong endorsements in the Legal 500. 

‘Co-headed by the patient and understanding Laith Khatib, Director and Head of Wills, Probate and Asset Management and John O’Connell, Consultant and Solicitor, Howells Solicitors performs exceptionally well in this area. Claire Davis helps families set up wills and lifetime trusts to protect vulnerable and disabled children.’

In the specialist area of contentious trusts and probate, Laith Khatib received additional mentions and the department was listed as amongst the best.

‘At Howells Solicitors, the intelligent, sensible and practical Laith Khatib provides an ‘exemplary level of service’ and is well liked by clients, lawyers and courts alike’. 

Finally, in the commercial property section, Rhidian Hobbs, Director and Head of Commercial Services is described as having, ‘expertise in landlord and tenant work as well as development and business transfers.’

Thoroughly Deserved Recognition for Our Solicitors 

Mark Hobbs, Managing Director of Howells Solicitors, said: 

“It has been an exceptional year for the company” 

“The rankings and comments received in the Legal 500 for all of the individuals and departments are suitably appropriate and should be seen as endorsements regarding the expertise of the comprehensive personal and business legal services we provide for our clients. We are proud to employ some of the leading legal experts in their specific areas of law and will be utilising this experience to continue to grow and develop the company.”

For the latest news on the Howells teams’ accreditations, awards and appointments, follow our company news here. 

Two years after we opened our specialist conveyancing centre of excellence in Bridgend, the additional work generated by and undertaken by our team has helped us achieve one of our short term objectives of becoming a top five conveyancing firm in the UK.

Thanks to the success of the Bridgend conveyancing hub, we have been able to increase our client base beyond Wales to England and have won a number of industry awards that have names us as the best conveyancing firm in the UK.

About Our Bridgend Conveyancing Centre 

The Bridgend centre was opened with the assistance of a £100,000 grant from the Welsh Government Economic Fund. Initially creating 13 new jobs and safeguarding three, the growth in demand for our conveyancing services has resulted in the appointment of Helen Shamo. 

Helen is a new partner to the firm who is based in Bridgend, she works alongside Michael Smith, Director and Alun Rosser, Partner and their respective teams of legal professionals.

Commenting on the growth of the Bridgend office over the last 24 months, Mark Hobbs, Managing Partner of Howells Solicitors said, 

“Our Bridgend Centre of Excellence has been a resounding success for the business. Whilst some of the team based there are responsible for undertaking conveyancing cases for clients in the Bridgend area, the majority are working with a growing client base from across England and Wales as we are establishing stronger relationships with direct clients and introducer networks across the country.

 

“Post Brexit, the housing market remains very active and we are confident that this level of activity will continue for the foreseeable future which inevitably will result in us being able to continue to expand our operation in Bridgend creating more new roles which ultimately will in part benefit the local economy.”

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new commercial litigation department and that we have appointed Jacky Jones, former Managing Partner and Head of Litigation at RDP Law in Newport, to lead the new division.

The new department follows the successful relaunch of the employment Law department last year and is the next stage of our long term business plan to extend the range of commercial legal services we provide for our growing client base.

Who is Jacky Jones?

Jacky Jones joins us after a successful 15-year career at her former employers where she headed the department and was in part responsible for its growth and development.

Our new commercial litigation department will be providing services for both businesses and professional individuals, in areas including commercial property disputes and litigation, debt recovery and enforcement, and company share and ownership disputes.

Commenting on her new role and development plans, Jacky said, 

“I have previously focused on high net worth cases and at Howells I will continue to do this as well as providing these services for whoever requires them. Initially, I will be working with commercially experienced solicitors already employed by Howells including those in the established and well respected Employment Law and Commercial Property teams. 

“As the case load increases we will be recruiting to build our own specialist team. There is a lot of potential here to build a department with a formidable reputation in the South Wales and South West business communities.”

Welcoming Jacky Jones to Howells Solicitors, Mark Hobbs, Managing Partner said, 

“The company as a whole has performed exceptionally well over the past couple of years. We have previously been asked by clients to provide commercial litigation services for them and Jacky’s appointment now enables us to do this as well as seek out new opportunities. It is essential that as a leading law practice we employ senior solicitors with Jacky’s experience to maintain our exacting standards.”

Learn More About Howells 

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