Sadie Adams and Christopher Chan featured above. Victoria Best pictured below. 

We have offered three law graduates training contracts in recognition of their performance to date at our Welsh law firm.

Internal Appointments Develop Young Talent 

Sadie Adams, a graduate from Cardiff University, is currently working in the Conveyancing department of the Cardiff office, Christopher Chan graduated from University of Glamorgan and is training in the Personal Injury and Matrimonial departments, again based in the Cardiff office, and University of South Wales graduate Victoria Best is in the Conveyancing department of the Talbot Green branch.

All three graduates have been promoted internally. The senior management team were keen to recognise their career progress to date by offering them the opportunity to participate in the established training programme which, when successfully completed, will enable them to qualify as solicitors.

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

“The quality of applicants for the training programme is getting stronger each year. It is an integral part of Howells’ business development plan to train and develop aspiring solicitors who have demonstrated their competency and ability in the legal industry. The Heads of Department and myself are looking forward to working with Sadie, Chris and Victoria whilst they undertake their contracts and we are hopeful that when completed we will be able to offer them positions as solicitors at Howells.”

Each of the graduates will be spending time in various departments learning about different areas of law under the supervision of senior members of the department as they gain the vital experience and knowledge they will need as they progress with their chosen career.

Sadie Adams is looking forward to the challenge of accepting the additional responsibilities her new role will require. Commenting on this, she said, 

“I have been with Howells for three years and have spent most of my time in the conveyancing department so I have a good working knowledge of our own internal systems. I will now be working on more complex cases that will draw upon my existing experience and require me to learn more about specific elements of law.”

Gaining experience in new areas of law is particularly appealing to Chris Chan. He said, 

“My first seat is in the Personal Injury and Matrimonial departments which are two new areas of law for me. It’s a constant learning process and I’m benefitting from working with my department ‘mentors’ who are taking the time to impart their knowledge.”

 

Victoria Best from our Talbot Green branch is working in the office’s conveyancing team to start off with and will then move to a new department once she has completed her seat here. She said, 

“Like Sadie, I have previously worked in the conveyancing department and enjoy the busy environment. I was delighted to be offered a training contract and look forward to gaining experience from the different departments I will be working in during the duration of the programme.”

Working for Howells

Would you love to join our growing team of experienced legal minds? Then take a look at our current vacancies on our recruitment page. 

We are fundraising to provide our support for Dreams & Wishes, a wonderful charity established by Tony Curtis MBE, dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families by making their dreams and wishes come true.

How Are Howells Helping? 

We want to make this Christmas extra special for the children and to do this Wendy Hobbs has written and published an enchanting children’s Christmas story. All profits will be donated to the charity.

‘Claudia's Special Wish’ was launched on the 19th November by Alun Cairns, Secretary of State for Wales, the Welsh Guards and the event was attended by board members of the charity.

Tony Curtis MBE, Chairman of Dreams & Wishes said:

“We are delighted that Wendy accepted our invitation to write this special children’s book for us. The story is a compelling read that ties in with what we want to achieve as a charity - to grant the wishes of the children we have the pleasure of meeting and getting to know, whilst they battle and show exceptional courage against the illnesses they are dealing with. 

“Wendy has created a book that shines and warms the heart, and I hope that as many people as possible buy their own copy to both enjoy the story and illustrations as well as support our charity.”

Major Retailers Are Eager to Help

A growing number of local and national companies, including M&S, Waitrose and the Monmouthshire Building Society, are getting involved by hosting book signing events with Wendy, and placing orders for the book which they are then reselling or gifting to their own staff and customers. 

Wendy is thrilled that her book has already been so well received. She said: 

“It was an honour to be asked to help a charity that I know so well and was already a volunteer. Writing ‘Claudia’s Special Wish’ was a delight and a unique experience knowing that what I was going to produce will directly help put a big smile on the faces of the special children and their families this Christmas. 

“The book contains a series of beautiful illustrations that perfectly capture the story. Please show your support for this wonderful charity and buy a copy, all profits generated will be donated to Dreams & Wishes.”

How Can You Buy Your Copy?

‘Claudia’s Special Wish’ is available from Amazon in both paper back or kindle form, where it is already receiving amazing reviews, as well as via Wendy’s website. 

If you or your organisation would like to get involved and lend your support, please contact Wendy via the following links:

Facebook: /ClaudiaQuash

Twitter: @WendyFHobbs

Email: wendyf.hobbs@btinternet.com

We have created two new roles in our expanding IT department to maintain the company’s focus on developing and implementing new software and systems.

New Additions to the Howells Team

IT Manager Carl Smith has joined Howells Solicitors, as well as Rob Williams, a Systems Development Manager. Both will be assuming responsibility for the continuation of the ongoing large IT investment upgrade programme across Howell’s network of six offices.

Our leading Welsh law firm has already implemented and installed new IT and phone infrastructures, as well as a custom-built practice management system. 

Explaining the requirement for the creation of these new roles, Mark Hobbs, Managing Partner here at Howells Solicitors said:

“To maximise the effectiveness of the new technology, we identified the requirement to build an IT department that can provide the necessary support and technical expertise. We are very confident that the recruitment of Carl and Rob will enable us to do this and continue to upgrading our IT to help us maintain the growth we have achieved in the last five years.”

The New Positions

Carl Smith has held senior IT positions in other legal firms over the last decade. In his new role Carl will be managing the upgrading and replacement of the legacy hardware and IT infrastructure, training the staff, and implementing a change management programme throughout the company. 

Commenting on his new role, Carl said: 

“The ongoing IT investment programme will propel Howells to the fore of legal firms who embrace technology to improve their operational efficiencies and overall customer service. I will be working with the senior management team to ensure our department is providing the support and advice required with minimum disruption during the transition and that the staff understand how to use the new hardware and systems effectively.”

Rob Williams will be sourcing, creating and adapting new systems, such as Visualfiles, for use alongside or replacing legacy software. He said: 

“A survey of law firms and their use of IT showed that 42% identified that their business growth plans were being hindered by legacy IT systems. Howells have recognised the importance of investing in IT and have a comprehensive IT plan in place that I am looking forward to helping to deliver.”

 

Learn More About the Howells Team

Here at Howells, we have a vast and experienced legal team that stretches across our many offices. If you would like to learn more about our knowledgeable legal minds, put a face to a name by discovering our team page here. 

Last week we were delighted to win our sixth national conveyancing award of 2016.

A Pleasant End to a Successful 2016 

Shortlisted as a finalist in the ‘Best Large Conveyancer’ category of The Times Estate Agency of the Year Awards 2016, we were presented with the Silver Award at a glittering ceremony in the Hilton London Metropole.

This brings the curtain down on a wonderful award-winning year for the company across all six Howells Solicitors branches. This year we have also seen the company make key appointments in other departments to enable the company to provide comprehensive private and commercial legal services.

A Look Back on the Last 12 Months 

Beginning in April, we won the ‘Professional Services’ Award at the Cardiff Regional Awards finals. Our success continued in July when we were shortlisted for the Modern Law Conveyancing Awards 2016 and were awarded the title of ‘Conveyancing Firm of the Year -Wales’.

In September, we won a hat-trick of Awards at the Law Firm Services Awards in Birmingham for a successive year. As well as being named ‘Best Overall Conveyancing Firm of the Year’, we also claimed the ‘Best Regional Conveyancing Firm of the Year in Wales and the West Midlands’ and the ‘Best Direct Conveyancing Firm’. It was the first time a company had accomplished this achievement.

Mark Hobbs, Managing Partner of Howells Solicitors, was full of praise for the team at Howells. He said, 

“It has been said before and I am very happy to repeat my thanks and appreciation to every member of our team in all our branches for their dedication and hard work. It is down to the quality of the services we provide that we have been so successful and it provides us with the perfect opportunity to continue to improve and grow the business across the board in 2017.”

Our team of solicitors in South Wales are now looking forward to what 2017 may bring. If you would like to learn more about what our expert team have been up to click here.

We recently wrote on this blog how our team is helping children’s author Wendy Hobbs to fundraise for Dreams & Wishes - a charity dedicated to making the dreams of seriously ill children and their families come true.

This week we teamed up with Wendy to help her bring an early Christmas present to 240 children in Barry, South Wales.

Read more: Howells Solicitors is Fundraising for Charity Dreams & Wishes 

A Special Gift for Barry’s Students 

Children’s author Wendy Hobbs visited Jenner Park Primary School in Barry this morning to gift each pupil with a copy of ‘Claudia’s Special Wish’ and read excerpts from it. We’re very pleased to have organised the visit after running a social media campaign which invited invite local schools to request a visit from the popular children’s author.

Jenner Park Primary School was chosen because of the collective efforts and hard work of the staff, parents and pupils to work together in areas to provide a good education for the next generation.

We donated 240 copies of the book and Wendy spent the morning meeting the staff and pupils before reading passages from the story to them and presenting them each with a signed copy. 

Tristan Lewis, Business Development Manager here at Howells Solicitors explains: 

“We have been supporting Dreams and Wishes throughout the year and have enormous respect for Tony Curtis MBE and his team at the charity. Their dedication to the cause is incredible and their actions genuinely speak louder than words as they help the wishes of the children they support come true. 

“We wanted to do something special to show our support this Christmas. Donating copies of ‘Claudia’s Special Wish’ to each of the pupils at Jenner Park will bring happiness to the young readers whilst we are also supporting this wonderful charity. It’s a win-win for both parties and we are delighted to be involved.”

More About the Book 

‘Claudia’s Special Wish’ is an enchanting Christmas story written by Wendy by request for Dreams & Wishes, a fantastic non-profit local charity that helps and supports seriously ill children and their families. All profits from the sale of the book will be used to help grant the dreams and wishes of these very special children and to put a smile on their faces at a challenging time for them.

Sarah Kirby, Deputy Headteacher at Jenner Park Primary School, said:

“We were thrilled to welcome Wendy to our school this morning. Our pupils were very excited to meet an author and it was lovely to see all of them smiling when they listened to Wendy reading her story to them. I would like to thank Howells Solicitors for giving each of our pupils their own copy of ‘Claudia’s Special Wish,’ and of course Wendy for spending her time with us this morning.”

Wendy Hobbs was delighted to accept the invite to visit the school. She said: 

“I think I have had as much fun as the pupils this morning.  I always enjoy these visits and to be invited to Jenner Park at this special time of the year and share the excitement of the children was fantastic and very satisfying knowing that due to Howells’ donation the children in the school and those supported by Dreams and Wishes will all benefit.”

The Employment Law department at Howells Solicitors has been further strengthened by the appointment of David Lewis, an Associate Solicitor with a well established reputation for advising both individuals and businesses on all manner of employment law matters.

Who is David Lewis?

David, who grew up in Cardiff, had previously left South Wales following his qualification as a solicitor to become involved in a landmark, multi-million-pound litigation running in the Royal Courts of Justice in London; representing one of the largest privately owned companies in the UK.

Eventually returning to Wales, David was employed by a regional law firm as an Associate Solicitor within their employment team and utilised his company commercial experience to bolster their business services offering. As a result, David tends towards a bias for assisting companies, organisations and charities over individuals, with their work placed issues. 

Expanding Our Employment Law Department 

David joins Howells in a newly created role working with Nathan Vidini, Head of Employment Law, and his team based in the Cardiff office. 

The department needed to recruit an experienced employment law solicitor to enable the team to manage their increasing case load and continue to action the five-year business development plan implemented by Nathan following his appointment last year.

In parallel to his employment practice, David has developed a strong sports law following, advising several high profile professional and amateur sports clubs as well as professional athletes themselves; particularly in contract/exit agreement negotiations, sponsorship arrangements and disciplinary issues. 

David advised Sam Warburton, Wales and British and Irish Lions Captain, during his negotiations with the WRU over the first centralised players’ contract and regularly represents both club and international level players both in Wales, Europe and from Southern Hemisphere teams.  

Commenting on David’s appointment, Nathan Vidini, Head of Employment Law said: 

“David is a very well respected and experienced employment law expert. He has earnt a strong reputation for providing robust advice and representation to companies on all manner of employment related issues including drafting contracts and policies, H.R. guidance and employment disputes/tribunal cases. 

“His specific expertise in advising a range of companies perfectly compliments and strengthens our employment law department. This will enable Howells to continue to grow and provide first class advice to all our clients.”

David Lewis said: 

“Joining the Employment Law department at Howells provides me with the perfect opportunity to utilise my professional skills and experience in a forward thinking and progressive environment. 

“I had watched Howells make a series of senior appointments throughout 2016 as part of a clear strategy to strengthen their departments and in particular their business services.

“I am very pleased to now be a member of that team and am committed to playing my part during this exciting growth period.”

Meet the Howells Team

If you would like to learn more about our growing team or what our solicitors have been up to lately, follow our company news section here. 

Alternatively, if you’d like to learn more about our friendly team, discover our staff profiles here. 

Emma O’Brien has successfully completed her training contract with us and has started in her new role as a solicitor in our busy Conveyancing Department. 

Congratulations Emma on Qualifying as a Solicitor! 

After graduating from Bournemouth University and studying for her LPC in Cardiff University, Emma joined Howells in October 2012 before commencing her training contract in February 2015. 

Now based in our Cardiff office, Emma has joined our residential conveyancing department and will manage transactions including:

•house buying and selling

•new build properties

•shared ownership

•shared equity or help to buy transactions

•transfers of equity and mortgages

Commenting on her new role and completing the training contract, Emma said: 

“Since day one at Howells, I have felt that I have had responsibility alongside the correct level of supervision. The training provided me with a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable experience in the various departments and with their individual specialists. 

“Qualifying as a conveyancing solicitor is the next chapter in my legal career and I am very pleased to be able to play a part in the growth of Howells Solicitors.”

Rhidian Hobbs, Training Principal and Director here at Howells Solicitors, is pleased that Emma has completed her training contract and accepted our job offer. He said: 

“Emma is a well-liked and respected member of our team. She has excelled during her training, is an excellent communicator and has developed good working relationships with property developers, estate agents and financial advisors. 

“Developing and encouraging individuals like Emma will further strengthen the firm and help us to continue providing a first-class service for our clients. We would all like to congratulate Emma and wish her every success as she continues her career here at Howells Solicitors.”

Get to Know Our Growing Team 

Emma starts her new position in our growing team of qualified solicitors and legal experts. If you would like to get to know our friendly solicitors, browse our team page or take a look at our latest company news. 

Earlier this month we were given the opportunity to secure Cyber Essentials accreditation. 

Our IT Manager, Carl Smith, and Systems Development Manager, Rob Williams, have been responsible for ensuring all the necessary procedures and documentation were in place and implemented for our successful assessment.

We are now pleased to say we have demonstrated our commitment to cybersecurity and achieved the Cyber Essentials accreditation.

What is Cyber Essentials?

Cyber Essentials is a government-backed scheme launched to help organisations protect themselves and their customers against common cyber-attacks. It is recognised by many of the UK’s leading business organisations including the CBI and FSB.

Businesses and organisations that achieve the Cyber Essentials mark are minimising risks against the two common types of cyber-attack: phishing, which is malware infection generated by users clicking on malicious email attachments or website links, and hacking, whereby criminals exploit known vulnerabilities in internet connected servers and devices using widely available tools and techniques.

How Did We Achieve the Accreditation? 

Led by Carl and Rob, we were required to meet the following criteria:

•Demonstrated appropriate levels of quality assurance processes, security controls, security assessment methodologies and met additional qualification criteria.

•Signed a code of conduct.

•Proven access to technically competent and qualified staff.

•Committed to abiding to the requirements of Certification Bodies for Cyber Essentials.

Why We Need it

Carl Smith, IT Manager at Howells Solicitors said: 

“With an increasing reliance on using online software and programmes for our day to day business, we understand how important it is to minimise any online security threats and how disruptive these can be. 

“This certification demonstrates that we are fully compliant when it comes to cyber security. Our suppliers and clients rely on us to provide secure infrastructure and we are always looking for ways to improve how we manage cyber security threats. For those we work with, this certification provides additional peace of mind.”

To learn more about our law firm and our accreditations, please click here. 

What a Night at the Cardiff Life Awards!

We were delighted to attend the Cardiff Life Awards last week and spend an enjoyable evening in the company of many of Cardiff’s leading businesses celebrating the successes achieved during the past year.

The variety and quality of the companies and individuals in attendance really demonstrated the strength of our city and why it is one of the most popular places to live and work in the UK.

We were very proud to have been shortlisted as finalists in two categories, Legal & Financial and Property.

And the winner of the ‘Property’ category was……..Howells Solicitors

We were thrilled to be named as the winner of this category and appreciative of the kind comments provided by the judging panel who described our company as, “a forward-thinking business investing smartly in tech who clearly value their employees, with an excellent reputation in the property sector.”

Congratulations to all our fellow finalists in this category who are all companies with fantastic reputations for providing great quality products and services.

Complementing our own property teams, Mark Hobbs, managing director of Howells Solicitors said, “Once again, due to the skills and expertise of our staff, Howells Solicitors has been recognised as a market leader by respected peers. I would like to thank each and every person of the team at Howells who’s contribution has helped us to win this award.”

“The company has grown significantly in size and stature over the last couple of years. We have very exciting growth plans in place across all our departments and will be using this award win to attract more candidates to the firm who share our passion to provide the highest standard of comprehensive legal services for private and commercial clients. To view the current vacancies we have, please visit the recruitment page of our website.”

 

We are delighted to announce the creation of a minimum of 10 new jobs across our six South Wales offices and are keen to encourage individuals with appropriate qualifications and experience to apply to join our growing multi-award winning teams.

What Legal Job Positions Are Available?

The roles available are varied and will provide opportunities for legal professionals of all levels of experience with new, exciting challenges to join our company as we continue to expand and establish ourselves as one of the leading multi-practice law firms in Wales.

The roles we are currently advertising include the following positions:

•Agent Cashier/Receptionist, Caerphilly

•Commercial Property Solicitor, Cardiff

•Company Commercial Solicitor, Cardiff

•Conveyancing Assistants in Cardiff and Swansea

•Legal Assistant, Employment Department, Cardiff

•Legal Executive, Family Department, Cardiff

•Marketing Assistant, Telesales team, Cardiff

•Paralegal, Personal Injury, Cardiff

•Residential Conveyancing Solicitor/Licensed Conveyancer, Cardiff 

•Solicitor, Family Department, Cardiff

All the positions will include comprehensive training and an extremely competitive salary with additional benefits commensurate to your level.

Further details for each of the roles can be viewed on our recruitment page.

We also anticipate creating more roles in the coming months and advise interested parties to get in touch to register their interest in joining our team. 

Read more: 

Employment Law Specialist Joins Our Growing Department

Howells Solicitors Has Achieved Cyber Essential Accreditation

We’ve Helped a Local Author Donate 240 Books to a Primary School  

Local author Wendy Hobbs was recently invited to visit St Athan Primary School in the Vale of Glamorgan to read excerpts from ‘Claudia’s Special Wish’ - a book she wrote to raise funds for the wonderful Dreams & Wishes charity.

Howells Help to Encourage Children to Read 

During her visit, Wendy was introduced to the pupils during a special assembly and we were delighted to accept an invitation to continue to support the charity by gifting each pupil with their own copy of Wendy’s enchanting story. 

Dreams & Wishes, established by Tony Curtis MBE is dedicated to helping make the dreams of seriously ill children and their families come true by organising and arranging trips, activities and special events. Their work is truly inspirational, helping make the very challenging times those affected are facing more tolerable by providing special moments and memories for all involved.

St Athan Primary School’s Headteacher, Louise Haynes, was delighted to welcome Wendy to the school and very appreciative of the special surprise we had arranged.

“Wendy and I recently met at the launch of the St Athan Community Hub and Library (SACHAL), a charity run community library run by local people. Wendy was one of five published authors lending their support by reading excerpts from their books to visitors at the event. I was very impressed with Wendy’s popularity with the children and the delightful story she has written so I invited her to visit the school to inspire our pupils.

“The visit has been a complete success and when Tristan Lewis, Business Development Manager for Howells Solicitors told me that they were gifting a copy of Wendy’s book to each of our pupils everyone involved with the school were thrilled to bits. It is particularly satisfying knowing that the children and families supported by Dreams & Wishes will also benefit.”

“Commenting on their decision to make this donation, Tristan Lewis said, “We have previously lent our support to fund raise for Dreams & Wishes. The charity is very special in so many ways, and we know that all monies raised is used for its intended purpose and has such a positive impact. As Louise said, in this instance, the pupils at St Athan Primary School and those looked after by Dreams & Wishes will all remember Wendy’s visit .”

To learn more about Howells’ work with Wendy and a previous school visit, please read ‘We’ve Helped a Local Author Donate 240 Books to a Primary School’.

Alternatively, for more company news click here. 

We are proud to announce that Howells was named as ‘Conveyancing Firm of the Year – Wales’ at the Modern Law Conveyancing Awards last week for the second consecutive year.

Conveyancing Firm of the Year for the Second Time 

Competing against other leading conveyancing companies, the independent expert panel of judges awarded us the title for the second year in a row.

Mark Hobbs, our Managing Director, represented Howells Solicitors at the Awards Ceremony in The Rum Warehouse, Liverpool and was delighted to receive the award on behalf of our conveyancing teams.

Commenting on the win, he said, 

“To maintain the high levels of customer service recognised by the judging panel to repeat the success of 2016 is a fantastic achievement by our conveyancing teams based in our six South Wales offices. The department has had another record year in terms of the number of conveyancing cases we have completed both helping clients buy and sell their properties and winning this award clearly demonstrates our growth has not impacted on the quality of our work.”

To build on our continued success we are keen to encourage suitably qualified legal professionals to join our conveyancing teams. Mark Hobbs said,

“We are currently recruiting for a number of residential conveyancing posts including solicitors and legal assistants in our six offices and would encourage legal professionals seeking to pursue their career in a multi-awarding winning law firm to visit our website to register their interest.”

An Award-Winning Solicitors in South Wales 

From award wins to charitable donations, recruitment updates to our latest accreditations, discover our latest company news on our blog or get in touch on 0808 178 2773 to speak to our friendly and knowledgeable team.

We are often approached by graduates and students, from a variety of disciplines, who are looking for various roles in the legal sector. Often, we are asked what qualifications are required to become a conveyancer, as well as what experience will make candidates stand out from the crowd when applying for graduate roles. 

With this in mind, we decided to write an entry that would provide an overview of the qualifications required and the various career paths available in the conveyancing field.

The Routes to Qualification

The traditional route into any legal role with a fee earning capacity is to complete an LLB degree (Bachelor’s degree in law) and then hone the skills and knowledge acquired on the course by completing a Legal Practice Course (LPC). 

Following completion of this, the next step is to acquire a training contract within a law firm; qualifying as a solicitor on completion of this position. Graduates of non-Law disciplines can still qualify, providing they pass a supplementary, year-long Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) before enrolling onto the LPC.

Non-graduates, who work in a legal environment, can join the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. Candidates looking to do this will need to have at least four GCSEs at A*-C grades, including English, or recognised equivalents. This form of qualification will involve sitting examinations, as well as work-based learning. 

Those who undergo this route to qualification will be required to sit various examinations and to also undertake CILEx-approved employment. This can be particularly beneficial to those wishing to qualify, but are in need of the income afforded to them by this mode of study. 

Successful completion of the course will make candidates Members of the CILEx, with the opportunity to become a Fellow arising once enough experience as a qualified Legal Executive has been gained. It should be noted that this route can take up to twice as long as the current graduate route, due to the blended learning model (work and classroom) that is required for its completion.

Alternatively, it is possible to become a Licensed Conveyancer by passing exams set by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).

Forthcoming Changes to Qualification

The current graduate route is being changed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). In April 2017, the SRA announced plans to introduce a Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE); this replacing the current LPC and training contract model. 

The Chair of the SRA Board, Enid Rowlands, commented on the strong “public appetite for a central assessment” on the SRA website, stating that, 

‘Four in five adults in England and Wales told us they believed everyone should pass the same final exam to become a solicitor, while three quarters said they would have more confidence in solicitors if they all passed the same final exam.’

These centralised changes are set to be in effect by 2020 and, under these, the new route to qualification will entail:

•Obtaining a degree or equivalent qualification

•Passing the new SQE

•Successfully completing two years of relevant legal work experience

•Passing the SRA’s character and suitability test

It should be noted that the SQE is the only new element being introduced to the procedure, with the other three elements being already requisites to becoming a Solicitor.

However, the changes are not only being made to improve the standards of legal practice. Part of the motivation for the new proposals is to facilitate upwards social mobility by making a career in law more easily accessible to those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In another consultation write-up on the SRA website, Rowlands has stated that,

‘A strong and respected legal profession is enhanced if unnecessary barriers to good candidates becoming solicitors, regardless of their backgrounds, are removed. The SQE will facilitate the development of more flexible pathways to qualification for those who are able to meet the robust standards of the assessment.’

This is a commendable motivation and will likely prove cost-effective to graduates who are currently paying substantial amounts of money to study the GDL and/or the LPC, before working towards obtaining an elusive training contract, which itself lasts around two years.

Which Area Should You Go Into?

Deciding on which area of law you would like to specialise in is an important decision, which deserves your thorough consideration. A few important points for your deliberation are below:

Volume

Residential conveyancing tends to command a high-volume caseload. This is due to the fact that competition between solicitors in the past led to unsustainably low fees, which are now stabilising, as fewer practitioners have entered the field than did so previously. 

Commercial transactions tend to take longer than residential ones. Thus, a commercial conveyancer will likely have fewer cases than their residential colleagues. However, commercial cases are notoriously complex and will require even more attention to detail than their residential counterparts.

Negotiations

The terms of residential transactions are typically negotiated by the relevant parties and co-ordinated by the estate agents involved. This means that legal representatives are only responsible for implementing the terms of their client’s business and are not involved in negotiating them.

Because the contracts are exchanged earlier in commercial property transactions than they are in residential cases, this means that commercial conveyancers can be responsible for assisting in their clients’ negotiations. This will suit people who are able to persuade effectively and who thrive in negotiations, but may prove challenging for those who are uncomfortable in such situations.

Is Conveyancing Right for You?

Overall, conveyancing will suit those who: can work at a fast pace, with a methodical approach; are able to work to deadlines, which are sometimes very tight; enjoy interacting with fellow professionals in the property market, and are technically accurate in a wide range of legal areas.

At Howells Solicitors, we are always on the lookout for talented and driven individuals who can join our team and make a good contribution. We regularly recruit university graduates and have links with the University of South Wales, who regularly refer able candidates to us. 

To keep up to date with the vacancies that we have available, see the recruitment page of our website.

We were thrilled to win two awards at the LFS Conveyancing Awards event last night in the VOX centre at the NEC in Birmingham.

About Our LFS Conveyancing Awards  

Over 100 conveyancing firms from across the UK entered the awards and the talent and experience of our conveyancing professionals across all six of our offices was recognised and rewarded by the independent judging panel who awarded Howells Solicitors the title of ‘Best Conveyancer in the Wales and West Midlands’ category, and highly commended us in the ‘Overall Conveyancing Firm’ of the year category.

Representing Howells Solicitors at the event, Mark and Wendy Hobbs, Laith Khatib and Tristan Lewis were delighted to take to the stage to accept the awards on behalf of the company. 

Mark Hobbs, Managing Partner said: 

“Once again our fantastic conveyancing teams have demonstrated they are amongst the best in the whole of the UK. We are continually improving our processes and systems, and feedback received from clients we have bought and sold houses for remains very positive whilst the number of transactions we are completing increases.  

“I would like to thank each and every member of our team - they are the reason we are making a habit of winning these awards and it is one we aim to continue.”

Continued Awards Success

This is the fourth year in a row we have won the regional title for the Wales and the West Midlands category of the LFS Conveyancing Awards where last year we completed a first for any UK law firm and claimed the overall title for two consecutive years.

In July this year, we were also named as the ‘Conveyancing Firm of the Year – Wales’ at the Modern Law Conveyancing Awards for a second time.

Read more: It’s Two in a Row for Howells at the Modern Law Conveyancing Awards 

Exciting Times Ahead

Winning these titles reassures us that our ambitious business plan is working. All our departments have achieved the targets set for them over the last 12 months and we have implemented an extensive recruitment campaign to manage this growth. 

We will also shortly be moving from our Cardiff office into a larger central city location where we will be able to use the additional space to further invest in new technology to help the company grow and expand.

To keep up with all the latest Howells news, please follow our regular posts here. 

Last week, the 2017 edition of the Legal 500 was published. Individuals and departments from Howells Solicitors have historically been included in the publication and this year was no exception.

We featured in five categories of this year’s legal 500 with key personnel receiving individual mentions.

•Family Law

•Contentious Trusts and Probate

•Personal Tax, Trusts and Pensions 

•Commercial Property

•Employment

What is the Legal 500?

The publication is an independent guide that ranks the performance of legal professionals, departments and companies from across the UK based on their own extensive market research that includes feedback from 250,000 clients, interviews with the relevant parties and submissions made. Legal 500 does not include a section for residential conveyancing.

Why Has Howells Been Recognised? 

Family Law

Our family law department provides a comprehensive range of legal services for clients involving all aspects of family law. We have an established team of solicitors who specialise in key areas and work together on behalf of clients to expert support, guidance and understanding.

The Legal 500 comments:

‘Fielding two practitioners in Cardiff and one in Caerphilly, Howells Solicitors ‘really does punch above its weight’ and provides an ‘excellent service’ on everything from public/private child law matters to high-net-worth divorces. 

‘‘Standout lawyer’ Richard Scott provides ‘sensible, realistic advice and is able to quickly identify what the case is about and what the objectives for the client should be’. Scott has a particular niche advising police officers in divorce proceedings and regularly handles matters on behalf of the South Wales and Gwent Police Federations. 

‘As well as his police force work, Scott also handles work covering the waterfront of family law including cases relating to complicated financial proceedings involving foreign assets, children cases and pre-nuptial agreements.’

Contentious Trusts and Probate

Laith Khatib, Director and Head of Wills, Probate and Asset Management, leads our expert team of solicitors who are establishing themselves as one of the best in this this specialist field. The department has actively recruited key personnel during the past 12 months to further strengthen the quality of the legal services they provide.

The Legal 500 comments:

‘At Howells Solicitors, the ‘very knowledgeable’ and ‘technically sound’ team head Laith Khatib is ‘one of the leading contentious practitioners in Wales’ and has significant experience in all manner of estates, including those involving commercial issues. 

‘As well as handling direct instructions, Khatib often receives referrals from other law firms. Recent work has included prosecuting and defending numerous claims brought under The Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.’

Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate 

Again, under the leadership of Laith Khatib, our personal tax, trusts and probate team have an enviable reputation for providing in-depth legal advice and guidance for a wide variety of such matters including complex and technical cases. Four members of our team received recognition in this year’s Legal 500.

The Legal 500 comments:

‘The ‘responsive and commercial’ team at Howells Solicitors has a ‘real ability to think outside the box’, enabling it to provide particular value to clients on complex estate planning matters. 

‘Although he is perhaps best known for his contentious probate expertise, the ‘very knowledgeable and calm’ Laith Khatib also provides ‘practical and sensible solutions’ to clients across the gamut of estate planning work, including the preparation of complex wills and lifetime trusts designed to protect assets and/or reduce IHT exposure. 

‘Claire Davis continues to advise families on setting up wills and lifetime trusts, with an emphasis on protecting vulnerable and disabled children. 

‘Consultant John O’Connell has vast experience in the private client field; in addition to advising on wills and lifetime trusts, he is also involved in a professional deputy capacity to help look after the property and financial affairs for clients who lack capacity. 

‘‘Helpful and supportive’ solicitor Hayley Rees has significant private client experience, including advising unmarried couples on the protection of their assets in the event of the breakdown of the relationship or death of one of the parties.’

Commercial Property

Located in our Cardiff office, our commercial property team provides a full service for clients buying, selling, renting and leasing commercial property. Our department provides individual solutions for each client and has the capability and expertise to scale their services so they can represent sole traders and national organisations. 

The Legal 500 comments:

‘Howells Solicitors acts for its impressive roster of private clients on high-end residential conveyancing work, and also handles standalone commercial property matters. Rhidian Hobbs leads on the commercial property front and has expertise across a range of matters including landlord and tenant, owner-occupier work, development and business transfers.’

Employment Law

Our employment law department has been restructured over the past 12 months with a number of key promotions and appointments made. Now headed by David Lewis, our department has recruited a team of solicitors who specialise in representing employers and employees for a wide range of employment law matters. 

The Legal 500 comments:

‘Howells Solicitors’ employment group includes associate David Lewis, who joined from Harding Evans LLP and brings experience advising local businesses across a range of HR issues, employment disputes and contract and policies drafting. Lewis also has niche expertise in sports issues and has handled exit and contract negotiations for numerous well-known sporting individuals.’

 

Mark Hobbs, Managing Director of Howells Solicitor is very pleased with the recognition received in this year’s publication. He said, 

“Our conveyancing departments have won multiple national awards and accreditations over the past couple of years. We have invested in strengthening all of our departments through the development of our own staff, the recruitment of experienced legal professionals and proactive marketing campaigns and it’s fantastic to receive this recognition for some of the other legal services we provide.”

If you would like to learn more about our friendly and knowledgeable team here at Howells, discover our team page here or read the latest Howells company news for regular updates. 

Our employment law team has constantly evolved since its launch in 2010. Working with a growing client list of employers and employees we have gained a good reputation in the industry for all we have represented during this period.

To continue this progress and to manage the growth of the department whilst maintaining the high standards we have set for ourselves, we have restructured and made a series of key promotions and appointments.

Key Members of the Employment Law Team

David Lewis, Head of Employment Law

David Lewis joined the company in 2016 as an Associate Solicitor and immediately demonstrated his legal knowledge and expertise working on many complex employment law cases for clients. 

David has extensive experience working both here in South Wales and across the UK guiding businesses, charities and partnerships through the complexities of labour laws. He has also developed a niche sports law practice where he represents multiple international athletes. 

Leading the restructuring of the department, David has recruited an additional three fee earners to the team and they collectively now provide a plethora of expert employment law services that are already building a strong following of commercial and individual clients.

Gemma Bailey, Associate Solicitor

Joining Howells after working for a prestigious Cardiff Law Firm for over a decade, Gemma is highly experienced in handling complex employment law disputes and has a particular interest in contentious matters.

Gemma advises both individual and company clients on employment disputes in all aspects of employment law. She is also a long-standing volunteer adviser for the Law Works Pro Bono Employment Advice Clinic in Cardiff and provides training to HR professionals, and is a CIPD recognised university lecturer.

Nayo Kirkpatrick, Solicitor

Specialising in advising commercial and individual clients on internal grievance and disciplinary issues, negotiating employee departures and settlement agreements, as well as retained HR support to commercial clients, Nayo is an experienced solicitor whose recent appointment to the team in Howells’s Cardiff office has had an immediate impact.

As a key member of the employment law team, Nayo has already received positive feedback from clients regarding his balanced and strategic approach and advice provided to clients.

Cassidy Hopkins, HR Manager

Cassidy joins the team as both HR Manager for the company and a qualified HR practitioner working with our employment law department.

Prior to joining Howells, Cassidy worked in the HR/Training department of a private healthcare company.

Lucy Richards, Paralegal

Having completed her post-graduate legal diploma in Cardiff University in 2017, Lucy is now applying her academic successes to the real-life issues facing our clients.

Lucy has honed her client skills acting as a volunteer for the Citizens Advice Bureau and within the customer services team of a large corporation prior to embarking her legal career. 

Speak to Our Employment Law Solicitors 

If you are an employee or employer requiring any employment law advice, please contact our employment law solicitors who will be happy to assist you.  

Alternatively find out more about them and our other legal professionals, plus how to contact them, here. 

We are delighted to have the opportunity to support the Dreams & Wishes Charity again this Christmas.

Howells Supports Children’s Charity 

Last year we sold copies of a children’s book especially written for the charity by local author Wendy Hobbs, as well as donating over 500 books to pupils at schools in South Wales.

This year, we have again placed a large order of 'Claudia's Special Wish' books and for the charity’s special Christmas cards. All our team are thrilled to support this wonderful cause and help to create more special memories for very sick children and their families through Dreams and Wishes.

Wendy Hobbs, explains: 

“Claudia's Special Wish' is a beautifully illustrated magical Christmas book written for Dreams & Wishes and launched by the Secretary of State for Wales in November 2016. The story was designed to inspire children and all the profits are donated to seriously ill children and their families. The book has been a great success and it has raised thousands of pounds for very sick children. Due to the books popularity, the charity decided to use the beautiful images on their Christmas cards.”

Wendy will be reading 'Claudia's Special Wish' in the House of Commons in December on behalf of the wonderful Dreams & Wishes Charity.

Want to Show Your Support?

If you would like to buy your own copies of the book or Christmas cards please click here,  and to purchase Christmas cards please email Info@dreamsandwishescharity.org

Prices are as follows:

Christmas Cards £7 per pack

Claudia's Special Wish - £5.99

The Spell of Pencliff - £6.99

We are delighted to announce that we have been named on the panel of approved conveyancers for Eden Stone Homes and are looking forward to guiding their new homeowners through the house buying process on the exclusive development of three and four-bedroom family homes in the rural setting.

Andrea Coombes, Partner and Branch Manager of our Talbot Green office has visited the new Eden Stone Homes development in Aberthin in the Vale of Glamorgan. She said:

“We are one of only a few conveyancing companies in South Wales to have specialist teams of new build experts. Our experience and transparent fixed fee, no hidden costs policy will, we are sure, encourage the home buyers at Llanfair Meadows to choose Howells Solicitors to undertake the conveyancing process on their behalf.”

To find out more about the conveyancing process when buying a new home, please visit the Howells Solicitors’ Guide to Buying Your First Home or discover our new build conveyancing page. 

We were delighted to welcome over 100 guests to our annual Beaujolais Day celebrations in the Grape and Olive in Swansea.

Raising a Glass for a Good Cause 

As well as spending the afternoon networking, we took the opportunity to hold a charity auction and raffle to raise funds for Ty Hapus and Breast Care Centre at Singleton Hospital. 

Attendees were invited to bid on a range of items generously donated by local businesses and organisations, including Swansea City Football Club, Barratt Homes, Persimmon Homes, various local estate agents and mortgage advisors. Over £2,200 was raised on the day.

Why Howells Celebrates Beaujolais Day

Taking place on the third Thursday in November, Beaujolais Nouveau Day has increased in popularity in the business community. Swansea has led the way with many of the city’s businesses closing their doors to head out to celebrate the arrival of the first bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau. 

It was estimated that last year events to mark the occasion contributed approximately £5m to the local economy, making it the third busiest night after ‘Black Friday’ and New Years Eve’.

Louise Beck, Business Development Manager for Howells Solicitors said: 

“We have been hosting this event for a number of years and its always proven to be very popular and successful. This year was no exception and with thanks to the team from the Grape and Olive, everyone had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and we were able to raise funds for two fantastic good causes.”

For further Howells news and company updates, please follow our dedicated section in the Howells blog.  

We are delighted to announce the creation of a minimum of 10 new jobs across our six South Wales offices and are keen to encourage individuals with appropriate qualifications and experience to apply to join our growing multi-award winning teams.

What Legal Job Positions Are Available?

The roles available are varied and will provide opportunities for legal professionals of all levels of experience with new, exciting challenges to join our company as we continue to expand and establish ourselves as one of the leading multi-practice law firms in Wales.

The roles we are currently advertising include the following positions:

•Agent Cashier/Receptionist, Caerphilly

•Commercial Property Solicitor, Cardiff

•Company Commercial Solicitor, Cardiff

•Conveyancing Assistants in Cardiff and Swansea

•Legal Assistant, Employment Department, Cardiff

•Legal Executive, Family Department, Cardiff

•Marketing Assistant, Telesales team, Cardiff

•Paralegal, Personal Injury, Cardiff

•Residential Conveyancing Solicitor/Licensed Conveyancer, Cardiff 

•Solicitor, Family Department, Cardiff

All the positions will include comprehensive training and an extremely competitive salary with additional benefits commensurate to your level.

Further details for each of the roles can be viewed on our recruitment page.

We also anticipate creating more roles in the coming months and advise interested parties to get in touch to register their interest in joining our team. 

Read more: 

Employment Law Specialist Joins Our Growing Department

Howells Solicitors Has Achieved Cyber Essential Accreditation

We’ve Helped a Local Author Donate 240 Books to a Primary School