Browne Jacobson’s rapid growth journey in Cardiff and its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) were recognised with a double win at the BusinessIn Wales Awards 2026.

The UK and Ireland law firm won Law Firm of the Year and Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion at the inaugural awards ceremony, held at the Parkgate Hotel in Cardiff last night (8 October).

Since opening a Cardiff office in 2023, Browne Jacobson has grown from seven to about 60 staff, while attracting a series of lateral hire partners to develop a full-service legal offering for Welsh public and private sector organisations. 

This led to two moves to larger premises, culminating in the firm signing a 10-year lease for a 9,500 sq ft space with capacity for up to 150 people at One Central Square earlier this year.

During this growth journey, Browne Jacobson has positioned DEI as a strategic priority, woven into recruitment policies, community programmes and leadership – leveraging its reputation as the top-ranked organisation in the Social Mobility Foundation’s Employer Index for 2025 to move the dial on inclusion across the Welsh legal market. 

Tim Edds, Partner and Head of Cardiff at Browne Jacobson, said: “Since setting up a permanent base in Wales three years ago to build on two decades of work here, we have shifted our reputation from a public sector adviser to a firm advising on landmark transactions and infrastructure projects with genuine national significance. 

“We continue to attract talent from across the Welsh market who choose us for the quality of the work and the ambition of the vision. We came here to be the law firm Wales deserves and these awards are a brilliant signal that we're getting there.”

Browne Jacobson’s growth in Wales

Browne Jacobson’s Cardiff office now covers all its departments and sectors. Its service lines include public, planning and environmental law; health advisory litigation; corporate transactions; banking and finance; education; real estate; social housing; construction; insurance; and regulatory matters. 

It is also aligned with key Welsh economic drivers, with specialists in technology, energy, green infrastructure, health, education, aerospace and devolution.

Key lateral hires since opening in the capital have included corporate partners Tom Saunderson, Phil Pugh and Christian Farrow; real estate and construction partners Richard Macphail and Gavin Hoccom; banking and finance partner Paul Duggan; and legal directors Trish D’Souza, Kate Howell and Tom Walker. 

Landmark projects the team has advised on include the Celtic Freeport; Morlais, Europe’s largest consented tidal energy scheme off the coast of Anglesey; and Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, the renewable energy development company for Wales.

Browne Jacobson, which was last year reappointed to the Welsh Government Commercial Division legal services panel, has also advised the Welsh Government on the COVID-19 Inquiry and on reforming Welsh primary healthcare. Its corporate team has advised on transactions including PLUG Charging’s acquisition of Wattif EV, a Norway-headquartered charging operator. 

Integrated with the Cardiff business community

Alongside commercial work, Browne Jacobson has worked with the Welsh Government to deliver five instalments of the firm’s award-winning FAIRE (Fairer Access into Real Experience) social mobility programme, with student participants spending a day at the Senedd. 

Laura Hughes, Partner and Executive Lead for Wales at Browne Jacobson, has been a visible female role model, sitting on the CBI Women in Leadership group and the Chambers Equity Forum, and taking part in the Team Wales LeadHERship programme. 

Tim is a passionate and committed male ally, attending CBI Women's network sessions and the Chambers Equity Forum, and the sole male panel member at the launch of a report on “Unlocking Women's Leadership Potential in Wales”. 

Laura added: “Inclusion isn't a side project for us – it's embedded in how we hire, how we lead and how we invest in the communities we're part of. Through our FAIRE programme, we've given students from lower socioeconomic and minority backgrounds paid work experience alongside Welsh Government, and we're now developing a Wales-focused online event we hope will reach thousands of young people right across the country. We're also pushing for the introduction of Level 7 legal apprenticeships in Wales, because lasting change in this profession starts with widening the door at the very beginning.”