HCR Law is celebrating five years since first opening its Cardiff office in Wales.
Over the course of the past half decade, HCR Law has experienced rapid expansion, which it said is ‘driven by client demand and a commitment to delivering a full-service legal offering across Wales’.
HCR Law opened its first Welsh base at Cardiff Gate with a team of five lawyers. By the end of its first year, the team had grown to 13. The timing of the Wales office launch coincided with the onset of the UK-wide Covid-19 lockdown. From the outset, the firm had to navigate the differing approaches taken by the UK and Welsh governments, adapting quickly to ensure continuity of service across Wales.
Hefin Archer-Williams, Partner and Head of the Welsh office in Cardiff recalled:
“It felt like we opened on the Monday and had to completely rethink our approach on the Tuesday.”
The new team pulled together through the pandemic, servicing clients from gazebos to observe social distancing.
The original business plan set out the objective of growing the team while remaining at Cardiff Gate, for a period of five years. Just two years later, the team had outgrown the space and relocated to Hodge House on Mary Street, securing a prime Cardiff city centre location and further embedding HCR Law in the Cardiff community.
Growth continued at pace. Today, HCR Law’s Welsh office has more than doubled in size since the move to Hodge House in 2022.
Hefin said:
“From day one, our Welsh team has grown in direct response to client needs. We’re building a friendly, independent, full-service legal team that delivers for clients across Wales and beyond, underpinned by HCR Law’s core principles of specialist lawyers in their fields and a relentless focus on client service, built around our passion for people.
“It’s fantastic to take this moment to reflect on our five-year anniversary and the journey we’ve been on, supporting clients across the country. With growing demand, our new five-year business plan sets out ambitious goals.”
The firm recently secured reappointment to the Welsh Government Commercial Delivery Solicitors Services Framework in 2025, successfully being recognised in five areas of legal work. This expanded appointment demonstrates the depth of expertise of the Welsh team and the team’s strong reputation in the public sector.
