Nia Davies

I established a successful and profitable team within a short time frame becoming a became a Director in April 2019 whilst continuing to lead the Commercial Department.

As part of my fee earning role I have advised on all manner of Commercial Property transactions including:

• large scale development site acquisitions and onward plot sales;
• planning and infrastructure agreements;
• retail and industrial estate leasehold management
• purchase, sales of high value properties;
• refinancing of property portfolios and stand alone assets;
• tenancies under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016;
• complex Land Transaction and Land Registry applications.

I have acted for individuals, start-up companies, developers and land owners as well as charities and local councils.

I have also dealt with a wide range of Commercial matters including:

• advising on and negotiating terms and conditions;
• advising on and negotiating consultancy agreements;
• advising on and negotiating supply of goods and services contracts;
• joint ventures;
• loan and other finance agreements.

In the Company/Corporate field I have handled various high value corporate transactions including:

• both share and asset sales and purchases carrying out all due-diligence and contract negotiation;
• advising on a range of Company matters including Shareholders Agreements and collaborative schemes;
• advice on compliance and regulatory matters;
• Company secretarial work.

As the sole Commercial Solicitor at the firm, my input on matters being handled by other teams is frequently called upon and I have developed an ability to apply my knowledge of the subject to other areas including litigation and residential conveyancing.

My fee earning role has seen me juggle numerous important clients of the firm which has made my ability to handle high-volume work alongside large scale projects strong. I have managed complex and time critical legal projects ensuring that client objectives are delivered and timescales are met.

I build rapport with clients easily and am able to manage client expectations through communication and transparency. As a Director of the firm, I maintain a key eye on efficiency and overall profitability whilst balancing the need for delivering a good service to build both personal and firm reputation and ensuring compliance.

The breadth of my practice area has necessitated a keen ability to research new areas of law and to apply my knowledge of key legal principles to new areas.

My role as a Director of the firm has seen me carry out many roles outside of fee earning. I have led development and implementation of strategies to support business objectives and collaborated with other teams to align working strategies to ensure efficiency.

I have mentored trainee solicitors, junior solicitors and paralegals as well as support staff to foster professional growth and development.

I have reviewed and refined organisational policies to enhance legal compliance and operational efficiency and been involved in the financial planning of the firm. I have navigated regulatory landscapes, maintaining legal compliance and risk mitigation.

I believe that I have been instrumental in fostering a positive work environment and increased employee morale and believe that the best way to lead is by example.

In my development of the Commercial Department I have identified and capitalised on growth opportunities in the market in order to build the profile and profitability of the department.

I am the Complaints officer for the firm which has harnessed in me the ability to see the firm from the eyes of the client and to strengthen our client facing service as a result. I am compassionate and understanding and strive to ensure that the best standard of performance is delivered whilst not being afraid to admit when we may have fallen short of the mark.

As a newly qualified solicitor working as part of a large and renowned Commercial Property team, I worked both as part of a team on large projects and autonomously on smaller projects.

I was involved in numerous large scale site acquisitions and advised on infrastructure and planning agreements.

I was called upon to assist on projects run by a number of different senior fee earners and developed an ability to manage my time and prioritise tasks well.

Having undertaken a intense and highly competitive summer vacation scheme at Hugh James, I was successful as one of only 5 trainee solicitors for that years' intake.

I began with a 6 month seat in the Industrial Disease department of the wider Personal Injury division of the firm. I spent a lot of time conducting detailed research into different conditions in order to support case preparation and strategy. I prepared witness statements and assisted in drafting legal documents and correspondence for client cases.

I managed client communications and maintained accurate records of interaction.

I spent my second 6 month seat in the Commercial Department where due to absence I quickly became one of the most senior members of the team. I oversaw a team of paralegals and managed my own case load.

I advised on and negotiated high value contracts for key clients and maintained an excellent standard of performance and delivery across the team even when the team was short-handed.

In this seat I developed a flair for business development and networking and soon found I was able to build a rapport with people and clients of all ages, backgrounds and status with ease.

I spent the final 12 months of my training contract in the Commercial Property department into which I would later qualify. These 12 months were instrumental in my development in terms of my ability to manage expectations, to juggle the often competing demands of clients and other departments and to establish my own style of file handling and client service.

It is within this role that I was first given the opportunity to build skills in the review, analysis and negotiation of commercial contracts and documents. I would work alongside both the Contracts Manager and the Procurement Manager on projects essential to the wider site performance.

I oversaw the due-diligence process for contractors being allowed on to site which saw me work closely with all other departments within the Company including the accounts, operations, health and safety and human resources department. This gave me a real understanding of the purpose and requirements of those departments which has stood me in good stead for a wholesale commercial understanding ever since.