City Guide to life in Cardiff

Cardiff Overview

Cardiff is the Capital City of Wales and rightly so as it is the commercial hub of the country. It is the base for Welsh national media, the seat of the National Assembly for Wales and probably most importantly to the Welsh, the base for most national sporting institutions. The population of Cardiff is about 324,800 and with 11.7 million visitors per year it is clearly a massive centre for Welsh tourism.

 

Cardiff is steeped in history, the first signs of inhabitation go back 1,500 years before Stonehenge. Before the Roman occupation Cardiff was occupied by Celts and then eventually the Normans. The fusion of old and new in Cardiff works incredibly well with the old Norman castle at Cardiff’s centre and the redevelopments of the bay.

 

The Cardiff Legal Scene

 

There are many thriving sectors in Wales including the media industry, biotech companies and high profile energy projects. It is inevitable that all of these industries need legal expertise within the country. Legal firms in Wales have been cushioned in the economic downturn by there being an abundance of work from the public sector.

Most clients of large legal firms have reported fantastic technical and expert advice. Companies that might have crossed the boarder to use the legal firms of Bristol are now tending to stay a little closer to home and making use of the fantastic legal expertise Cardiff has to offer. At present there is also an influx of business coming in from other areas of the UK.

There are usually Welsh speakers in every firm in Wales. The regional firms often have a greater number of lawyers whose first language is Welsh; especially the more agricultural areas of South West, Mid and North Wales.

Legal 500 Firms in Cardiff

• Eversheds LLP stands out in Wales for attracting international work in particular. Eversheds has brilliant energy and corporate finance practices and is highly valued for efficiency and a strong business focus.

 

• Geldards LLP has an extremely popular commercial property practice; this has been affected by the economic situation but the company has been supported by their fantastic media department.

 

• Hugh James has in the past few years changed their focus. As a more commercial firm they have some excellent people at the top in key areas, particularly commercial and corporate finance.

 

• Morgan Cole has been the best insulated by the economic downturn with a massive centre on strong public sector practice and in particular the healthcare team. The Morgan Cole healthcare team rivals any in the UK.

 

In Cardiff there are some mid-tier firms that are following close behind the heavyweights. Recent firms to emerge as possible contenders are Darwin Gray, M & A Solicitors LLP and Capital Law LLP. Darwin Gray has recently made significant hires in insolvency and dispute resolution. M & A Solicitors LLP has managed to bag the expertise of the commercial litigation specialist John Morris and the energy and construction specialist Jeremy Williams. Capital Law LLP have built up a very strong international HR practice.

 

Living in Cardiff

 

Cardiff is a great place to live and work; it is a thriving city that has all the facilities and attractions you could ever wish for. Cardiff is compact but contains theatres, museums, a castle and the world class Millennium Stadium. Cardiff is a brilliant area to live if you like shopping as there are all of your high street brands and dozens of smaller and more specialist shops to browse around.

Cardiff Bay is the largest waterfront development in Europe and home to the internationally renowned arts venue, the Millennium Centre and lots of cafés and restaurants. Cardiff also has lots of green spaces giving the city an open and natural feel and is within easy reach of the stunning Brecon Beacons.

Cardiff is very well connected by public transport and there are lots of different types of housing. If you are looking for properties in Cardiff you will have to choose between waterside apartments, Georgian town houses and cottages. Cardiff is a city that is developing all the time and is a very exciting place to live. It is close to the M4 corridor and has good rail links, an airport, and is ideally situated for trips be it for pleasure or business.

 

Socialising and Nights Out

 

Cardiff has lots of cafés and restaurants for socialising during the day; you will never be short of a new place to visit. Cardiff has over one hundred pubs and clubs that you can try out. St Mary’s Street is the prefect place if you are a bar hopper looking for exciting new things. A few that come highly recommended are Aqua Bar, Salt, Barfly and Tiger Tiger.

View the latest Legal Jobs in Cardiff.