Cardiff sport boutique snapped up by top-100 firm

A top-100 firm headquartered in Cardiff has snapped up a neighbouring firm in the city to continue its acquisition trail. Hugh James today announced it had merged with Loosemores Solicitors and brought 27 staff into the business.

The deal comes less than a year after Hugh James acquired Manchester firm Potter Rees Dolan and is part of an ongoing five-year strategy to grow the business across the country. Hugh James now employs more than 700 staff across sites in Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Plymouth.

The acquisition of Loosemores adds to the Hugh James offering in the sport, media and charities sectors. Set up in 1966, Loosemores is nationally recognised for its work in sports law, and counts among its clients the Football Association of Wales, Welsh Netball, Sport Wales and Tennis Wales. Hugh James is already a longstanding adviser to the Welsh Rugby Union and worked in particular on the design and construction of Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.

Mark Loosemore will join Hugh James as partner in the corporate and commercial team at the Two Central Square Cardiff headquarters. He brings 27 employees with him, including partners Siôn Tudur, Maria Cosslett and Karl Thomas, to what is now Wales’ largest law firm.

Ioan Prydderch, head of the business division at Hugh James, said: ‘Loosemores is an experienced and well-respected law firm and I’m delighted to welcome them to Hugh James. Our partnership will strengthen our existing teams and consolidate our position as one of the UK’s leading sports firms.

'Mark and his team share our vision to continually develop and improve the services we offer clients across the UK and beyond.’