Geldards LLP is best-known for its work acting for central and local government entities, including on large-scale strategically important and politically sensitive mandates. ‘Exemplary’ team head Charles Felgate is pivotal to the practice, combining advisory and litigation expertise, including acting in contentious matters featuring compulsory purchase orders (CPOs). Senior associate Tomos Phillips is also a key member of the team and, as well as providing vital support to Felgate, also handles a considerable volume of CPO-related matters, particularly relating to highways schemes.

‘Grounded in a balance of legal precision and commercial pragmatism’, Acuity Law provides a ‘very capable’ service to a developer-focused client base across a range of planning and environmental considerations central to major real estate projects. Team head Steve Morris is appreciated by clients for his ‘knowledgeable, proactive, and commercial’ skillset that combines general real estate, finance and planning advice.

As well as providing support to the firm’s renewable energy-focused national planning offering, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP‘s Cardiff practice also handles direct mandates. The work is led by Gareth Davies who has niche expertise advising on data centre planning issues, and also excels in advising housebuilder clients on planning matters associated with large-scale residential, mixed-use and student accommodation projects.

Now headed by a core planning and environment lawyer following the arrival in July 2024 of Alex Madden from Thrings LLP, and also leveraging considerable resources from the firm’s commercial property and construction offerings, Hugh James provides advice to a range of private and public sector clients. Madden’s broad expertise includes contentious and advisory work, spanning Section 106 agreements between developers and planning authorities, as well as planning appeals, planning enforcement and challenges to appeal decisions in the High Court and judicial review proceedings.