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There’s a rumbling in the quiet market town of Cowbridge. Probably the best known family lawyer practising in south east Wales and into west Wales has opened an office on the High Street. There are pretenders to this particular crown but Vale Life catches up with the original.
THE REAL DEAL
Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Wendy Hopkins and I’m probably the best known family lawyer practising in south east Wales and into west Wales generally. I specialise in high profile and high value divorce and financial matters flowing from them.
How long has your company Hopkins Law been established?
Hopkins Law was established in February 2006 when I left a former practice to set up my own. That former practice had been started with my personal name and had continued for nine years until I left.
What’s the history of the company?
My personal history is that I qualified as a lawyer some 30 years ago and at that time divorce and family breakdown was not as prevalent in the UK as it is today. I initially combined my family work with property and general private client work. During the late 80’s and 90’s and into the twenty first century, as the need grew, I increasingly act for high value/high profile individuals. In 1996 I left Eversheds where I had been a Senior Partner and Board Member for seventeen years and set up with a newly qualified solicitor a specialist family law practice. The reason I left Eversheds was that I had become divorced myself a few years earlier and had two young children with whom I wanted to spend more time. I reduced my professional life for a few years until my children became older. Nine years later differences arose between myself and the two other partners of that practice. As they both had young children, and my children were then largely off my hands, I decided to start my own sole practice.
What services do you provide?
In the new practice I decided not only to do family work, but also to expand the services into general private client work to include property, wills, probate, and some general litigation, to cover most of the legal needs of the individual.
Who are your customers?
The Cowbridge office largely serves the Vale of Glamorgan and westwards, such as Swansea and West Wales. The office at Cardiff Gate Business Park largely serves the Lisvane, Llanedyrn, Gwent, and eastwards as far as Hereford, Monmouth etc. The Windsor Place office deals with clients who want to see me personally and who also find attending at a central Cardiff office is the most convenient location.
Why did you choose Cowbridge to set up your new practice?
I had a restriction in not being able to practice within five miles of the centre of Cardiff for 12 months from February 2006. I had previously lived at Llantrithyd in the Vale of Glamorgan, and had many friends in the area and decided I would open a small office to just have a low key practice. I also felt there was a gap in the market in Cowbridge as previously there had been a number of firms of solicitors who had subsequently either merged or ceased practising. The demand for my services outgrew the office in Cowbridge, and as I was still within the twelve month restriction period for returning to the centre of Cardiff, I opened another office at Cardiff Gate Business Park.
In June 2007, I opened my central Cardiff office at 26 Windsor Place. As the offices at Cowbridge and Cardiff Gate were thriving, I have continued to operate the three offices. The Cowbridge office has continued to attract clients and we have moved into larger premises at 50 High Street.
I understand that there’s another practice with your name in its title. What’s the connection?
The other practice with my name on it is the practice I left in 2006 and they can continue to trade in the same name as when I left, which they have done.
There is absolutely no connection between that previous practice and myself, nor has there been since March 2006. I had expected that more than three years later they would stop using my name within the name of their practice, but they have not.
Wendy, you have a reputation as being a bit fierce, how do you feel about that?
I do have the reputation of being a ‘rottweiler’, but the rottweiler is as misunderstood as I. I am fiercely loyal and committed to my clients and am strong on their behalf. Having been divorced and a single working mother I have great empathy with male and female clients who are often in a very fragile and vulnerable state during family proceedings. I advise my clients in what I consider to be their best interests, but act in accordance with whatever instructions they choose to give me arising on that advice.
The ongoing personal recommend - ations that I receive which have grown my practice to a very successful one in just over three years is a testament to my personal and commercial skills and experience in acting always in the best interests of my clients to their satisfaction.
What are your plans for the future?
I have three successful offices with an increasing excellent team of lawyers dealing, not only with family and children matters, but all private client issues, and I propose that Hopkins Law continues to provide the best service possible to the private client in south east Wales and beyond with me at the helm.
Cowbridge Office
50 - 50A High Street
Cowbridge CF71 7AH
01446 77 41 51
Enquiries3@hopkinslawllp.com
Central Cardiff Office
First Floor, 26 Windsor Place Cardiff CF10 3BZ
029 2039 5888
Enquiries@hopkinslawllp.com
Cardiff Gate Office
3 Ashtree Court Cardiff Gate Business Park CF23 8RW
029 2073 3000
Enquiries2@hopkinslawllp.com
www.hopkinslawllp.com |
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