Young Lawyer Magazine, Autumn 2010
Thea Hughes is a Partner with Cardiff-based Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice LLP:

“Cardiff is a great place to live. There’s so much on offer that it’s hard to avoid sounding like a tourist board advert.

“One of the first things I noticed was how friendly the people are. You get the feeling that you’re living in a great big village.

“I love the clean air, and the fact that we are so close to the sea, but also to the hills and the Welsh countryside – as a keen walker and climber, it’s hard to beat. The city itself is also pretty remarkable, with some beautiful buildings and enough bars and restaurants to meet anyone’s taste.

“For all the same reasons, it’s also a great place to be based. Firms with offices in Cardiff can offer their trainees a quality of life – with all the advantages of both city centre and rural practice – that other cities simply can’t provide.

“Twenty-somethings make up the biggest share of Cardiff’s growing population – it’s a young, vibrant city, and so the firms that tend to do well here are the forward-looking ones that can attract the best talent.

“Because living costs here are so much lower than they are in London, firms are able to stay competitive without compromising on quality of representation. This makes the city particularly attractive to law firms of any size.

In short, anyone looking for a training contract will find themselves working in a great environment that really offers a lot to young professionals – I’ve been here 20 years and have never looked back!”

Thea Hughes is a partner at Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice LLP, one of Wales’ top family law firms. Originally from the Midlands, she began her career at the Cardiff branch of Eversheds before teaming up with four of her family law pals to set up their own firm.