Gerallt Jones > Hugh James > Cardiff, United Kingdom > Lawyer Profile

Hugh James Offices

Hugh James
Two Central Square
CARDIFF
CF10 1FS
United Kingdom
033 3016 2222 029 2038 8222

Gerallt Jones

Gerallt Jones photo
033 3016 2222 [email protected]

Work Department

Corporate.

Position

Gerallt is a partner and head of the corporate and commercial team. Since joining Hugh James in 2005, Gerallt has led the team to be a leading player within the corporate and commercial market, advising clients including the Welsh Government, the Welsh Rugby Union, Princes Gate Water and the Development Bank of Wales. Gerallt’s achievements are reflected by his inclusion in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame, which highlights the law firm partners who are at the pinnacle of the profession.

Gerallt specialises in corporate law and has a wealth of experience advising businesses on mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt investments, private equity transactions, joint ventures, management buy-outs/ buy-ins, restructuring and general corporate advice.

Gerallt’s notable recent deals include advising Welsh Government on the £83.7 million International Convention Centre Wales at Celtic Manor Resort and on the sale of a majority shareholding in Princes Gate Spring Water to Nestlé Waters. This deal was named Insider Wales Dealmakers International Deal of the Year 2018.

Gerallt also advised on the sale by Walters Group of Ffos Las racecourse, the first new horse racing venue in Britain for more than 80 years, to Arena Racing Company (Arc).

He regularly advises the Welsh Rugby Union on numerous matters including its acquisition of the Newport Gwent professional rugby region and its catering and hospitality joint venture at the Principality Stadium with Compass Group Dragons.

He also advised on the £28.5 million buyout of Vista Retail Support by LDC and Cardiff University on the transfer of 300 staff and 3,000 separate training courses to Health Education and Improvement Wales, a new £200 million special health authority within NHS Wales.

Gerallt has particular expertise in the sport and food & drink sectors, leading Hugh James’s relationships with clients in these sectors including the Welsh Rugby Union and Braces Bakery.

Gerallt is a fluent Welsh speaker.

Gerallt is a trustee of the Cardiff Museum Development Trust.

Career

Trainee solicitor and solicitor Slaughter and May, London 1993-96; solicitor Hong Kong 1996-98, including secondment to Credit Suisse First Boston 1997; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, associate, Hong Kong 1998-2002 and senior associate, London 2002-2005; partner and head of corporate department Hugh James 2005 to date.

Languages

Fluent Welsh.

Memberships

Law Society.

Education

Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf, Cardiff; Jesus College Oxford and The College of Law Chester (1991 BA Jurisprudence).

Leisure

Rugby, cycling, skiing, scuba diving and opera.

Lawyer Rankings

Wales > Corporate and commercial

(Hall of Fame)

Gerallt Jones – Hugh James

Leveraging a ‘good depth of professional knowledge’ throughout the team, Hugh James provides ‘highly attentive and commercially minded’ advice to an impressive roster of longstanding regional heavyweight corporate clients, including S.A Brain & Company and Rockwool, on their ongoing commercial requirements as well as on ad-hoc corporate transactional work. The firm’s already strong presence in the sports and media sectors were recently enhanced following the merger in July 2023 with boutique firm Loosemores  Solicitors, with that firm’s name partner Mark Loosemore  a leading expert on work in the sector. The ‘strong, pragmatic and commercial’ Gerallt Jones  also handles a considerable volume of sports-related transactions as part of his broad-based corporate/M&A skillset, including a considerable amount for longstanding client Welsh Rugby Union. Greg Williams is ‘a good communicator and provides high levels of sector expertise’, particularly in the context of healthcare-related M&A deals, as well as work for investors in the life sciences sector. Aled Walters , who heads up the commercial side of the practice, is particularly acclaimed for his work negotiating complex commercial contracts for clients in the media, tech and gaming sectors.

Wales > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport

Although Hugh James previously had a not insignificant presence in the sector, it was the merger with sports boutique Loosemores Solicitors in July 2023 that truly propelled the firm to the pinnacle of the market, ensuring that clients, be they governing bodies, rights holders, sponsors or individual sportspeople, can count on a multidisciplinary offering provided by a large full-service team, as well as niche pure sports-focused expertise. ‘Exceptional’ team head Mark Loosemore draws upon ‘sharp commercial acumen’ gleaned from his many years’ expertise in the sector, both in-house and in private practice, and has ‘a deep understanding of sports law’, including on relevant regulations, contractual issues, intellectual property rights and general commercial matters. Other key practitioners include ‘very astute lawyer and tactician’ Tracey Singlehurst-Ward, who has deep expertise of dispute resolution mechanisms specific to the sports industry, and Gerallt Jones, who regularly handles corporate and commercial work for sports clients, including Welsh Rugby Union. Banking and finance head Dominic Marshall provides support in financial matters while Karl Thomas aids with employment procedures and contracts in this sector. Rebecca McCarthy left the firm in June 2024.

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