National law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has appointed a new partner to its leading construction team.
James Williams, a solicitor with over 20 years’ experience, specialises in non-contentious matters and will join the firm’s Cardiff office.
James qualified as a solicitor in England & Wales in 1999 and after working for a major firm in Birmingham emigrated to Australia in 2003, working in both Brisbane and Sydney. In 2008 James relocated to the Middle East and worked at a major city law firm in the United Arab Emirates and at one of the region’s Government-backed master developers.
James specialises in matters largely related to city regeneration, and has worked on various developments including office blocks, residential projects, hotels and sports stadia. James has experience of working with standard form building contracts such as the JCT and NEC suites and, through his time in the Middle East, has extensive experience of working with the FIDIC contracts.
James joined Clarke Willmott in October 2024 and prior to this was a partner at Acuity Law in Cardiff. He is ranked as a ‘leading individual’ in the Legal 500 and Band 2: Construction in Chambers UK 2025.
Vicky Kells, head of Clarke Willmott’s Cardiff office, said:
“It is great to have James on board with his extensive non-contentious construction experience.
“We have a leading national real estate team at Clarke Willmott, with a particularly strong presence in the Cardiff office, and James’ appointment demonstrates our commitment to expanding and strengthening this sector expertise.”
James said:
“It’s fantastic to join Clarke Willmott, which has unrivalled real estate credentials in Cardiff. I’m looking forward to working with clients on drafting and negotiating development agreements, building contracts, collateral warranties and other related documents including letters of intent and letters of reliance. I’ll also be acting for banks providing finance for construction projects.”
Clarke Willmott’s construction experts advise on every aspect of the procurement process in a number of sectors, including green energy, transport, local government, infrastructure, social housing, retail and facilities management.
A national firm with offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton, Clarke Willmott is this year celebrating its 135th anniversary.
