Oswestry solicitor celebrating 40 years as an equity partner

Richard Lloyd, Senior Partner of GHP Legal, began his legal career in 1980 when he accepted a trainee position at a firm of solicitors in Aberystwyth but joined AW Brown & Co in Oswestry three years later.

After a series of mergers, the firm became known as GHP Legal, operating two sites in Oswestry on Willow Street and at The Cross.

“I started off my career working in general legal practice, which included a great deal of criminal and civil litigation together with non-contentious work.  Then, as a firm, we began recruiting specialists, and I believe that specialism is responsible for our growth and our continuing success," he said.

“For my own part, I decided to move away from advocacy in 1999 and concentrate on property matters, including residential, commercial and agricultural.  I am a member of the Country Landowners Association and now specialise in agricultural and high value commercial and residential property matters.

Richard attended Llanfyllin High School, Aberystwyth University and Chester College of Law with Stephen Edwards, who was a partner with Gwilym Hughes and Partners, and it was this link that effectively led to the merger of Brown & Lloyd with Gwilym Hughes & Partners.

“Over the years I have seen a great change in the way that solicitors work.  Originally our secretaries had manual typewriters, they then moved to electric typewriters and eventually to word processors and computers, all of which have speeded up the legal process," he added.

“My aim throughout my career has been to do the very best I can for my clients.  Over the years many of my clients have indeed become good friends.  I am very pleased to be in partnership with my current partners, but it’s somewhat sobering to think that four of them were not even born when I first became an equity partner!”

Originally based in Wrexham where the firm still has its head office, GHP Legal also has an office in Llangollen. Brown and Lloyd’s original Oswestry office was at The Cross, Oswestry but in 1985 it moved to The Albany in Willow Street after the firm purchased premises there, and it was here that Richard was based when he became Senior Partner of GHP Legal.