Gwydion specialises in commercial, chancery and public law work.
His practice includes company law and insolvency, land law, probate and trusts, inheritance and family provision, local government, planning, landlord and tenant and professional negligence as well as public inquiries. He handles advisory and advocacy work for the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales and is a fluent Welsh speaker. Chambers UK 2025 recommend him in Band 1 for Chancery.
“He is fantastic with clients, excellent on his feet in court and his assessment of prospects for success is always very accurate.”
“Gwydion is the best chancery practitioner in Wales in my opinion. He is fantastic with clients, excellent on his feet in court and his assessment of prospects for success is always very accurate.”
“Gwydion handles complex matters with skill and confidence. He is our go-to advocate on high-profile cases and understands our work and is very responsive.”
“Gwydion Hughes is sensible and good on his feet.”
(Chambers UK Guide 2025)
“Gwydion is very responsive and easy to work with. In court he is a terrific cross-examiner and his general advocacy is excellent.”
“Gwydion is an excellent all-rounder and very easy to work with.”
(Chambers UK Guide 2023)
His public law work includes advising and representing local authorities in local government vires matters concerning the consultation and legality of decision making as well as social care obligations and continuing care.
“He is an excellent advocate, and cross-examination is a real strength of his. He is easy to work with and the clients are always very pleased with him and are grateful that he is on their side. He is the stand out junior in the South Wales market in the field of contentious probate, although he is equally reliable and knowledgeable in other disciplines. It is a pleasure to work with him.”
(Legal 500 2023)
Gwydion has been appointed to the A Panel of the Attorney General’s Civil Counsel Regional Panel for five years from 1st March 2021. He sits as a Fee-Paid Judge of the First Tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber).
He accepts instructions under the Bar Council’s Public Access Scheme.
Gwydion’s Commercial and Business Disputes caseload includes:
- Commercial property including dilapidations and rent review
- Common law contractual disputes
- Company law including directors’ duties and shareholders agreements
- Insolvency
- Partnership
- Professional negligence
- Residential property including landlord and tenant and leasehold enfranchisement
Gwydion’s Chancery caseload includes
Land:
- Adverse possession
- Boundaries
- Easements
- Land Registration
- Map Rectification
- Planning
- Restrictive covenants
- Sales and Trust of Land
Trusts & Probate:
- Administration of estates
- Contentious Probate
- Implied, constructive and resulting Trusts
- Inheritance Act
- Wills
Chambers UK Guide
“Gwydion is very responsive and easy to work with. In court he is a terrific cross-examiner and his general advocacy is excellent.”
“Gwydion is an excellent all-rounder and very easy to work with.”
(Chambers UK Guide, 2023)
“He is very user-friendly and great with clients. He is the safe pair of hands I would go to for chancery matters. He is focused and very precise.”
(Chambers UK Guide, 2022)
“He is very impressive, very reasonable, clever and a smooth operator”, “an excellent advocate, he is very bright and gives very clear advice” and that he is “a leading chancery practitioner who is particularly acclaimed for handling property and contentious trusts cases.
He is also an expert in partnership disputes.” Amongst his strengths is that “intellectually he is very sharp and his written advice is always very accurate and to the point. He is prompt when dealing with matters and he has a great ability to deal with clients. He pays attention to detail whilst at the same time sees the wider picture.”
“He is very easy to deal with as an opposition barrister. In court he is able, competent, he’s got a long-established reputation and a good relationship with the local bench”, he is “experienced and extremely approachable.”
Legal 500
“He is an excellent advocate, and cross-examination is a real strength of his. He is easy to work with and the clients are always very pleased with him and are grateful that he is on their side. He is the stand out junior in the South Wales market in the field of contentious probate, although he is equally reliable and knowledgeable in other disciplines. It is a pleasure to work with him.”
(Legal 500, 2023)
“He stands alone as the best barrister in South Wales for Chancery work.”
In previous editions they report that “his advocacy skills are brilliant.”
They have commented that:
“his practice includes restrictive covenants, insolvency and contentious probate,” that he is “experienced in Chancery cases involving contentious trusts and probate,” that “his expertise spans company and partnership disputes, insolvency, trusts and probate” and that he is “an extremely able commercial and Chancery practitioner, knowledgeable in private client, insolvency and company law.
Previous Commercial Dispute Resolution recommendations include that he is:
“Super, he is a very balanced and coherent advocate who takes good points,” that he “has a broad commercial practice which covers professional negligence claims and contractual disputes concerning the supply of goods and services. He receives instructions from a range of clients including major corporations and local government authorities” that he is a “a stellar practitioner; an effective opponent with a patient, strategic mind” and that “he’s a quite formidable jury advocate.”
- Edwards v Rhondda Cynon Taff CBC [2015] J.P.L. 237 – appellate jurisdiction of the Upper Tribunal (Land Chamber) regarding Certificates of Alternative Development in the context of compulsory purchase
- Heesom v Public Services Ombudsman for Wales [2014] All E.R. 269 – compatibility of Welsh devolved standards in public life regime with Article 10 rights
- Evans v Lloyd [2013] 2 P. & C.R. DG21 – applicability of the doctrine of unconscionable bargain to gifts
- R (Calver) v The Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 – compatibility of Welsh devolved standards in public life regime with Article 10 rights
- Member of the Chancery Bar Association
- Treasurer of the Wales Commercial Law Association
- Secretary of the Wales & Chester Circuit Specialist Court Bar Association.
- Llanidloes High School
- University College Cardiff (Law)
- Inns of Court School of Law
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