Cardiff & District Law Society

What Cardiff & District Law Society does

Cardiff & District Law Society (CDLS) is a regional professional membership body for solicitors and legal professionals operating in Cardiff, Barry, and Penarth, in Wales. Founded in 1886 and incorporated as The Incorporated Law Society for Cardiff & District (Company No. 00022357), it serves 2,000+ members and self-describes as the largest regional law society in Wales. Its membership spans high street practices, Top 100 global law firms with Welsh offices, in-house counsel teams, barristers' chambers, CILEx members, students, and retired practitioners.

The society's core offering is membership access rather than a technology product. Member-facing services include an individual and corporate membership scheme (tiered from £0 for students/trainees up to £850 for firms with 20+ solicitors), a year-round CPD and networking events programme (Annual Dinner, Golf Day, Mental Health Awareness Week panel, subcommittee meetings), an annual awards programme (EDI Initiative, Wellbeing, Rising Star, Cardiff Legal Hero, Simon Mumford Memorial Award), and several specialist communities including a 2025-launched Employed Advocates Network and a 2026-launching Pro Bono Champions Scheme developed with LawWorks Cymru. Advocacy and representation functions are delivered via formal links to the Law Society, SRA, Legal Services Board, and Welsh Government.

CDLS is a volunteer-led non-profit; operations are run by a Council of 29 members and an executive committee drawn from the local legal community, supported by a small administrative staff. Revenue is generated through annual membership subscriptions, event ticket sales (Annual Dinner tables at £800-£900 in 2024), and event sponsorship (Headline, Gold, and Silver tier sponsors from firms such as Irwin Mitchell, Browne Jacobson, TSR Legal Recruitment, and Comercity). No parent entity, no external funding, no investor base.

Name

Cardiff & District Law Society

Legal name

The Incorporated Law Society for Cardiff & District

Website

https://cardifflaw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cardiff & District Law Society is a volunteer-led professional membership body, founded in 1886, serving 2,000+ solicitors and legal professionals across Cardiff, Barry, and Penarth via memberships, CPD events, awards, advocacy subcommittees, and regulatory representation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cardiff

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from individual solicitors, corporate law firm memberships, public sector memberships, and associate memberships. Tiered pricing based on practice size and career stage.
2. Event Revenue: Ticket sales for Annual Dinner (members receive discounted rates) and other professional events. Pricing from £80-£900 per table.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cardiff & District Law Society is a regional professional membership association providing individual and corporate membership tiers for solicitors, barristers, in-house counsel, trainees, and law firms in Cardiff, Barry and Penarth. It delivers an annual programme of networking events, professional development and CPD training, an awards programme, specialist subcommittees covering EDI, mental health, regulatory and pro bono matters, plus advocacy and representation to the Law Society of England and Wales, the SRA, and Welsh Government.

Product overview

Cardiff & District Law Society is a professional membership organization (not a technology product company) offering membership services, professional development events, networking opportunities, awards programmes, and advocacy subcommittees for legal professionals in Cardiff and surrounding areas. The society serves 2,000+ members including solicitors from high street firms, global corporates, in-house legal teams, barristers' chambers, and boutique practices. Key offerings include individual and corporate membership tiers, an annual awards programme, networking groups such as the Employed Advocates Network and Pro Bono Champions Scheme, and specialist subcommittees covering regulatory, EDI, mental health, disability, LGBTQ+, and social mobility issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Membership
• Corporate Membership
• Events Programme

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, annual partner, partner, gold sponsor, silver sponsor, headline partner, award sponsor and charity partner.

• LawWorks CymrucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 November 2025Partnership with LawWorks Cymru and Pro Bono Committee for Wales to develop the Pro Bono Champions Scheme, coordinate pro bono opportunities across South Wales.
• Pro Bono Committee for WalescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 November 2025Collaborative partnership to advance pro bono culture across Cardiff and South Wales through the Pro Bono Champions Scheme.
• Centurion Chartered Financial Plannersannual partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 January 2023Annual Partner for 2023, offering independent financial planning solutions to lawyers and their clients. Hosted a specialist mini-series of events for lawyers on financial advice and investment management.
• Legal News WalescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLegal News Wales (founded by CDLS President Emma Waddingham) serves as a key media partner providing news coverage, event promotion, and cross-sector networking for the legal profession in Wales. Close collaborative relationship with CDLS leadership.
• Yolk Recruitmentannual partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual Partner providing recruitment services to the legal sector. Supports CDLS events and initiatives including sponsorship of awards.
• GroundsurepartnerGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual Partner providing environmental and ground risk data services, partnering with CDLS for member benefits.
• Law Society of England and WalescoreOthersStrong formal links with the national Law Society enabling CDLS to represent members' interests, coordinate regulatory responses, and participate in national initiatives.
• Welsh GovernmentcoreOthersFormal working relationship with Welsh Government for policy consultation and representation of the legal profession in Wales.
• Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)coreOthersFormal regulatory relationship with SRA enabling consultation responses and representation on regulatory matters affecting members.
• Browne Jacobsongold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor of CDLS Annual Dinner 2025. Browne Jacobson is an international law firm with significant Welsh presence.
• TSR Legal Recruitmentsilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of CDLS Annual Dinner 2025 and recurring event sponsor.
• Comercitysilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of CDLS Annual Dinner 2025.
• Irwin Mitchellheadline partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline Partner for CDLS Annual Dinner 2026.
• Eversheds Sutherlandaward sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of EDI Initiative Award and annual award judge. Partner firm with long-standing CDLS involvement.
• Chadwick Nottaward sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Rising Star Award 2024.
• Review Solicitorsaward sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Cardiff Legal Hero Award 2024.
• Noah's Ark Children's Hospital Charitycharity partnerOthersPresidential charity of the year partner for 2022-2023, CDLS works to raise funds and profile for the charity.
• Voices From Care Cymrucharity partnerOthersPresidential charity of the year partner for 2022-2023.
• Diabetes Cymrucharity partnerOthersPresidential charity of the year for 2024-2025 under President Trish D'Souza. Raised £2,000 at Annual Dinner 2025.
• LawCarecharity partnerOthersMental health and wellbeing charity for the legal sector. CDLS makes annual donations and works closely on wellbeing initiatives. Presidential charity of the year for 2020 and 2026.
• Marie Curie Cymrucharity partnerOthersPresidential charity of the year for 2026 under President Emma Waddingham. Supported through Golf Day 2026.
• University of South WalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with University of South Wales for the award-winning Cardiff Lawyers Care pro bono clinic supporting the local homeless community.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Birmingham Law Society: One of the largest UK regional law societies, providing membership, events, and EDI initiatives for solicitors across the West Midlands. Analogous scale and operating model.
• Liverpool Law Society: Long-established regional law society in Merseyside offering individual and corporate membership, events, and subcommittees. Operates the same volunteer-led model with tiered firm membership pricing.
• Bristol Law Society: Regional law society serving solicitors in Bristol and the South West. Comparable membership structure, events calendar, and regulatory representation function.
• Manchester Law Society: UK regional law society serving solicitors in the Manchester area with the same membership, events, and CPD-led model as CDLS. Directly comparable in structure, governance, and revenue model.
• Leeds Law Society: Regional law society in West Yorkshire providing membership services, professional development events, and policy representation to solicitors and law firms in its district.
• North Wales Law Society: Fellow Welsh regional law society covering solicitors in North and Mid Wales. Same country and stakeholder set; operates the same membership and events model.
• Sheffield & District Law Society: Regional law society in South Yorkshire running membership tiers, CPD events, and an awards programme. Closely mirrors CDLS in scope, governance, and member profile.

Broad incumbents

• The Law Society of England and Wales: National body representing solicitors in England and Wales. CDLS has formal regulatory links to this organisation, making it the upstream national counterpart to CDLS's regional remit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CardiffLawSoc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cardiff-district-law-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cardiff & District Law Society