AltraLaw, the UK’s first not-for-profit law firm, has appointed Carys Strong as a senior solicitor and its new Head of Training.
AltraLaw provides specialist legal advice on employment and work-related issues, and also on Wills, Trust and Probate matters, from the unique position of using its business for good – meaning all profits go to charitable and other causes chosen by its clients.
As a former HR Consultant and trainer with gender equality charity Chwarae Teg, Carys will leverage her combined legal, HR, charitable and training sector expertise to support future growth and development at the Caerphilly-based legal firm.
Carys, a qualified solicitor who also holds a CIPD associate qualification and currently sits as a Director and Trustee for The Maker’s Guild in Wales, said: “My work as a solicitor with Altralaw will continue to focus on representing and supporting clients through challenging employment disputes. As the company’s Head of Training, I will also be educating business leaders on creating equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplaces where everyone can thrive.
“I am also deeply passionate about helping others and making a positive impact on the world, so AltraLaw’s commitment to social responsibility and its dedication to championing equitable workplaces align perfectly with my values. I am so excited to join this team, and to contribute to the firm’s mission of making a meaningful difference in the world.”
During her work with Chwarae Teg, the Newport based mum of two worked with a diverse range of businesses to provide strategic HR consultancy, tailored training programs and comprehensive policy development, with a focus onequity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).
With a background in employment law and civil litigation, she previously worked as a solicitor at Slater and Gordon, which is where she also first met AltraLaw’s founder, Nathan Vidini.
Having carved his own reputation as the ‘go-to’ employment solicitor in Wales and the South West in the years since, Nathan decided to use his vast experience, where he has represented those on the minimum wage to FTSE companies, to more worthwhile use.
After two years of development, in January 2020, he made the decision to launch AltraLaw as the UK’s first not-for-profit law firm. Since then, the business has grown from strength to strength, attracting like-minded lawyers across several disciplines who want to ‘make a difference’ in the legal sector, and winning many prestigious awards along the way.
With the addition of Carys, the Employment Team has grown to six Qualified Solicitors, including three industry leading experts, based across South Wales and in offices at the Welsh Innovation Centre for Enterprise in Caerphilly.
Nathan said: “I’ve worked alongside Carys in one form or another for many years, and I have seen firsthand how expertly she is able put her vast working knowledge to use for the sake of the greater good, not only with a great deal of expertise but also – crucially – with integrity too.
“AltraLaw is a values-based business striving always to show integrity, honesty, transparency and accountability in all that we do, and we also believe that leadership must be for the good of others.”
“This is why the appointment of Carys also as our Head of Training, with the experience she has behind her, is such a good fit for AltraLaw as we look to move towards a new and exciting phase of growth which ultimately will enable us to widen the net of good causes we are working to support even further,” Nathan added.
