Our history
George Davies & Co was started in 1946 by our founder R.G. (“Roy”) Davies.
Roy started work immediately after the war in premises in St John’s Square in Abergavenny and concentrated primarily on the buying and selling of property and dealing with wills and estates.
His thoroughness, professionalism and humanity soon meant that he had built up a thriving business and the firm moved to its current location some years later where it has remained since, in Nevill Street.
Roy was joined in the 1970s by his son, Robert A C Davies. Between them, they built a thriving business. Robert undertook conveyancing work and wills and probate, his father (relieved of some of this work) also branching out into litigation work.
The firm, throughout the 1970s and 80s was a traditional high street private practice, able to meet all its clients’ various legal needs and having the benefit of knowing all the clients very well – many as friends and many who then became friends.
Our now Senior Partner, Huw Medlicott, joined the firm from the Crown Prosecution Service in 1989 and this opened a new chapter in the firm’s life. Huw Medlicott developed the family law practice that we have today as well as continuing to act in criminal law until 2012 when the firm restructured slightly.
In 1994, the work of personal injury claims having increased, the firm was joined by Katherine Medlicott. She quickly developed an expertise in complex and unusual personal injury cases, often involving cases with life changing injuries, and she continued this work until 2012, by which time she felt that it was right to move on to set up and run the Abergavenny Food Bank (which the firm still supports).
Although Roy Davies eventually retired, he continued working for the firm up until his eighties, bringing his wisdom and years of experience to bear, and was someone who could be consulted on a number of matters. He was a much-loved face around the office, giving encouragement and support to members of staff. His wit and wicked sense of humour was legendary, and his poetry (including a published work) was always a delight.
In 1997, David Fraser joined us, coming from the Midlands firm of Ellis-Fermor & Negus where he developed his dual expertise in property law and litigation. In 2017, following the retirement of Robert Davies the previous year, David Fraser joined Huw Medlicott as a partner.
In recent years, the firm has expanded with other lawyers joining the firm in all departments. Nicola Willis and Sharon Edelstyn now carry out much of the Wills and Probate work. David Kirkman joined the firm in 2020 to carry out family, litigation and private client work, having moved to Abergavenny from Yorkshire. More recently, we were pleased to welcome Penny Brandram-Jones in 2022 as part of the property department.
Throughout its history, the firm has benefited from staff who are highly trained, compassionate and expert in their particular fields. The firm acts as a team and clients are often struck by the pleasant “family atmosphere”, that pervades the office and many of the staff have known each other for years.
The firm is highly committed to Abergavenny and the surrounding area, having supported several charities with advice over very many years, and local residents and those from further afield will no doubt recall the charity events run by a local church in our courtyard for several successive years, as a part of the renowned Abergavenny Food Festival.
In March 2023, the firm became part of Mortimers Solicitors, which also has offices in Hereford and Bridgenorth. It remains committed to delivering the high quality legal services to Abergavenny and retains its idenity and ethos, while benefiting from the strength and depth of a larger firm.