A Wrexham lawyer this week celebrated 40 years with the same law firm where he served his articles after gaining a post graduate Law Degree in 1976.
Peter Butler, one of the region’s most respected litigation lawyers, moved to Wrexham in 1966 following a childhood spent in the Fens town of March. He attended Grove Park Grammar School for Boys before going on to study Law at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, and Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
On 5th July 1976 Mr Butler entered in articles with Gwilym Hughes & Partners, now known as GHP Legal, and remained with the firm as a Solicitor. He became a Partner in 1980 and held the positions of Senior Partner and Managing Partner from 2006 to 2012. Although Mr Butler retired as a Partner of GHP Legal in 2015 he remains a Consultant with the firm.
During his time in Articles Mr Butler became a member of the National Committee of the Law Society’s Trainee Solicitors’ Group (becoming Chairman of the Group). Later he became a member of the Law Society’s Young Solicitors’ Group National Committee and subsequently National Chairman, as well as becoming a Governor of the College of Law. For many years he was a member of the Council of the Cheshire & North Wales Law Society, and was President in 2012-13.
Speaking about his long career with GHP Legal, Mr Butler said: “I have seen many changes in both the legal system and the profession during my time but I have been fortunate to spend my entire career with a forward thinking law firm that has taken such changes in its stride and evolved and grown to accommodate them.
“I was particularly fortunate in those early years to have worked under three partners who were generous of spirit. Certainly without the magnanimity of Gwilym Hughes, Gethin Davies and Clive Jones I would not have been able to engage in the time-consuming extramural activities that provided me with such insightful experiences.”
Congratulating Mr Butler on his ruby milestone with the firm, GHP Legal Partner, Stephen Edwards, said: “Peter has been a credit to his profession throughout his long and distinguished career. Possessing a fine legal mind coupled with an incredible aptitude for hard work, his clients and colleagues alike have benefitted from his loyal service.”