Helen Molyneux is a Welsh lawyer who founded and was the CEO of the UK personal injury law firm NewLaw Solicitors. In 2024 she had led the installation of three new statues of leading Welsh women and she became one of the BBC's 100 Women.
Molyneux was born March 1965,[ citation needed ] in the Welsh town of Caerphilly. She studied law at Cardiff University and qualified as a solicitor in 1991. [1]
On 24 April 2012 her firm Newlaw became the 1st Welsh and 4th overall practice to be licensed as an ABM by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. [2] The idea originated, when Molyneux met a gentleman on a London train who owned an insurance brokers firm and they talked about the insurance market; they then came up with the idea of creating a law firm that manages personal injury claims from insurance companies and brokers. [3]
In 2013, Molyneux was named Law Society Business Women of the year for employing over 470 people in the UK, turning over £35m annually in work with leading consumer brands. [4] Molyneux later sold the firm. [5]
Date | Award Title | Awarding Body |
---|---|---|
2011 | Best Women in Legal Business and Welsh Women of the year [6] | Welsh Women Mean Business Awards 2011 |
2011 | Lexcel Award for Excellence in Practice Management (Highly Commended) [7] | The Law Society Excellence Awards 2011 |
2013 | Law Society Business Women of the year | The Law Society |
2014 | Fellow/ Chairman [1] | Institute of Welsh Affairs |
2015 | Honorary Doctorate of Laws [8] | University of South Wales |
In December 2024, Helen Molyneux was included on the BBC's 100 Women list. [9]
In 2016, Molyneux and four others came together to discuss the lack of statues in Wales dedicated to women; they then created the Monumental Welsh Women group with the aim of creating five statues around the country. [10]
The first statue, of headteacher Betty Campbell, was unveiled in September 2021. [11] Elaine Morgan and Cranogwen had been unveiled by 2024. Two more statues of Elizabeth Andrews, and Lady Rhondda were still to be created, [12] [13] [14] and a theatre show was planned. [15]
Molyneux is one of the founders of Women Angels of Wales, an angel investment group. [5]
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic Sea to the south-west. As of 2021, it had a population of 3.2 million. It has a total area of 21,218 square kilometres (8,192 sq mi) and over 2,700 kilometres (1,680 mi) of coastline. It is largely mountainous with its higher peaks in the north and central areas, including Snowdon, its highest summit. The country lies within the north temperate zone and has a changeable, maritime climate. Its capital and largest city is Cardiff.
The Law Society of England and Wales is the professional association that represents solicitors for the jurisdiction of England and Wales. It provides services and support to practising and training solicitors, as well as serving as a sounding board for law reform. Members of the Society are often consulted when important issues are being debated in Parliament or by the executive. The Society was formed in 1825.
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The Welsh Woman of the Year award was inaugurated in 1994 to honour high-achieving women in Wales. Its stated aim is "to promote the role women have in the workplace and in every sector of society". The award is sponsored by the National Assembly for Wales, the University of South Wales and several other high-profile organisations.
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