Directors' meetings at Lewis Lewis & Co solicitors need a extra chair, since Carys Howells, who joined the firm in 2006, recently joined the board.

Fellow directors David Lewis, Catrin Richards and Anthea Phillips welcomed Carys's promotion.

"We've continued to grow our business over recent years, and strengthening the board means we will be in a good position to carry on doing so," said managing director David.

"At Lewis Lewis & Co, our philosophy is to have specialists in all areas, who maintain a close working relationship with each other.

"This way we can get to know our clients well. They feel they are always dealing with the same people, yet we can provide the level of expertise that only comes from specialists in each field."

Carys is a specialist in the area of employment law - a subject which is getting ever more complicated and can now be quite a burden for even the smallest of businesses.

"Many business people will only turn to a solicitor when they have a problem, but at Lewis Lewis & Co, we believe a better way is to take a pro-active preventative approach by helping clients avoid expensive problems in the first place.

"Employment law today means you need to have a contract of employment for each member of staff, even part-time casual staff. A staff handbook is now also an essential requirement, yet such things are often overlooked - something that can be a very expensive mistake.

"One of our key services is preparing such contracts and handbooks, ensuring that as an employer you are protected should anything go wrong.

"We can also help with staff appraisals - again they are something often ignored by small business. However, time and again we have proved how properly constructed appraisals improve the performance of all staff and as a result, the performance of the business as a whole.

"We appreciate that finding the time to consult a solicitor is difficult, especially when you feel you don't even need one," said Carys, "yet we have many clients who have discovered that setting a little time aside for a no-obligation meeting to see what help we can offer, has turned out to be a very good investment.

"If you'd like to talk about what we can offer your business, we're just a call away and always very happy to come to you."

The firm can be contacted at Tenby 01834 844844, St. Clears 01994 23104, Carmarthen 01267 231666 or you can visit http://www.lewislewis.co.uk">www.lewislewis.co.uk