A south Wales legal business providing specialist advice to clients across the UK has grown its operations, thanks to a £50,000 micro loan from the Development Bank of Wales.
Based in Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Tree Law provides advice to private clients, housing associations, insurance providers, developers and local authorities on legal issues relating to trees, including environmental regulations, invasive species and Tree Protection Orders. It is the UK’s only legal business which specialises only in advice and disputes involving trees.
The £50,000 micro loan from the Wales Flexible Investment Fund has allowed Tree Law to take on three new members of staff, two of which are full-time and another part-time.
Owner and director Sarah Dodd set up Tree Law in 2021 after working for a number of larger businesses, when she saw there was demand for a specialist focused on law around trees.
Sarah said: “More and more people are aware of just how much of an asset trees are, and there’s increased awareness around how they need to be dealt with in terms of liability, regulation and protection. We’ve seen increased demand for the kind of advice we provide, whether for individual clients or larger companies.”
She added: “The last year has been a re-calibration for us, as we’ve looked ahead to the next level of our growth. We’ve always been busy since we started, but we needed to invest in order to grow. Previously, it’s felt like I’ve always had to look for lower-cost routes to growth – now, with the confidence that the micro loan has given us, it’s felt more like I’ve been able to go shopping for what our business needs.
Chris Stork, Investment Executive at the Development Bank of Wales, said: “Tree Law offer guidance in a highly specialised field, which is seeing increased demand as regulatory regimes change and environmental awareness grows. The support we at the Development Bank of Wales have provided has allowed them to take the next natural steps on their business journey by growing their team, meaning they can provide advice to a wider range of clients and plan for their future.”
As a public finance institution owned by the Welsh Government, the Development Bank of Wales provides loans and equity for Welsh businesses, people and communities in support of the Government’s wider policy objectives including the transition to a low-carbon economy and the development of new homes and commercial property. £959 million has been invested in SME businesses and property developers by the Development Bank since its launch in 2017.
The Development Bank now has £2 billion in funds under management and a portfolio of more than 3,600 small business customers. Debt and equity funding totalling £152 million helped 502 businesses to create and safeguard 6,185 jobs across Wales during 2024/25.
Visit developmentbank.wales for further information.
