Diane Brooks is the firm’s HR Director and has been in this position since 2008.

In her role as HR Director, Diane is responsible for the smooth operation of the firm’s HR department. This includes implementing HR strategies including talent acquisition, staffing, employee benefits, health and wellbeing, learning and development, succession planning, employee relations and retention.

Diane drives how we attract new talent to the business from senior appointments to those starting out on their career. This includes our gap year schemes, school recruitment events, attendance of career fairs and by regularly researching and analysing market data. She has considerable experience within HR and recruitment and is recognised as a talent acquisition specialist.

Alongside designing and implementing the firm’s HR strategy, Diane plays a key role with staff engagement. She is head of the staff forum and the firm’s internal communications.

Diane has played a key role in the firm’s collaboration with Cardiff University which has been cultivated and developed over more than ten years. For the past 2 years, Diane has been part of a major new initiative with the uni, designed to support student learning and employability skills as part of a work placement programme for law students. The scheme has so far provided more than 18 students with full time salaried work placements during their third year.

Work History

Diane joined Hugh James in 1988 as an office administrator. She later joined the HR team as an HR Assistant. Diane developed her career within the firm, progressing up through the HR team structure from assistant, to HR Officer, to HR Manager before taking up her current position of HR Director in 2008.