Remembering Bill Morris

Bill was born in Australia to a Welsh father and a Russian mother. He grew up in Wrexham, where he attended Grove Park School.  Despite always playing football at school, things changed when he was offered a place at a Welsh Rugby Union summer camp and a future sporting career in rugby beckoned.

A strong second row forward, Bill started playing for Wrexham and then switched to New Brighton, a top UK club at the time, based on the Wirral, near Liverpool. Whilst on a bus to a match, he met the now Lord Martin Thomas, who suggested he go in for the law.

Whilst undertaking a five year articleship in Mold, Bill met a girl from Newport, who would go on to be his wife.

Speaking to the South Wales Argus in 2005, Bill said “Playing for Newport and getting travelling expenses was the only way I could afford to go to see Kay. But it was a great team I fell into – I was tremendously lucky.”

Bill moved to Newport in 1962, transferring his articles to Herbert & Harding.

In 1965, Bill made his debut for Wales against Scotland at Murrayfield, with a second cap coming against France the following season. Wales won both matches, which allowed Bill to hold an unbeaten record on the international stage and claim his part in in a Triple Crown and two championship winning campaigns.

Bill also played for the Barbarians during their tour of South Africa in 1969, but retired from rugby shortly after to focus on his legal career.

When his boss at Herbert & Harding died, Bill bought the firm and ran it from rooms on Skinner Street. At this time Bill met his best friend and future partner Roly Arthur, who had a half-interest in the firm Frank Lewis. In 1975 a three-way merger with John Taynton-Evans’ firm of Gustard & Evans formed the basis of today’s Harding Evans.

Under Bill’s stewardship, Harding Evans developed practice areas run by specialist heads of department, became the largest firm in Newport and won the best law firm in Wales title in 2004.

Bill retired from Harding Evans in 2005, but is remembered fondly by those who worked with him.

Current Chairman, Ken Thomas, is one of those people.

“Bill was larger than life and such a popular character around Newport. Everybody knew him – you could never just pop out to grab lunch with Bill, it would take hours because so many people would stop and talk to him”.

Mike Jenkins, Equity Partner and Head of Commercial Litigation added “Bill was quite a character. To many a large and imposing figure with Welsh Rugby International caps and 167 appearances for Newport and the Barbarians as a second row forward. But to those who knew him, to his colleagues his friends and family, he was one of the kindest, most gentle hearted, generous, loyal and fair-minded people you would ever have the pleasure of meeting”.

All of us at Harding Evans send our thoughts and condolences to Kay and his family at this sad time. Bill will be sadly missed, but his legacy lives on.