A solicitor known for mastering cakes and karate has recently joined the leading Welsh law firm, Swayne Johnson.

Iona Lecras, a 41-year-old mother of three from Pentre Berw, Anglesey, brings her welter of skills to the legal table, including her fluency in Welsh.

Ms Lecras is part of the private client team where she will specialise in wills, inheritance tax, powers of attorney, and estate planning.

Ms Lecras's husband has family connections to the Channel Islands which is where her surname originates from.

She joins Swayne Johnson as the newest recruit, contributing to the rapid growth of one of the oldest law firms in Wales.

The company has branches in locations such as Mold, Ruthin, and Llandudno.

Ms Lecras embarked on her legal journey as a secretary for an Anglesey law firm.

Over time, her career shifted from administrative duties to becoming a qualified solicitor.

She revealed: "I enjoyed the work of the solicitors so I decided to apply to take my law degree at the Open University."

Iona Lecras has joined the private client team   (Image: Mandy Jones Photography.)

Challenges she faced along the way of earning her degree included managing a full-time job, raising her three children, getting married, and moving house—all alongside part-time studies in Chester.

Looking back on her journey, she spoke about her previous job stint of seven years, "I decided it was time to move on because I wanted to concentrate on private client work."

Ms Lecras applied to Swayne Johnson seeking the flexibility and opportunity to specialise in her areas of interest.

Reflecting on her experience, she said: "I enjoy the relationship you build with your client and when I worked on Anglesey I had a lot of older clients and had a very good relationship with them.

"They would ask my advice and wanted to know that someone was happy to listen to their concerns.

"Many of them said it was like talking to a family member and it’s very important to have that rapport with clients."

Juggling her professional responsibilities with her personal ones has never hindered her passions for baking or karate.

She shared: "I am very keen and do lots of birthday cakes for family and friends.

“My mum used to bake and I love it because you can just switch off. It’s just me and my cakes

“I also do karate which my eldest daughter encouraged me to do and now I go to classes with both my daughters."

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Lynette Viney-Passig, Swayne Johnson's managing director and head of the Private Client department, expressed delight at Ms Lecras's appointment.

She said: "We’re delighted to make another high calibre appointment in Iona as we continue to expand our offering to clients and, in particular, to clients living in Anglesey.

"We’re also looking forward to those cakes.

"We offer a comprehensive range of services across a wide area of law and we have the kind of high-quality expertise that means clients don’t need to look to firms from outside the area for the legal skills they need.

“At Swayne Johnson, we believe in building relationships with the people who come through our doors and providing them with the reassurance that they’re dealing with people who know and understand them."