Leading Associates

Local government in South West

Bevan Brittan LLP

Bevan Brittan LLP‘s utilises its ‘deep knowledge’ to advise on a multitude of local government mandates encompassing procurement issues, equal pay disputes, large regeneration projects and asset management advice. The team has also been at the forefront of pension litigation cases, evidenced by its representation of 52 fire and rescue authorities in England and Wales. In Bristol, Sarah Lamont is a key name, specialising in employment issues such as statutory officer dismissals and pay and pension challenges. Chris Harper is highly experienced in regenerations, property development joint ventures, and corporate restructurings, with Nadeem Arshad adding expertise in waste, energy, and infrastructure PPP matters. For property work, Mark Calverley is a key name, while, Emily Heard is well versed in public procurement mandates, and construction head Louise Robling has expertise in PFI disputes and fire safety work.

Praxisleiter:

Ash Woodcock


Weitere Kernanwälte:

Sarah Lamont; Chris Harper; Nadeem Arshad; Mark Calverley; Emily Heard; Louise Robling; Liz Fletcher; Nathan Bradbury; Fran Musselwhite; Kyle Duggan


Referenzen

‘Deep knowledge of relevant legislation, willingness to listen and consider pragmatic ways to achieve the desired outcome.’

‘They have an approachable public sector team with a key contact person.’

‘Liz Fletcher is our contact, and she is able to respond quickly to initial enquiries.’

Kernmandanten

The County Council of the City and County of Cardiff


Manchester City Council


London Borough of Hammersmith


Merton Council


Reading Borough Council


City of Bradford Metropolitan Borough Council


Flintshire County Council


Oxfordshire County Council


North Yorkshire County Council


Leicestershire Council


Grant Thornton LLP (Birmingham City Council)


Local Government Association on behalf of 52 Fire & Rescue Authorities


Walsall MBC


Portsmouth City Council


London Borough of Havering


Lewisham LBC


Haringey LBC


Royal Borough of Greenwich


The Corporation of London


London Borough of Barnet


Kent County Council


Wolverhampton City Council


Highlight-Mandate


  • Acting for Merton Council on the £186m sale of its wholly owned company to Veriforce (US).
  • Acting for City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council on the establishment of the Bradford Children and Families Trust following the Secretary of State for Education’s Statutory Direction (under the Education Act 2016).
  • Advising Wolverhampton City Council on an audit of its Job Evaluation Scheme and implementation of pay and grading to review compliance and assurance in the context of renewed challenges in relation to equal pay.

Burges Salmon LLP

Involved in numerous large regeneration and infrastructure projects, Burges Salmon LLP fields a strong local government practice, praised for its ‘remarkable depth of collective experience and knowledge’. Gary Soloman leads the practice and advises on planning issues, regeneration projects and highway proposals. Particularly knowledgeable on procurement matters, John Houlden acts for a range of local authority and central government clients. Matthew Ramus is regularly sought out for advice on education and children’s services restructuring programmes, while Emma Andrews focuses on energy projects and regulatory advice. Paula McGeady, Sarah Sutherland and Jen Ashwell are other key names.

Praxisleiter:

Gary Soloman


Weitere Kernanwälte:

John Houlden; Matthew Ramus; Emma Andrews; Paula McGeady; Sarah Sutherland; Jen Ashwell; Daniel Whittle; Matthew Tucker


Referenzen

‘Excellent and knowledgeable team, clear and pragmatic advice and quick responses. ’

‘John Houlden – sharp and clear advice, quick to respond and a pleasure to work with.’

‘Remarkable depth of collective experience and knowledge.’

Kernmandanten

Bristol City Council


Birmingham City Council


Gloucestershire County Council


Greater London Authority and Transport for London


Isle of Anglesey County Council


North Somerset Council


Torbay Council


South Hams District Council


Environment Agency


Worthing Borough Council


Highlight-Mandate


  • Advised North Somerset Council on the complex planning application for the proposed Banwell Bypass and acted at the public inquiry in 2023 for the associated compulsory purchase order (CPO) and sides road order.
  • Advised Bristol City Council on its ‘City Leap’ initiative including the procurement and contracting strategy for the implementation of the initiative, the procurement phase, establishing the joint venture through a bespoke set of contractual documentation and finalising all contracts for completion and launch.

Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP

Advising local and central government departments, agencies, and public bodies, the practice at Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP excels in PPP projects, planning work, and infrastructure matters. Other areas of expertise include governance, subsidy control and procurement work, and complex disputes. Key to the Bristol-based team is Jonathan Bower, who handles a range of DCOs, CPOs, and planning matters, including section 106 agreements and highway agreements. Richard Guyatt and Kevin Gibbs are also active on a range of infrastructure and land planning matters, in addition to rail infrastructure projects. For commercial property issues such as regeneration and development work, Katherine Douglas is an important contact, while Victoria Redman has knowledge of a blend of contentious and non-contentious planning and environmental matters.

Weitere Kernanwälte:

Jonathan Bower; Richard Guyatt; Kevin Gibbs; Katherine Douglas; Victoria Redman


Kernmandanten

North Somerset Council


Greater Cambridgeshire Partnership


Somerset Council


Cherwell District Council


Copeland Borough Council


Hyndburn Borough Council


London Borough of Sutton


South Gloucestershire


Watford Borough Council


East Midlands Dev. Co.


Highlight-Mandate


  • Advised the Greater Cambridgeshire Partnership on two Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) rapid transit schemes, which form part of an investment worth up to £1bn over 15 years.

Ashfords LLP

The public sector team at Ashfords LLP handles the full range of local government mandates, with considerable expertise assisting local authorities with central government funding grants, together with a niche in local authority ports and harbour authority matters. Exeter-based practice head Lucy Woods is well-placed to advise on public procurement, subsidy control, and state aid mandates. For real estate and infrastructure matters including regeneration and development projects, Robin De Wreede is a key member of the team with experience acting for both public and private sector clients. Also recommended is senior associate Ruth Yates, who has additional experience in procurement and subsidy control matters, especially in relation to regeneration and marine projects.

Praxisleiter:

Lucy Woods


Weitere Kernanwälte:

Robin De Wreede; Ruth Yates; Laura Reeve; Katie Gwyther


Referenzen

‘Ashfords provide a committed team whenever I work with them. They’re in it for the long haul and want to see you through the project you’re working on. It’s been very reassuring having the same team work on my project from its inception until completion. Great working relationships have been formed and I look forward to continuing to work with Ashfords. ’

‘Lucy Woods, Ruth Yates, Laura Reeve and Katie Gwyther have been so helpful with my project. They take time to ensure legal terms are understood, they provide useful options as to the best option to take when making decisions.’

‘Very professional government practice team, excellent communication skills and focus on those points which are important to have client input on.’

Kernmandanten

London Borough of Wandsworth and the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames


London Borough of Brent


Cornwall Council


Exeter City Council


Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea


Ashford Borough Council


Torbay Council


Dorset Council


Watford Borough Council


Advance Northumberland Commercial Limited


Herefordshire Council


Brick by Brick Croydon Limited


Somerset Council


London Borough of Lambeth


North Yorkshire Council


Thanet District Council


Devon County Council


North Yorkshire Council


Council of the Isles of Scilly


Herefordshire Council


London Borough of Brent


Mid Devon District Council


Brick by Brick (Croydon) Limited


London Borough of Southwark


Bristol City Council


North Devon District Council


West Devon Borough Council


London Borough of Hackney


Maidstone Borough Council


Portsmouth City Council


Tunbridge Wells Borough Council


Bath and North East Somerset Council


Hampshire County Council


South Hams District Council


Torridge District Council


East Suffolk Council


Swansea Council


Kent County Council


London Borough of Haringey


Highlight-Mandate


  • Advising Ashford Borough Council in connection with the Ashford International Studios Project, a £250m investment into the regeneration of a large brownfield site.
  • Advising Devon County Council on the planning agreements related to the three expansion areas planned for Cranbrook, a new town in Devon.
  • Advising the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on its c.£800m procurement of four framework agreements for the delivery of works and services to RBKC’s housing stock.

Foot Anstey

Foot Anstey‘s public sector team specialises in large infrastructure, development, and energy related projects, acting for a range of local authorities. Plymouth-based team head Brian Hitchcock is well-versed on a range of construction, engineering, and procurement matters across the road, energy, real estate and health sectors, while Truro’s John Catchpole is highlighted for his expertise in property work, developments, and infrastructure mandates. On the disputes side, Plymouth’s Tris Tucker is the key name to note.

Praxisleiter:

Brian Hitchcock


Weitere Kernanwälte:

John Catchpole; Tris Tucker


Kernmandanten

Cornwall Council


Spaceport Cornwall (Cornwall Council)


Plymouth City Council


Devon County Council


London Borough of Tower Hamlets


Bristol City Council


Celtic Sea Power


Exeter City Council


Highlight-Mandate


  • Supporting Aerospace Cornwall, part of Cornwall Council, on its programme promoting research, development and innovation across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
  • Providing legal services to Plymouth City Council for the design and construction of the Forder Valley Link Road and Manadon large local major scheme (LLM).

Freeths LLP

Freeths LLP‘s local government team advises on sizeable housing and regeneration schemes as well as energy and sustainability matters. The firm is also well-placed to advise on public-private joint ventures, and assists local authorities in connection with government grants and subsidy control work. Leading the South West team, Bristol-based head Duncan Tringham has expertise covering public-private joint ventures and clean energy mandates. Daniel Cuthbert stands out for his knowledge of the Electronic Communications Code, among other property issues, while Michael Bray has a focus on transport and energy projects together with local government-led development and regeneration schemes. At the associate level, Coralie McKeivor, Emilie Criddle and Gareth Fortey are recommended.

Praxisleiter:

Duncan Tringham


Weitere Kernanwälte:

Daniel Cuthbert; Michael Bray; Coralie McKeivor; Emilie Criddle; Gareth Fortey


Referenzen

‘The Freeths team have always been very professional. They have provided advice across a wide range of subjects which had made navigating complex legal challenges a lot easier.’

‘We have worked with several lawyers at Freeths, all of whom have been highly professional and working relationships have been excellent.’

‘Approachable, highly capable and efficient lawyers delivering pragmatic solution-focused advice.’

Kernmandanten

Plymouth City Council


The Cornwall Council


North Devon Council


Bath and North East Somerset Council


Gloucestershire County Council


Torfaen County Borough Council


Runnymede Borough Council


Waverley Borough Council


Rushmoor Borough Council


Walsall Borough Council


London Borough of Ealing


London Borough of Hackney


London Borough of Enfield


London Borough of Brent


London Borough of Newham


London Borough of Hillingdon


London Borough of Camden


London Borough of Sutton


London Borough of Lambeth


London Borough of Barking & Dagenham


Royal Borough of Greenwich


Peterborough City Council


Leicester City Council


North East Lincolnshire Council


Telford and Wrekin Council


Milton Keynes Development Partnership


Bassetlaw District Council


Derby City Council


Nottinghamshire County Council


Sheffield City Council


West Northamptonshire Council


Broxtowe Borough Council


Buckinghamshire Council


Oxford City Council


Cambridge City Council


Mansfield District Council


Leeds City Council


Milton Keynes City Council


Derbyshire Dales District Council


East Lindsey District Council


Cambridgeshire County Council


Wokingham Borough Council


Nottingham City Homes Limited


Kirklees Council


Westmorland & Furness Council


The North Yorkshire Council


Fenland District Council


North East Derbyshire District Council


Ashfield District Council


The West Yorkshire Combined Authority


Newark & Sherwood District Council


Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council


Peak District National Park


Staffordshire County Council


Bedford Borough Council


Somerset Council


Harborough District Council


Nottinghamshire Police Authority


Boston Borough Council


Old Bolsover Town Council


Welwyn & Hatfield Borough Council


Merton London Borough Council


Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council


South Cambridgeshire District Council


Pathfinder Legal Services Limited


Worcestershire County Council


Bolsover District Council


Kent County Council


Solihull MBC


Leicestershire County Council


Derbyshire County Council


Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council


Central Bedfordshire Council


Charnwood Borough Council


Hertfordshire County Council


Cherwell District Council


High Peak Borough Council


Reading Borough Council


Nottingham City Council


Oxfordshire County Council


Amber Valley Borough Council


Surrey County Council


Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council


Luton Borough Council


Swindon Borough Council


South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority


Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Authority


Leicestershire County Council


Rugby Borough Council


Charnwood Borough Council


Birmingham City Council


Blaby District Council


Folkestone & Hythe District Council


Nottingham City Council


Thanet District Council


Transport for the North


Staveley Town Council


Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council


Luton Borough Council


Herefordshire Council


North Northamptonshire Council


Cumberland Council


Swindon Borough Council


North West Leicestershire District Council


North Somerset Council


Melton Borough Council


Cannock Chase District Council


Huntingdonshire District Council


Kingston Upon Thames London Borough


West Suffolk Council


Scape Group Ltd


Stratford Upon Avon District Council


Shropshire Council


Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council


Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council


Mid Suffolk District Council


Tamworth Borough Council


Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service


Middlesbrough Borough Council


Newcastle City Council


Durham County Council


Gateshead Council


Northumberland County Council


Kirklees Council


Mole Valley District Council


Guildford Borough Council


Wigan Council


Eden District Council


Cheshire West and Chester Council


Lancashire County Council


Halton Borough Council


Sefton Council


West Yorkshire Combined Authority


Nottinghamshire County Council


West Midlands Combined Authority


Coventry City Council


Crawley Borough Council


Leicestershire County Council


Cambridgeshire County Council


Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council


Gravesham Borough Council


East Sussex County Council


Woodstock Town Council


Southampton City Council


Westmorland and Furness Council


Sunderland City Council


Wyre Forest District Council


Highlight-Mandate


  • Advising Cornwall Council on a geothermal district heat network to supply renewable heat to up to 4000 homes, a school, leisure centre and hospital.
  • Advising Plymouth City Council on the creation of a Habitat Banking Vehicle (HBV) called Ocean City Nature which is designed to generate and sell biodiversity units to enable developers to meet their statutory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements.
  • Advising Cornwall Council on the Langarth Garden Village project involving the strategic acquisition and development of a new town with up to 4000 homes, new schools, commercial, retail and public space and a £47m grant funded highway scheme in collaboration with three developers.

Browne Jacobson LLP

Browne Jacobson LLP‘s public sector team has seen a stream of work relating social care issues, inquests, and mental health and human rights mandates. The team also assists numerous councils with housing obligations and disrepairs claims. Joanne Pruden leads the team from Exeter, and is highlighted for her litigation expertise along with her experience advising on social care claims, including sexual abuse and Mental Health Act issues. With a focus on regulatory crime mandates, Dale Collins is another key name, as is health and social care expert Mark Barnett, who focuses on clinical negligence matters.

Praxisleiter:

Joanne Pruden


Weitere Kernanwälte:

Dale Collins; Mark Barnett; Nigel Lyons; Angela Williams


Kernmandanten

Municipal Mutual Insurance


Zurich


Gallagher Basset


Resolute


Devon County Council


Cornwall Council


Isle of Wight Council


Bristol City Council


Worcestershire County Council


Dorset Council


Cornwall Housing Limited


Plymouth Community Homes


TLT

TLT‘s ‘extremely agile and responsive’ local government practice has experience spanning complex projects and regeneration schemes, procurement work, tax issues, and restructuring and insolvency mandates. The South West team is led by property specialist Andrew Glynn, public procurement expert Bill Hull, and David Isaacson, who handles a wide range of commercial contracts, transactions and joint ventures. Other central names include David Meecham, who heads up the social housing and regeneration team, and Edward Pitt, who is noted for his estate management, property acquisition and disposal experience, regularly acting for central government clients.

Praxisleiter:

Andrew Glynn; Bill Hull; David Isaacson


Weitere Kernanwälte:

David Meecham; Edward Pitt


Referenzen

‘The breadth of knowledge and experience in the team is excellent – I can present them with one matter which has a multiplicity of issues and I know that, without prompting, all of those issues will be appropriately and expertly picked up and advised upon. Advice provided is always timely and great communication.’

‘Very strong understanding of the public sector procurement issues and policing market.’

‘This team really pulls the stops out at short notice with an extremely high-quality product.’

Highlight-Mandate


  • Advising Waltham Forest on the £250m+ regeneration of Score Centre, Leyton, to deliver 715 new homes, shops, a cafe, a health hub, a new civic square and a new indoor court leisure centre.
  • Instructed by Oxfordshire County Council on a £330m scheme to provide 11km of new road infrastructure and 20km of cycle and pedestrian facilities to Didcot Garden Village, funded through the Housing Infrastructure Forward Fund.
  • Advising South Somerset District Council in relation to its commercial property matters and estate management.

Trowers & Hamlins LLP

Based in Exeter, Trowers & Hamlins LLP‘s public sector practice offers a broad spectrum of advice to local authorities covering reform and devolution issues, large-scale infrastructure and regeneration projects, and governance and strategy mandates. Trio Lynne Rathbone, John Turnbull, and Rory Stracey spearhead the team. Stephen Moore is noted for his experience in real estate property transactions, while Oliver Williams has expertise in contentious and non-contentious construction work. Also highlighted are Gail White for education regeneration and development projects, and Alex Frankland for property, land, and social housing matters.

Praxisleiter:

Lynne Rathbone; John Turnbull; Rory Stracey


Weitere Kernanwälte:

Stephen Moore; Oliver Williams; Gail White; Alex Frankland


Kernmandanten

Rosherville Development Company Ltd


Thanet District Council


Wealdon District Council


Dorset Council


East Devon District Council


West of England Combined Authority


Rother District Council


East Devon District Council


Leicestershire County Council


Lancaster County Council


London Borough of Hillingdon


South Somerset District Council


Gloucester City Council


Bristol City Council


Tewkesbury Borough Council


Bath & North East Somerset Council


Torbay Council


Sedgemoor District Council


Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council


Tamworth Borough Council


London Borough of Camden


Westminster City Council


Cheltenham Borough Council


Sevenoaks District Council


Kent County Council


Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead


Gravesham Borough Council


Three Rivers District Council


VWV

Praised for its ‘depth of knowledge’, VWV‘s practice in Bristol advises a range of councils and emergency services on mandates ranging from employment and governance issues to commercial property and procurement work. The team also has substantial experience handling issues relating to policy development, risk policies and behaviour issues. Allison Cook leads the practice and has a strong track record in employment and governance issues. Michelle Bendall has experience in property litigation, and Stephanie Rickard takes the reins on procurement and subsidy control matters. Daniel Hall is also noted for property disputes, estate management work, and landlord and tenant issues.

Praxisleiter:

Allison Cook


Weitere Kernanwälte:

Michelle Bendall; Stephanie Rickard; Daniel Hall


Referenzen

‘Wide knowledge base across the property sector with good understanding of working with local authority clients.’

‘Individuals are always very approachable, helpful and willing to go the extra mile to complete projects.’

‘What I really appreciate about VWV is their depth of experience, making them our go to partners when we need either additional capacity or experience that we do not possess in our in-house legal service. VWV have always been able to give us the capacity and expertise that we need.’

Kernmandanten

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service


Avon Fire and Rescue Service


Fareham Borough Council


Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council


Nottingham City Council


Dorset Council


South Wales Fire and Rescue Service


North Wales Fire and Rescue Service


West Berkshire Council


Cherwell District Council


Highlight-Mandate


  • Advised Fareham Borough Council on its acquisition of Fareham Shopping Centre for over £14m which is instrumental for the regeneration of the town centre.
  • Advising a Fire and Rescue Service on a series of issues relating to employment law and the governance implications of the Government’s intervention into the running of the organisation.