Bevan Brittan LLP’s local government team is a key name in the market for an expansive client roster of local authorities and their representative bodies, handling a broad scope of mandates spanning commercial contracts, litigation, procurement processes and regeneration schemes. The group is also highly regarded for its knowledge of governance and reorganisation matters, infrastructure projects and issues regarding children’s services. Key names in Leeds include governance specialist David Kitson and Judith Hopper, who focuses on contentious work, particularly PFI disputes.
Local government in Yorkshire And The Humber
Bevan Brittan LLP
Other key lawyers:
David Kitson; Judith Hopper; James Teagle; Kyle Duggan
Testimonials
‘A young but well integrated team doing complex work well.’
‘Judith Hopper is very well organised and works well with difficult clients.’
‘Bevan Brittan were friendly, quickly developed a team mentality, were pro-active and had obviously sought to and had developed a rapport and trust with the client.’
‘Judith Hopper (Partner). Solid advice in a supportive, inclusive, team environment and a very positive result for the client. A joy to work with.’
‘Bevan Brittan are my go to specialists in all matters concerning local government. David Kitson is superb in helping me steer my way through these issues. Bevan Brittan have been pivotal and exceptional in dealing with a complex matter. Further, when the matter ticks the “difficult and complex box”, Bevan Brittan can deal with the matter without recourse to counsel.’
‘David Kitson is an exceptional lawyer and an authority on all matters local government. The advice is solid and moreover David is calm and measured when dealing with a client calling him with a complex matter and manages to bring my blood pressure down! David is accessible and will always call me back if cannot take my call. Great pragmatic lawyer.’
Key clients
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Southend-on-Sea City Council
Oxfordshire County Council
London Borough of Merton Council
London Borough of Brent Council
London Borough of Barnet Council
London Borough of Haringey Council
Work highlights
- Advising the London Borough of Havering on the construction of a Family Welcome Centre which will be the first of its kind in Havering, and will be critical in helping increase the support available for its most vulnerable residents.
- Advising the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on the establishment of a £360m framework agreement for use by 21 London Boroughs for community equipment services and successfully acting in proceedings to lift an automatic injunction preventing it from signing the agreement with the successful bidder, following a challenge to the award by the incumbent.
- Advising the London Borough of Merton and its subsidiary in relation to CHAS’s exit from the LGPS when sold out of the public sector, including dealing with the Best Value pension direction, pensions consultation obligations and replacement scheme design issues including death in service implementation.
Pinsent Masons LLP
Fielding a ‘collaborative and solution-focused team‘, Pinsent Masons LLP‘s Leeds-based group sits within the firm’s substantial national practice, which handles the full spectrum of matters for local government clients and leverages close relationships with a variety of central and local government names. In Leeds, the group is particularly well regarded for its project work, utilising the expertise of national practice head Anne Bowden, who regularly advises on regeneration projects, and Jonathan Riley, who specialises in planning issues. Clients also single out Nick McDonald for praise; he is notably experienced in land assembly and CPO work and has recently been active on housing estate regeneration schemes.
Practice head(s):
Anne Bowden
Other key lawyers:
Jonathan Riley; Nick McDonald
Testimonials
‘Collaborative and solution-focused team who quietly and effectively achieve for their clients. Easy to work with and great quality legal advice.’
‘Nick McDonald is always a pleasure to work with. He has deep knowledge and experience in this area, and is focused on getting to an answer that works for the project.’
‘Anne Bowden is very well respected across the industry, known for her deep knowledge and experience, and more importantly her ability to respond to any given circumstance with solution-focused clear calm advice. She always makes herself available when needed.’
Key clients
Leeds City Council
West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Scarborough Council
South Tyneside Council
North Tyneside Council
Durham County Council
Manchester City Council
Sunderland City Council
London Borough of Wandsworth
London Borough of Lambeth
Birmingham City Council
Oxford City Council
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Westminster City Council
Work highlights
- Acting for Rotherham Council in an urgent £50m rescue funding deal for its flagship town centre scheme Forge Island, with developer Muse, to create a hotel, cinema and restaurants.
- Advising IAMP LLP (a JV between Sunderland and South Tyneside Councils) on delivery of the 150ha International Advanced Manufacturing Park, which will create 7000 new jobs.
- Advising London Borough of Wandsworth on its two largest council estate regeneration projects, delivering 3500 homes with an end value of over £1bn.
Walker Morris LLP
Walker Morris LLP's 'clear understanding of local government and its complexities' allows the highly regarded team to 'go beyond the provision of clear legal and procedural advice and encompass wider support'. Under the joint leadership of Ben Sheppard, who handles PPP and PFI mandates, and real estate and regeneration project expert Chris Woodthorpe, the practice's client roster spans local authorities, central government departments, NHS bodies, registered providers and contractors. The group also leverages the knowledge of competition specialist Sarah Ward, construction expert Carly Thorpe and consultant David Kilduff.
Practice head(s):
Ben Sheppard; Chris Woodthorpe
Other key lawyers:
Sarah Ward; Carly Thorpe; David Kilduff; Alastair Robertson; Lynsey Oakdene; Kathryn Vickers; Adam Bertram
Testimonials
‘WM have a clear understanding of LG and its complexities and have been able to apply our requirements when dealing with complex negotiations and contracts. The Team involved in the project were excellent at deciphering the key issues for the Local Authority and explaining the implications clearly – picking up extra requests for work which would better aid understanding and confidence.’
‘David Kilduff and Adam Bertram were keen to ensure that, as the client, I had all the support required to seek decisions from cabinet on complex issues and contractual arrangements with 3rd party organisations.’
‘The Local Government team at Walker Morris have been excellent to work with. We needed specialised knowledge for the sectors we work in and this team have been able to provide exactly that.’
‘WM has been very collaborative and proactive if the input from a different team within WM is needed. There is a seamless organisation of calls and inputs from these teams, still coordinated by the Local Government team so that as a client we are still only dealing with the one primary team on a project.’
‘Within this team we work mainly with 2 individuals who have stood out – Ben Sheppard (Partner) and Adam Bertram (Associate). Adam and Ben have excellent communication skills. This is helpful when trying to get projects completed or understanding when a comprehensive response will be completed. They are both very good at communicating thoughts and insights effectively and in a way which is understandable for a non-lawyer.’
‘The level of expertise and attention to detail is excellent. What is really impressive however is the real understanding of the client’s needs and requirements and the advice and support provided to achieve appropriate outcomes. Customer care is paramount and one feels that one’s matter is in safe hands and that the Team is fully engaged and committed. This goes beyond the provision of clear legal and procedural advice and encompasses wider support for the project.’
‘David Kilduff led the external adviser team and played a key role in delivering the project. All the lawyers involved were excellent but David’s commitment, expertise, support for the client’s officers and members, problem solving and suggestions at critical stages played a large part in ensuring delivery. One cannot praise highly enough how much David’s impressive knowledge and calm demeanour instilled confidence during a complex and often challenging project.’
Key clients
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Kier Property Developments Limited
Hambleton District Council
Kier Construction Limited
Harrogate Borough Council
Cumbria County Council
MVV Environment
Associated Waste Management
Eveleigh LINK Academy Trust
Barnsley Premier Leisure
Work highlights
- Acting for Hambleton District Council in connection with the establishment, funding and contractual structuring of a joint venture LLP to manage a crematorium.
- Acting for Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council in connection with an innovative project for the development of a town centre digital innovation campus built around two digital media centres.
- Acting for Hambleton District Council in respect of a threatened judicial review of the Home Office’s proposal to open an asylum accommodation centre at RAF Linton.
Addleshaw Goddard
Addleshaw Goddard‘s local government team ‘meets every challenge put in its way‘ and leverages the firm’s extensive UK network to act for local and combined authorities at a regional and national level. The team is particularly sought out for its transactional expertise with experience across the energy, transport, infrastructure and public services sectors. Other noteworthy areas of expertise span state aid work, development option appraisals, procurement processes and contentious work. Anna Heaton and Ian Smith lead the group in Leeds and specialise in commercial property work and development projects respectively, while Paul Hirst is recommended for his transport sector knowledge.
Practice head(s):
Anna Heaton; Ian Smith
Other key lawyers:
Paul Hirst; Richard Goodfellow
Testimonials
‘The team meets every challenge put in its way, including dealing with bulk volume in short periods of time to tight deadlines.’
‘I have been extremely impressed by AG – they have picked up a couple of our very complicated local authority loan matters and brought them to completion in a very tight timescale and did it within a very constrained legal budget.’
Key clients
West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Borough Council of Calderdale
The Council of the Borough of Kirklees
Merseytravel
London Luton Airport Limited
West Midlands Combined Authority
Maple Grove Developments Limited
Luton Borough Council
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive T/A Nexus
Work highlights
- Advising the West Yorkshire Combined Authority on all elements of legal advice relating to its station’s development programme.
- Advising Merseytravel on the development of its bus franchising assessment.
- Advising London Luton Airport Limited on its airport expansion programme.
DLA Piper
Under the leadership of Robert Smith, the Leeds-based practice at DLA Piper is a key contact in the market for projects and procurement work, real estate and planning mandates, financing issues and litigation, with particular knowledge of transport, regeneration, housing and waste matters. Alongside its client base of local authorities, the team is also increasingly acting for private sector clients that work closely with public sector entities. Smith is highly regarded for his transport practice, particularly handling rail and bus related mandates, and is ably supported by Ntsakisi Baloyi Rigby, who excels in transport regulatory work.
Practice head(s):
Robert Smith
Other key lawyers:
Ntsakisi Baloyi Rigby
Testimonials
‘Local government is a bit of a dark art and the team really understand how it works. This is very impressive for private practice lawyers, especially as our region’s arrangements are complex. They are always there when you need them to provide excellent practical advice within agreed timescales.’
‘Robert Smith and Ntsakisi Baloyi Rigby stand out because of their superb knowledge. They provided much needed support to me as an in-house lawyer working in a new fast paced area in a way that I could learn from them and support my in-house client.’
‘The team have clearly taken time to go above and beyond their practitioner expertise and have really taken the time to understand our region’s needs. They genuinely feel like an extension of our own team, and consistently make themselves available to problem solve and work collaboratively.’
‘Robert Smith and Ntsakisi Baloyi Rigby stand out because of their outstanding knowledge which transcends excellent legal knowledge to a sound understanding of what we do and how our organisations function. They never fail to be helpful and are capable of developing strong client relationships which give them a deep understanding of our needs. The fact that they are trusted and respected across the sector and we hear advocacy from peers elsewhere in the country give us confidence that they are the best in the business.’
Key clients
West Midlands Combined Authority
Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive
Merseytravel
Transport for Greater Manchester
West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Transport for the North
Nottingham City Council
Voi
Gett
Leicester City Council
Transport for Wales
South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive / South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
Urban Transport Group
Rutland County Council
Lincolnshire County Council
Transport North East
Work highlights
- Advising TfGM and Greater Manchester Combined Authority on the successful introduction of bus franchising across Greater Manchester, the first such scheme introduced outside London by a local government.
- Advising on MetroFlow, a novel project for the transfer of a rail line from Network Rail to Nexus, the passenger transport executive for the North East – a novel regulatory transaction and first for local government.
- Advising Transport for Wales and Welsh Government on support of the Welsh bus industry including funding and partnership arrangements with all local authorities and bus operators in Wales to support continued operation of bus services.
Freeths LLP
Sitting within the firm’s national local government team, Freeths LLP‘s Yorkshire-based practitioners are particularly active on real estate projects, including investment and development transactions. Liz Banks heads up the group in Leeds and advises clients on investment acquisitions, portfolio management issues, land disposals and developments. The group also leverages the knowledge of various team members in Sheffield.
Practice head(s):
Liz Banks
Key clients
Royal Borough of Greenwich
Buckinghamshire Council
Rushmoor Borough Council
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
North East Lincolnshire Council
East Northamptonshire District Council
Leicester City Council
London Borough of Ealing
Milton Keynes Development Partnership
Solihull MBC
Mansfield District Council
Nottinghamshire County Council
Walsall Council
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Gloucestershire County Council
Cherwell District Council
Cambridge City Council
Reading Borough Council
Bassetlaw District Council
Broxtowe Borough Council
Derby City Council
Derbyshire Dales District Council
Kent County Council
London Borough of Bromley
Oxford City Council
Telford and Wrekin Council
Shropshire Council
Leicestershire County Council
Milton Keynes Council
Enfield Council
Nottingham City Homes Limited
East Lindsey District Council
Staffordshire County Council
South Cambridgeshire District Council
Bristol City Council
Nottingham Community Housing Association
North Yorkshire County Council
Ashfield District Council
Central Bedfordshire Council
Kirklees Council
West Northamptonshire Council
Charnwood Borough Council
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
Rugby Borough Council
Nottingham City Council
Luton Borough Council
Newark & Sherwood District Council
Worcestershire County Council
Plymouth City Council
Somerset County Council
Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council
York City Council
Folkestone & Hythe District Council
Sheffield City Council
Herefordshire Council
Merton London Borough Council
High Peak Borough Council
Hertfordshire County Council
Boston Borough Council
Bolsover District Council
Rushcliffe Borough Council
Huntingdonshire District Council
East Hertfordshire District Council
Birmingham City Council
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority
Isle of Wight Council
Harborough District Council
London Borough of Sutton
Blaby District Council
Melton Borough Council
Chesterfield Borough Council
Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
Wokingham Borough Council
Bedford Borough Council
North East Derbyshire District Council
Peterborough City Council
Cheshire East Council
Scape Group Ltd
North Northamptonshire Council
Old Bolsover Town Council
Amber Valley Borough Council
Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service
Derbyshire County Council
Erewash Borough Council
Stoke on Trent City Council
Lichfield District Council
Forest of Dean District Council
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Authority
Arc Property Services Partnership Ltd
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority
Welwyn & Hatfield Borough Council
Ashfield Homes Ltd
City of Lincoln Council
Corby Borough Council
Cotswold District Council
Coventry City Council
Daventry District Council
Fenland District Council
Harrogate Borough Council
Kettering Borough Council
Lincolnshire County Council
North Hertfordshire District Council
North Lincolnshire Council
North West Leicestershire District Council
Northampton Borough Council
Nottinghamshire Police Authority
Peak District National Park
Sedgemoor District Council
South Staffordshire Council
Stratford Upon Avon District Council
The Borough of Oadby & Wigston
Transport for the North
West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue
Wolverhampton City Council
Middlesbrough Borough Council
The Council of the Borough of South Tyneside
Durham County Council
Northumberland County Council
Gateshead Council
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
Wigan Council
Warrington Borough Council
Cheshire West and Chester Council
Halton Borough Council
South Lakeland District Council
Sefton Council
Allerdale Borough Council
Eden District Council
Cumbria County Council
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
London Borough of Hackney
London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Newham
London Borough of Hillingdon
Defence Infrastructure Organisation
The Cornwall Council
Tamworth Borough Council
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Mole Valley District Council
Waverley Borough Council
Guildford Borough Council
Runnymede Borough Council
Spelthorne Borough Council
West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Leeds City Council
Wakefield Council
Leicestershire County Council
London Borough of Lambeth
West of England Combined Authority
West Midlands Combined Authority
The Police & Crime Commissioner for Kent
Swindon Borough Council
Southampton City Council
Bath and North East Somerset Council
East Sussex County Council
Gravesham Borough Council
Surrey County Council
Orbis Reporting Group
Cornwall Council Reporting Group
Ipswich Borough Assets Limited
London Borough of Havering
Stevenage Borough Council
London Borough of Barking & Dagenham
Exeter City Council
The West Midlands Growth Company
Cambridgeshire County Council
Havant Borough Council
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Ware Town Council
Wantage Town Council
Buckinghamshire Advantage
Gloucester City Council
Harlow Council
Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce
Derbyshire Building Control Partnership
Broxbourne Borough Council
Castle Point Borough Council
Darlington Borough Council
Cheltenham Borough Council
Rochford District Council
Ipswich Borough Council
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Oxford City Housing Limited
South Somerset District Council
Work highlights
- Advising North East Lincolnshire Council on the acquisition by the council of the Freshney Place shopping centre and ongoing work around the repurposing space to revitalise the area.
- Advising Shropshire Council on unlocking air quality impact environmental law constraints to obtaining planning permission for the council’s Shrewsbury North-West Relief Road project.
- Advising Leeds City Council in connection with the disposal of various brownfield land sites for housing development.
Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP
Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP's multi-disciplinary local government group is praised for its knowledge of procurement processes, real estate and planning issues, and infrastructure projects, and acts for a varied client roster of local authorities, central government departments and public bodies. The group's industry expertise spans the energy, leisure, waste, education and third sectors and it is also active in regulatory issues and governance work. Key Leeds-based contacts include Andrew Hirst, who heads up the heat networks practice; construction expert Vicky McCombe and Helen Robinson, who provides support on infrastructure and regeneration projects.
Other key lawyers:
Andrew Hirst; Vicky McCombe; Helen Robinson
Key clients
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
Bath & North East Somerset Council
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
Bristol City Council
Broxbourne Borough Council
Cambridgeshire County Council
Chelmsford City Council
Cheltenham Borough Council
Cheshire East Council
Cherwell District Council
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
City of York Council
Copeland Borough Council
Cornwall Council
Cumbria County Council
Darlington Borough Council
Devon County Council
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
Dover District Council
Durham County Council
East Hampshire District Council
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Eastbourne Borough Council
Eastleigh Borough Council
Work highlights
- Advising Redcar & Cleveland Council on the termination of its office accommodation PFI, involving multiple sites across the Borough with a variety of complex property arrangements.
- Appointed by Solihull Council to advise on the procurement of a significant heat network project to supply public and commercial buildings in Solihull Town Centre with both heat and power.
- Advising Hampshire County Council on its waste service treatment PPP contract and HWRC contract with Veolia.