Weightmans LLP Liverpool-based local government practice offers a broad spectrum of advice to local councils and authorities ranging from regeneration projects and property transactions to procurement issues. With a previous career in local government law, Simon Goacher heads up the practice, and is an established practitioner on member conduct having carried out investigations on behalf of local authorities. While public law expert Morris Hill specialises in social care matters including child protection, Clive Bleasdale specialises in commercial property law and currently acts for Liverpool City Council on the £1bn Paddington Village project.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Excellent in depth knowledge of local government law, with many of the team being former in house local authority lawyers.’
‘Simon Goacher has a huge amount of local government law expertise and experience, and was a former Monitoring Officer at Liverpool City Council’
‘Simon Goacher - very pragmatic and helpful’
Key clients
- West of England Combined Authority
- Association of Directors of Public Health
- Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
- Nottinghamshire County Council
- Hertfordshire County Council
- Gloucestershire County Council
- London Borough of Waltham Forest
- Manchester City Council
- EM Lawshare
- NW Legal Consortium
Work highlights
- Advising West of England Combined Authority on its Future Transport Zone programme of projects throughout 2022.
- Advised Swale Borough Council on its change of governance model from a committee system to a leader and governance model, in particular advised on the changes required including drafting a new constitution.
- Investigated a complaint that one of the elected members of the London Borough of Waltham Forest had breached its code of conduct by arranging for the flag of Northern Cyprus to be flown at a ceremony at the Town Hall.
Lawyers
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Simon Goacher