The Legal 500

United Kingdom > North West > Public sector

Editorial sections

Other

All countries

Education

Eversheds LLP has a substantial education practice led by Diane Gilhooley. The funding crisis in the sector has seen the team increasingly active across complex mergers, restructuring and funding issues. It has an extensive client base, including further and higher education providers and academies. It handled significant work in 2011 for Kirklees College, Oaklands College and University of Bradford.

Addleshaw Goddard LLP has a dedicated national team handling education matters for public and private sector clients, led by Nancy McGuire. Highlights included advising Manchester Metropolitan University in relation to its £60m business school. The Building Schools for the Future team remains busy, despite the demise of such schemes, with work continuing for sponsors and funders. Richard Fleetwood is recommended.

DLA Piper UK LLP ‘exceeds expectations’. It is particularly strong on project work, and has a broad client base. Nick Helm has a ‘wealth of large transactional experience’ and leads the PFI team, which was reappointed as the sole adviser on PFI academies. Andrew Roberts heads the team in Liverpool.

DWF LLP gained new panel appointments and increased its national coverage during 2011, with ‘key areas expertly handled by leading lawyers’. Practice head Maria Burquest is ‘focused and incisive’, and acts for Manchester Metropolitan University, Liverpool JMU, and Leeds Metropolitan University. Kerren Daly is recommended on the employment side and acts for The Manchester College.

Hill Dickinson LLP gives ‘straightforward advice and is proactive’. Iain Campbell leads on higher and further education matters. David Rawlinson is head of the schools team, and recently acted in a case involving an independent school appealing a de-registration notice by the Secretary of State.

Pinsent Masons LLP has a national reputation in the universities sector, and acts for leading North West institutions. It also continues to act in BSF projects. Sara Sawicki is ‘clear, precise and grounded’.

Weightmans LLP works with higher and further education institutions, and is also instructed by insurer clients. Claire Lefort is noted for her work in the area of student complaint management, and Martin Vincent and Steve Peacock are also recommended.

George Davies Solicitors LLP is noted for its ‘excellent response times’ and ‘advice that is fit for purpose’, and acts for a number of further education clients. Anne Fairhurst heads the team.

Mills & Reeve LLP nationally acts for over 170 education sector clients, including universities, colleges and private schools. Manchester-based practice head Richard Sykes is ‘excellent and supportive’.

Health

Addleshaw Goddard LLP’s team, led by Michael O’Connor, is ‘exemplary’, and gives ‘a depth of service’. It acts at the forefront of major PFI/PPP health projects, recently acting for Liverpool Life Sciences Park on a joint venture scheme and on the LIFT project in west London. As public funding diminishes, the practice has increasingly focused on privately funded work, for clients such as Assura Group and Mouchel Group plc.

Hempsons is highlighted for its ‘exceptional level of service, support and timeliness’; its ‘knowledge is considerable and the advice is always pertinent.’ 2011 saw the team advise on 50 transactions for the TCS scheme. Jane Donnison is recommended for real estate work, and Anne Ball for clinical negligence and regulatory matters. Paul Hardy was promoted to partner.

Hill Dickinson LLP’s full-service team is headed by Allan Mowat, who has an excellent reputation. It provides ‘prompt, professional, accessible advice’ to a client base of over 100 NHS and private sector groups, and is a member of the North West Collaborative Hub. It acted in the Mid Staffordshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust public inquiry, and advised Morecambe Bay NHS Trust on the Furness General Hospital investigation. Newly promoted partner Philippa Hipwell is ‘excellent, dedicated, professional and prepared to go the extra mile’, and Sharon Thomas is also recommended.

Weightmans LLP’s practice was boosted by the firm’s merger with Mace & Jones. It is a NWCCA panel member, and recent work includes TCS transactions and some significant employment cases. Richard Jolly heads the department.

Kevin Jaquiss leads a cross-disciplinary team at Cobbetts LLP advising NHS trusts and PCTs.

DAC Beachcroft LLP’s recent work includes TCS matters, and assistance to PCTs and foundations. Rachael Heenan leads the team in Manchester, and Georgina Rowley* provides ‘excellent support’ on inquest work. *Georgina Rowley has since moved to Hempsons.

Katharine Mellor heads the healthcare practice at DWF LLP, which is ‘extensive in its knowledge’. Highlights included advising various providers on setting up new structures and ventures.

Eversheds LLP has a substantial cross-office practice, with particular strength in the region in litigation matters. It acts for public sector bodies, and private sector clients such as Four Seasons Healthcare and NHP plc. It is acting as legal adviser on the Mid Staffordshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust public inquiry.

George Davies Solicitors LLP acts for GPs and pharmacists, and ‘focuses on clients’ needs without overcomplicating matters.’ Anne Fairhurst is ‘most impressive’.

Local government

Addleshaw Goddard LLP continues to dominate the Building Schools for the Future and PFI markets, recently assisting Bradford MBC and Salford City Council with major projects. The team maintains its LIFT projects portfolio, and has acted on the majority of the scheme’s procurement projects in the north of England. In other sectors, it has become increasingly involved in outsourcing and regeneration projects. During 2011, it attracted a number of instructions relating to housing schemes, including advising councils and lenders on Extracare housing schemes.

Cobbetts LLP’s public sector team is led by Leeds-based Tiffany Cloynes. The team is involved in several redevelopment and regeneration projects, including advising Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council on the Blackburn Cathedral Quarter redevelopment, and Burnley Borough Council and Warrington Borough Council on redevelopment projects.

DLA Piper UK LLP’s public sector team was reappointed to the North West Consortium panel, which consists of 34 authorities. It assisted Halton Borough Council on the Mersey Gateway Project to develop a 1.2km River Mersey crossing, and acted for Westminster City Council on the procurement of multiple services and systems. Kate Creer is known for her CPO advice, on the planning side, and Sarah Bell is also recommended.

Eversheds LLP has a sizeable team servicing local authorities across the country, and has specialist expertise in areas such as renewables, HR projects, and governance and strategy. The firm is acting for Manchester City Council on the large-scale Brunswick Housing PFI project.

Pinsent Masons LLP’s ‘structured solutions’ team ‘stands out for its innovative approach’. It advises on local authority asset backed vehicle (LABV) schemes, with three completing during 2011. Celia Cullen is ‘very knowledgeable, and always very helpful’. Scot Morrison is recommended for joint venture and partnerships structures.

At Weightmans LLP, Graeme Creer leads a team which ‘covers all aspects’ for public sector clients. It was reappointed to the North West Legal Consortium, and also won an appointment to the Metropolitan Police’s four-year framework for the provision of services. Michael Green acted in Harrow LBC v Risk Management Partners Ltd, which considered tendering obligations under the public procurement regulations.

DAC Beachcroft LLP was reappointed to the North West Legal Consortium. Eve Gregory leads the public sector real estate team, which was instructed on a number of redevelopment and regeneration matters.

Paul Marsh is head of public sector real estate DWF LLP, which acts for Liverpool and Manchester city councils.

Hill Dickinson LLP is strong in property and planning matters, and boosted its procurement practice with the hire of Mark Fitzgibbon from Cobbetts LLP.

Pannone LLP fields a cross-disciplinary team, and was reappointed to the North West Legal Consortium. Nicholas Dobson is a leading local government lawyer, and provides ‘good, practical advice and a prompt response’.

Liam Buckley heads the team at Squire Sanders LLP, which is strong in property, construction and PFI matters.

Trowers & Hamlins LLP punches above its weight in advising public sector clients on big-ticket work. Michael Mousdale is ‘excellent’.

Search News and Articles

Press releases

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to

Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

Press Releases in the UK

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to
© 2013 www.legal500.com