Bevan Brittan is a national law firm whose three core markets are health; communities and local government; and major corporates involved in delivery of public services. Legal services provided in these markets include advice on commercial and infrastructure matters, clinical risk, commercial dispute resolution, property and employment.
The firm: Bevan Brittan was formed in 2004. The roots of the practice go back to 1815 and the firm has always enjoyed a strong reputation for its work in the public sector, in particular health and local government. Since 2004 the scope of the firm’s work has expanded to encompass the broader public services market, including private sector companies providing services to the public sector.
Bevan Brittan makes sure that its clients are at the heart of everything the practice does by organising itself around their industry market sectors. The firm’s commitment to clients is visible through its client promises; in essence they are the core values of the firm, setting the tone for its business and professional behaviour. In a profession that is often seen as conservative, what sets Bevan Brittan apart from other law firms is its ability to help clients not just with their day to day operations but also with new, sometimes brand new, ideas.
Recognising the increasingly integrated nature of public private partnerships and major projects, the practice merged its commercial, projects and construction and engineering departments in April 2011 into a combined commercial and infrastructure department.
Clients include the Local Government Association, NHSLA, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital NHS, Foundation Trust, Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, Bristol and Plymouth City Councils, Buckinghamshire County Council, Barts and the London NHS Trust, NHS Hounslow, NHS West Midlands, BPCSSA, North Bristol NHS Trust, Royal Cornwall Hospitals, Ryhurst Limited, Regenter, Costain, Aviva Commercial Finance, John Laing Integrated Services and Viridor.
Types of work undertaken: At a time when delivery of public services is going through widespread transformation, the practice has evolved to meet the changing needs of clients. Its work encompasses advisory, governance and consultation, organisational restructuring (including shared services), strategic asset management, outsourcing, litigation services and judicial challenge. Specific expertise is provided in commercial and infrastructure work, clinical risk, commercial dispute resolution, property and employment.
Understanding governance and vires issues that affect public authorities and subsequently the delivery of public services, is a complex area in which few firms can match the strength of Bevan Brittan. In both health and local government the practice provides teams and individuals who are market leaders in understanding corporate governance issues that can protect authorities from the threat of judicial challenge. This strength is equally valued by private sector clients who assist with delivery of public services. In public private partnerships, Bevan Brittan is recognised as a market leader in its understanding of the commercial as well as governance issues involved. In the major projects and PFI sector, the practice has always punched above its weight. A survey of firms involved in project finance in 2010 ranked the practice second by number of deals (11) and seventh for project value (£1.77bn). This strength makes the firm a natural partner for public and private sector clients across a range of areas including education, hospitals, waste, housing and leisure. Bevan Brittan intends to maintain its focus on the delivery of public services, working effectively at the interface between the public and private sectors.
Bevan Brittan enjoys an expanding reputation in handling challenges to decisions made by and affecting public authorities. Its work has included litigation on behalf of the 123 authorities affected by the collapse of the Icelandic banks in 2009 and a successful judicial review on behalf of Sandwell Council on the decision by the Education Secretary Michael Gove to scrap their Building Schools for the Future project. An increasing number of procurement challenges are made on behalf of private sector organisations bidding for major public service contracts.
Other offices: Birmingham, London
Breakdown of work %
Commercial and infrastructure 33
Clinical risk 22
Commercial dispute resolution 16
Property 11
Employment 10
Other 8
Number of UK partners 42
Number of other UK fee-earners 143
Above material supplied by Bevan Brittan LLP.