Addleshaw Goddard's local government work spans areas such as energy, transport, public infrastructure and public services. The firm is a go-to for major outsourcing and partnership transactions, and it also has a strong reputation defending local government entities against high-value procurement claims. Andrew Pettinger, who handles outsourcing and other commercial transactions, jointly leads the team with Michael O’Connor.
Local government in North West
Addleshaw Goddard
Practice head(s):
Andrew Pettinger; Michael O’Connor
Other key lawyers:
Richard Goodfellow; Ian Smith; Sara Gilmore
Testimonials
‘Excellent practical advice provided in a timely manner.’
‘Michael O’Connor has exceptional knowledge of our sector – healthcare procurement and capital development – and always gives expert but genuinely practical and sound commercial advice. Just a pleasure to work with.’
‘Excellent sector depth and trusting relationships at very senior levels. Happy to make introductions in order to make projects ultimately more successful.‘
Key clients
West Midlands Combined Authority
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Manchester City Council
Cheshire East Council/Connecting Cheshire
Cumbria County Council
Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
Burnley Borough Council
Cheshire West & Chester Council
York City Council
Luton Borough Council
Reading Borough Council
Derby City Council
Somerset County Council
Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Salford City Council
City of Stoke Council
Connexin Limited
Warrington Borough Council
Kirklees Council
Greater London Authority / Transport for London
Merseytravel/Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Work highlights
- Advised the West Yorkshire Combined Authority on all elements of legal advice relating to its station’s development programme.
- Advised London Luton Airport on its airport expansion programme.
- Advised the Greater London Authority on a procurement for the retrofit of existing public housing with net zero carbon solutions.
DWF
DWF is highlighted for its strengths in infrastructure and urban regeneration schemes, and it is also adept in public procurement work; the latter is an area in which Colin Murray is recommended. Murray jointly leads the team with Jonathan Branton, who specialises in subsidy control, state aid and EU competition matters. Other key areas of work include governance, health and safety, environmental and other regulatory advice for local authority clients. The practice also handles insurance work, defending claims for historical abuse and failures of social care, with a specialism in the recovery of outstanding care debt. Associate Bradley Martin focuses on public procurement and outsourcing transactions.
Practice head(s):
Jonathan Branton; Colin Murray
Other key lawyers:
Bradley Martin
Testimonials
‘Client focus. Sensible pricing. Putting the client relationship before billing targets. Concentrating on the points that matter most. Accessibility – they promise to field their A-Team – and they deliver that in spades.’
Key clients
Wirral Borough Council
Wigan Council
Blackpool Council
Liverpool City Council
Transport for Greater Manchester
Lancashire County Council
Cornwall County Council
Conwy County Borough Council
Royal Borough of Greenwich
Bradford MBC
Wakefield Council
West Midlands Combined Authority
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Manchester City Council
Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Lancashire LEP
Cheshire & Warrington LEP
Pinsent Masons LLP
Pinsent Masons LLP excels in structuring public sector joint venture vehicles and partnership structures involving local authorities, and it also handles regeneration projects for local government clients. Other core areas of activity include advising on governance issues and dispute resolution. Practice head Scot Morrison works with Mike Pocock and associate Liz Nuttall.
Practice head(s):
Scot Morrison
Other key lawyers:
Mike Pocock; Liz Nuttall
Key clients
Manchester City Council
Nottinghamshire County Council
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CA
London Borough of Harrow
Bracknell Forest Council
Portsmouth Council
Colchester Council
Homes England
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council
Sunderland City Council and South Tyneside Council
London Borough of Croydon
Work highlights
- Advised Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council on Manydown, a £1.6bn major residential-led development scheme being delivered through a joint venture structure comprising of a land area of approximately 843 hectares (2,080 acres) west of Basingstoke and at least 7,800 homes.
- Advised the London Borough of Harrow in respect of the procurement of a private sector joint venture partner for a £2.5bn transformational project to develop three core sites and to deliver a new civic centre in Harrow to support the Council’s regeneration programme.
- Advised Bracknell Forest Borough Council in procuring a private sector partner with whom to establish a corporate joint venture for a major regeneration project initially involving the development of a number of Council owned sites in the Borough. The first three sites are in the town centre and have an estimated development value of £150 million.
Clyde & Co
Clyde & Co LLP is well known for defending local government clients in complex and difficult litigation. Other key areas of work include misfeasance claims, abuse and CSE claims, inquests and inquiries, development projects and social housing. Paul Tarne represents local authorities and emergency services in civil and regulatory matters; he jointly leads the team with Matthew Hyam, who concentrates on acting for stock-owning local authorities and registered providers of social housing. Associate Nicholas Leigh specialises in claims involving allegations of physical and sexual abuse, representing charitable institutions, local authorities, churches and schools.
Practice head(s):
Paul Tarne; Matthew Hyam
Other key lawyers:
Stephen Lintott; Natalie Puce; Nicholas Leigh
Testimonials
‘Paul Tarne is an excellent and efficient communicator who manages the team and the complex different needs of the clients and witnesses. He is always readily available, deals swiftly with any requirements of the case and is commercially and reputationally astute. Natalie Puce works with Paul and is an astute lawyer who has a comprehensive knowledge of the case.’
‘The team are commercial and solution focused. Always helpful and honest about cases and possible outcomes giving a balanced view of risk whilst working tirelessly to achieve positive outcomes for their clients.’
‘Paul Tarne has been an able ally through some complex and novel litigation, has always been available and has engaged on a personal level which has meant that it has been easy to work with him as part of a team approach.’
Key clients
Wirral MBC
Knowsley MBC
Sheffield City Council
Oldham MBC
Stockport MBC
Manchester City Council
Halton Housing
Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Lancashire County Council
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Rochdale MBC
Blackpool Council
London Fire Brigade
Browne Jacobson LLP
Browne Jacobson LLP acts for local authority clients from throughout the North West and beyond. It stands out for its experience in large-scale procurement, regeneration projects, waste and other contractual matters. Other key areas of work include commercial matters, state aid, alternative service delivery models and adult social care issues. Mike Mousdale, who heads up the department, has extensive transactions and projects expertise, having advised on LLP joint ventures and strategic partnerships.
Practice head(s):
Mike Mousdale
Other key lawyers:
Peter Ware; Alex Kynoch
Testimonials
‘Very capable, excellent communicators, friendly, accessible, responded promptly to queries.’
‘Very good understanding of issues relevant to local government.’
‘Alex Kynoch’s advice on state aid has also been very clear and his knowledge of this area makes him our go to for these types of matters.’
‘Our experience has been that Browne Jacobson are able to balance black letter law in terms of regulatory requirements with commercial understanding and practicality.’
‘Michael Mousdale is our lead partner at Browne Jacobson and we have found that, as well as being extremely knowledgeable in both public and waste law, he is also very pragmatic in finding solutions to problems as they arise.’
Key clients
Derbyshire County Council
Western Riverside Waste Authority
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
North West Leicestershire District Council
Local Government Association
Welsh Local Government Association
London Borough of Southwark Council
New Collaborative Learning Trust
Plymouth City Council
London Borough of Croydon
Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
Tandridge District Council
Manchester City Council
Work highlights
- Advising Oxford City Council on a range of contractual documents to deal with financial, property and power supply issues relating to the Council’s largest superhub of electric vehicle charging facility in the UK, core to its zero carbon strategy with a value of £41 million.
- Advised the London Borough of Croydon on establishing three dynamic purchasing systems to purchase health and social care services related to supported living, supported housing and young people services with an estimated value of £750 million plus permitted extensions.
- Advised Manchester City Council on all aspects of city centre district heating project with a value of circa £20 million.
DLA Piper
DLA Piper advises local government clients on a broad range of issues, including planning, outsourcing, projects and pensions. It has a notably strong record in regeneration projects. Sarah Bell is experienced in assisting clients with commercial projects, procurement and joint ventures. She jointly leads the team with Liam Cowell, who specialises in infrastructure and project finance transactions. Up-and-coming partner Gemma Cowap focuses on local authority commercial trading projects and strategic partnerships.
Practice head(s):
Sarah Bell; Liam Cowell
Other key lawyers:
Gemma Cowap
Key clients
Cheshire West and Chester Borough Council
Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority
Halton Borough Council / Mersey Gateway Crossing Board Limited
Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Liverpool City Council
Liverpool Vision Limited
Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
Transport for Greater Manchester
Transport for the North
Westminster City Council
Wirral Borough Council
Sciontec Developments Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Cheshire West & Chester Borough Council on the Chester Northgate Development.
- Advised on the establishment of Sciontec (part-owned by Liverpool City Council) and subsequent multi-million investment.
- Advised Wirral Borough Council in relation to a major development project which exchanged in December 2020.
Trowers & Hamlins LLP
Trowers & Hamlins LLP's strengths in acting for clients from the public, private and third sectors gives its team an insight into relations between public sector organisations and private sector partners over the supply and delivery of key services. Key areas of focus include social care, housing, schools and waste collection and disposal. Suzanne Benson specialises in major projects, including land projects, joint ventures and regeneration schemes, as well as the development of home ownership projects. She jointly leads the practice with Scott Dorling.
Practice head(s):
Suzanne Benson; Scott Dorling
Other key lawyers:
Richard St John Williams; Matthew Holbrook; Darren Ashworth; Dan Butler
Testimonials
‘My experience is that the team takes the time to understand clients’ needs and then ensures advice is tailored.’
‘Darren Ashworth is my main contact. I hold Darren and his advice in very high regard.’
Key clients
Homes England
Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council
Warwickshire County Council
Bury Council
West Midlands Combined Authority
Hartlepool Borough Council
Wolverhampton City Council
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
Reading Borough Council
Wokingham Borough Council
Northamptonshire County Council
Salford City Council
One Manchester
Work highlights
- Appointed to advise Tameside on their relationships with housing providers and developers within the Borough in order to achieve their affordable housing strategy and to act as an enabler in delivering their housing targets.
- Supported West Midlands Combined Authority on a proposed joint venture between the West Midlands Combined Authority and 5 RPs centred in the West Midlands
- Advised Hartlepool Borough Council in relation to its debut issue of £17m loan notes.
Weightmans LLP
Weightmans LLP provides a full service to local authorities, with core pillars of the practice including regeneration projects and property transactions. The team also handles public service transformations and large employment mandates, such as major restructures. It is also highly recommended for governance advice and conduct investigations. Simon Goacher is the head of the practice.
Practice head(s):
Simon Goacher
Other key lawyers:
Stephen Johns; Vincent King
Key clients
Selby District Council
Leeds City Council
Craven District Council
Ryedale District Council
North Yorkshire County Council
Sheffield City Council
York City Council
East Hertfordshire, Epping Forest and Harlow District Councils
North West Legal Consortium
Liverpool City Council
Manchester City Council
Rochdale Borough Council
Wirral Borough Council
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Stockport MBC
Cheshire East Council
Cumbria County Council
Knowsley MBC
South Ribble BC
Oldham MBC
Bolton MBC
Eden Borough Council
Staffordshire Moorlands DC
Stoke on Trent CC
Salford CC
Telford BC
Shropshire CC
Derbyshire County Council
Work highlights
- Advised on the promotion of the Mersey Tidal energy project.
- Advised the Welsh Government in respect of the Development Consent Order application a proposed new Nuclear Power Station at Wylfa on Anglesey in Wales (5,400MW).
- Advised Rutland County Council on the receipt of £29.4m of grant funding from Homes England under the Housing Infrastructure Fund.
DAC Beachcroft LLP
DAC Beachcroft LLP is recommended for town centre regeneration and development schemes, strategic property investment acquisitions and complex procurement challenges. Other key areas of work include public law and governance advice. Alison Key, who has extensive experience in forward funding agreements and asset management, heads the local government team, and she also leads the commercial real estate practice.
Practice head(s):
Alison Key
Other key lawyers:
Katherine Calder
Testimonials
‘Timely, pragmatic advice, which demonstrates understanding of clients’ goals.’
‘Very dependable and approachable. Always willing to provide support and more importantly guidance.’
Key clients
Surrey County Council
Sunderland City Council
Warrington Borough Council
St Helens Borough Council
Liverpool City Council
Transport for Greater Manchester
Waverley Borough Council
Isle of Wight Council
Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Freeths LLP
Freeths LLP's local government practice is particularly recommended for property work, with expertise in construction, tax, property litigation and town planning. Another key strength lies in providing strategic advice on the local government regulatory environment, with issues including powers, EU procurement and subsidy control. Nathan Holden, who leads the practice, advises on property projects and local authority powers of investment and disposal. Jackie Heeds joined from Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP in September 2020.
Practice head(s):
Nathan Holden
Other key lawyers:
Jackie Heeds; Ian Tempest
Testimonials
‘Strength in depth in quite a technical field (telecoms). Good understanding of how local authority projects work e.g. how seemingly minor problems can actually escalate quickly in a local authority context.’
Key clients
Cheshire East Council
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Wigan Council
Cumbria County Council
Halton Borough Council
Allerdale Borough Council
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
Warrington Borough Council
Blackpool Council
Buckinghamshire Council
Mansfield District Council
Sheffield City Council
London Borough of Camden
City of Bradford Metropolitan Council
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Transport for the North
Derby City Council
Royal Borough of Greenwich
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Cherwell District Council
Milton Keynes Council
Milton Keynes Development Partnership
East Northamptonshire District Council
Nottinghamshire County Council
Cambridge City Council
Walsall Council
Leicester City Council
Corby Borough Council
Broxtowe Borough Council
London Borough of Ealing
Enfield Council
South Cambridgeshire District Council
Nottingham City Council
Work highlights
- Advised on a £150m town centre project to secure the redevelopment of Wigan Town Centre.
- Advised on a £165m project application for the extraction of 2.7m tonnes per year of coking coal near the Cumbria coastline north of St Bees.
- Advised Liverpool City Region Combined Authority on a digital regeneration project to create a new full fibre backhaul network.
Hill Dickinson LLP
Hill Dickinson LLP has a well-established presence in the local government sector, with it being able to draw upon the expertise of practitioners from multiple disciplines, including public procurement, construction, banking, employment and planning. It stands out for its involvement in large regeneration projects and is also a major player in telecoms sector projects. Mark Fitzgibbon, who advises on procurement regulations relating to complex regeneration projects, jointly leads the team with Tracey Sheehan, who has extensive telecoms experience.
Practice head(s):
Mark Fitzgibbon; Tracey Sheehan
Key clients
Liverpool City Council
Rochdale Borough Council
Trafford Borough Council
Pendle Borough Council
Oldham Borough Council
Broadway Partners Limited / Monmouthshire Broadband Limited
The Welsh Government
Cardiff Capital Region (CCR)
Work highlights
- Handled property work, development agreements and construction contracts for Liverpool City Council in the Festival Gardens regeneration project.
- Supported Oldham Borough Council with the structuring of their procurement to appoint a contractor (and reserve) as a strategic delivery partner for a period of 4 years to undertake a range of design work and delivering those designs to improve the public areas of Oldham town centre in terms of flow, quality of materials being used and general appeal.
- Advised a consortium on the Innovative National 5G Programme in Wales.
Squire Patton Boggs
Squire Patton Boggs' team is instructed in matters involving public and private sector entities, particularly complex regeneration schemes and large-scale development projects. The practice is also active in infrastructure and transport projects, and has a niche in clean air and decarbonisation initiatives. Mark Barker leads the group.
Practice head(s):
Mark Barker
Other key lawyers:
Mark Gaffney; Nick Helm; Andrew Herring
Key clients
Leeds City Council
Manchester City Council
Birmingham City Council
Warrington Borough Council
Transport for Greater Manchester
Leeds City Region Revolving Investment Fund LP
Preston City Council
Lancashire County Council
Galliford Try Investments
Work highlights
- Advised Transport for Greater Manchester on the proposed Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan and the Greater Manchester Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Project.
- Advised Leeds City Council on its HS2 Growth Strategy, particularly involving the redevelopment of Leeds station as well as its integration with the new HS2 station.
- Worked with Warrington Borough Council and Muse Developments to deliver a key strategic regeneration project within the town centre which is driving economic change as well as physical change.
Stephensons Solicitors LLP
Stephensons Solicitors LLP is one of eight law firms in England and Wales that has a place on the SRA intervention panel, and one of two firms on the intervention panel of the Bar Standards Board. In addition, it also acts for other public bodies, as is evidenced by its work for NEPO, which is a consortium of 12 local authorities. Regulatory head Sean Joyce, family head Victoria Gethin, real estate head David Baybut, employment head Philip Richardson and discrimination law expert Maria Chadwick are key contacts at the firm.
Practice head(s):
Sean Joyce; David Baybut; Maria Chadwick; Victoria Gethin; Philip Richardson
Testimonials
‘David Baybut has an understanding of what local government in-house legal departments need from panel firms.’
‘They are very approachable and professional. They always present as if nothing is too much trouble. Extremely knowledgeable and have a team ethos with a can-do approach.’
‘All individuals work to a high standard.’
Key clients
NEPO framework
West Yorkshire framework
Crown Commercial Wider Legal Services
CLA Civil Contracts LAA
CLA Discrimination
SRA intervention Panel
TLT
TLT advises local government clients from across the North West and further afield nationally on a wide range of matters, such as planning, procurement and real estate, among others. It is notably prominent in large-scale regeneration schemes and major infrastructure projects. Jon Hainey has over 25 years of experience advising public sector entities on a range of issues, including public law and procurement disputes. Kuldip Dhanoya leads the local government group.
Practice head(s):
Kuldip Dhanoya
Other key lawyers:
John Hyde; Jon Hainey; Debbie Reynolds; Joseph Meredith
Testimonials
‘Professional, clear advice and down-to-earth professionals.’
‘Debbie Reynolds – Confident, knowledgeable and friendly.’
‘Very diligent and attentive in how they go about the practices and procedures on a daily basis. Debbie Reynolds is a particular asset in advising on all aspects of the Compulsory Purchase process.’
‘Massively well respected in the public sector. First rate advisers.’
‘Debbie Reynolds is one of the most talented, courteous and downright nice solicitors advising the public sector, with a particular specialism in CPOs and road schemes.’
‘The team are attentive and are always available. It is also worth noting that TLT provide incredibly good value for money.’
Key clients
Warrington Borough Council
Cheshire East Council
Oxfordshire County Council
Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
Work highlights
- Provided land assembly and strategic planning and highways advice to Warrington Borough Council on the Western Link highway scheme.
- Advised Oxfordshire County Council on land assembly, highways and strategic planning surrounding a series of major highway infrastructure improvement.
- Appointed by Oldham Borough Council to act on the purchase of The Spindles / Town Square Shopping Centre.