Health in South West

Bevan Brittan LLP

Bevan Brittan LLP acts as a trusted advisor to a number of NHS providers, clinical commissioning groups, and independent health and social care organisations. The team, which is based in Bristol, covers the whole gamut of matters in this sector, from commissioning advice and joint ventures to governance and regulatory issues. Rosemary Jago and practice head Sharon Renouf are regularly involved in procurements for NHS clients, while David Owens focuses on governance and power matters as well as transactions and service developments. The independent health and social care group is led by Vincent Buscemi, and senior associate Anna Davies is recommended for her commissioner experience, particularly relating to personal health budgets, mental health commissioning, and NHS continuing health care.

Practice head(s):

Sharon Renouf

Other key lawyers:

Rosemary Jago; David Owens; Anna Davies; Vincent Buscemi; Hannah Taylor

Testimonials

‘Whoever I engage with within the team is always extremely approachable and very knowledgeable about their particular area of expertise. They are always ready with ideas and suggestions but are equally willing to listen to your ideas and then enhance them with partnership working. To me, it’s their partnership approach to problem solving that makes them standout.’

‘Rosemary Jago is exceptional with her client care and also with her understanding of the problems and issues we need to work together to resolve.’

Key clients

Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust

Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Barts Health NHS Trust

NHS Property Services Limited

The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

King Edward VII Hospital (KEVII)

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Yeovil District Hospital NSH Foundation Trust

Independent Healthcare Providers Network Limited

North Bristol NHS Trust

Norfolk and Norwich NHS Foundation Trust

Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

East Kent Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

Work highlights

  • Acting for Barts Health NHS Trust in collaboration with Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust to deliver their combined pathology service requirements.
  • Providing  specialist healthcare regulatory and commercial advice and due diligence support to Lone Star Europe Acquisitions Limited on its £647m acquisition of McCarthy & Stone.
  • Advising four of the eight phase 2 Trusts who are expected to deliver the first new £500m+ hospitals as part of Boris Johnson’s pledge to build 40 new hospitals by 2030.

DAC Beachcroft LLP

The advice delivered by DAC Beachcroft LLP is ‘always accompanied by well thought-through practical solutions‘, making it a go-to firm for clients in the health and social care sector. NHS and independent sector providers alike turn to the practice for advice spanning corporate, regulatory, governance and commercial matters, amongst others. Healthcare regulatory expert Corinne Slingo, employment specialist Rachel Roberts-Jenkins, and clinical risk heavyweight Hannah Volpe form part of the practice’s Bristol team. Emma-Jane Dalley joined the firm from a previous position at VWV in February 2022 and fields strong expertise in the charities sector.

Practice head(s):

Nigel Montgomery; Corinne Slingo; Rachel Roberts-Jenkins; Stephen Hocking; Stan Campbell; James Reed; Emma Jane-Dalley

Other key lawyers:

Hannah Volpe

Testimonials

‘True experts and leaders in their field. Their advice is always accompanied by well thought-through practical solutions, calmly making the seemingly unmanageable manageable.’

‘Corinne Slingo – supremely intelligent, hugely experienced and brilliantly pragmatic.’

‘DAC as a firm have a combination of exceptional knowledge, diverse skills and approachability that makes you want to instruct them. Once instructed you know you are in safe hands.’

Key clients

NHS Resolution

The Medical Defence Union

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust

Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust

Gloucester Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust

North Bristol NHS Trust

Zurich Global Corporate

RSA

WR Berkley

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Bupa Dental

Enstar

Optegra UK

Priory

QBE

Beazley

Neon Renaissance Re

Bermuda Hospital Board

Newline

MS Amlin

Corvelia

Elysium Healthcare

Arag

Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

 

Work highlights

  • Advising NHS England on the statutory inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • Advised Elysium on the property elements of their acquisition by Ramsay Health.
  • Successfully defended a complex and sensitive HR claim for the South Central Ambulance NHS Trust against a backdrop of the #metoo profile, involving sexual harassment, disability, discrimination, and whistleblowing allegations.

Ashfords LLP

Led by Jocelyn Ormond and Ben Tarrant out of Bristol, the healthcare, digital health and life sciences practice at Ashfords LLP serves NHS as well as independent sector clients. ‘Able to provide broad support across all areas of need’, the team’s focus extends to social care provision and early-stage digital health matters alongside more traditional issues in the health sector. Vanessa James, an ‘outstanding partner’ with ‘excellent business acumen’, fields extensive experience in assisting clients with employment law and HR matters.

Practice head(s):

Jocelyn Ormond; Ben Tarrant

Other key lawyers:

Vanessa James

Testimonials

‘Wonderful team with lots of experience in their practice area. Very transparent and straight forward to work with, understood our needs and delivered in a fee conscious manner and excellent with communications/technology.’

‘The team are big enough to provide support but small enough that we get a personalized service.’

‘Jocelyn Ormond had an outstanding knowledge of the healthcare space, key operators, traps we should look out for, etc. He went well beyond his role as an attorney to introduce us to other service providers, helpful contacts, etc.’

‘The Ashfords team are able to provide broad support across all areas of need, providing support and timely advice to critical decisions.’

‘Jocelyn Ormond ability to rationalise the key objective, convey risk and advise on negotiation strategy is exemplary and clearly reflects positively on his team’s ability to provide further, detailed support.’

‘Ben Tarrant has taken the time to understand our business model and is therefore able to offer sound advice in a timely fashion.’

‘Experienced, knowledgeable, pragmatic and professional. Thoroughly well-versed in the sector, at least equal to a prestigious international firm’

‘Knowledgeable, sensible. Deliver well-considered views and advice appropriate to the client. Always available and very communicative.’

Key clients

Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

CareTech

TLC Group

Compass Children’s Homes

Home Farm Trust

Silva Care

The Medical

eConsult Health

Birdie

Iksuda Therapeutics

Gaia Fertility

Holland & Barrett

Work highlights

  • Advising eConsult Health on its acquisition of video consultation platform Q Doctor in a share-for-share exchange.
  • Advising Compass Children’s Homes on the acquisition of 14 new sites for care provision and 14 leases for Compass own office requirements or for its educational function.
  • Advising Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust on a range of employment, immigration and regulatory matters, including matters of strategic focus.

Burges Salmon LLP

Burges Salmon LLP‘s Bristol-based healthcare practice fields team of lawyers who ‘go above and beyond to assist their clients’. The firm acts for both public and private sector clients on a range of matters including M&A and contractual advice. Patrick Parkin is the key contact advising private sector providers and governmental authorities on commercial, regulatory, and procurement matters. Disputes in the healthcare sector are handled by Richard Binns.

Practice head(s):

Patrick Parkin

Other key lawyers:

Richard Binns

Testimonials

‘Really helpful, professional team that go above and beyond to assist their clients.’

Key clients

The Vaccine Taskforce

Spire Healthcare plc

DHSC

Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

Optegra Eye Healthcare

Cambridge Perfusion LLP

Ludlow Street Healthcare/Ludlow Street Investment

GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance

Somerset Care

Porton Biopharma

Work highlights

  • Advising the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strength (BEIS) in relation to a number of projects for the development and manufacture of vaccines and antibodies as part of the national effort to fight Covid-19.
  • Advised Spire Healthcare on the competition law aspects of its £15.7 million acquisition of Claremont Private Hospital in Sheffield, acquiring an 87% stake.
  • Advised Optegra Eye Healthcare on an agreement with Toukan Labs Openeyes for the provision of electronic patient records and associated design and development.

Lester Aldridge LLP

Lester Aldridge LLP‘s healthcare group is known for its strong regulatory practice, often acting for independent health care providers, and is praised for being ‘approachable, efficient and knowledgeable’. ‘Standout professional legal advisor’ Laura Guntrip leads the practice from Bournemouth with a particular focus on safeguarding issues, coroner’s inquests, criminal matters affecting care providers and due diligence. Also in Bournemouth, head of medical practices and professionals team Susan Cowan is regularly sought out for her expertise in GP partnership agreements and corporate structures. Bethan Dodd, based in Southampton, joined the firm in August 2021 from DR Solicitors and specialises in healthcare property matters.

Practice head(s):

Laura Guntrip

Other key lawyers:

Susan Cowan; Bethan Dodd

Testimonials

‘Bethan Dodd has outstanding experience in dealing with GP property matters. She is approachable, highly professional and explains complicated legal issues in laymen’s terms. She is always willing dedicate the extra mile for her clients.’

‘The team are very approachable, efficient and knowledgeable. They are very up-to-date in respect of sector knowledge, and apart from acting upon our instructions they take time to keep us updated on wider issues impacting upon our sector which is much appreciated and is an example of their collaborative approach.’

‘Laura Guntrip is a stand-out professional legal advisor. She is highly valued by our organisation and is our ‘go-to’ person for sector knowledge and advice.’

‘A quality, specialist team.’

‘Bethan Dodd offers sensible, pragmatic advice.’

‘Excellent specialist knowledge on issues affecting care homes.’

‘Laura Guntrip – She is calm, considered and provides insight on the key issues.’

‘Leicester Aldridge LLP is an amazing professional team, who always makes time providing a personalised service to their customers.’

Key clients

HC-One

Graham Care

Registered Nursing Homes Association

Hampshire Care Association

Colten Care

Kent Integrated Care Alliance

Work highlights

  • Provided regulatory advice and undertook regulatory due diligence for a private equity fund on proposed purchase of a large national group of independent hospitals in a transaction valued at circa £770m.
  • Represented a care provider in defending enforcement action by the Care Quality Commission, including responding to allegations relating to criminal offences and appealing a notice imposing conditions of registration, both with successful outcomes.
  • Represented a large national provider of care homes for older people during a criminal investigation by CQC and interview under caution, resulting in no further action being taken.

Osborne Clarke LLP

Osborne Clarke LLP‘s life sciences and healthcare practice counts primarily private and third sector entities amongst its clients, for which it provides advice along the whole range of the healthcare market, taking ‘into account commercial factors, as well as legal ones, when structuring their advice'. Catherine Wolfenden leads the firm’s UK healthcare subsector out of Bristol, while London-based Will James heads the international life sciences and healthcare practice. Also in Bristol, Simon Hancock is regularly involved in project-related matters and Kate Davies specialises in public procurement.

Practice head(s):

Catherine Wolfenden; Will James

Other key lawyers:

Simon Hancock; Kate Davies

Testimonials

‘The practice has a really deep understanding of the public procurement regulations, and is able to translate this knowledge into practical commercial advice which has a real value.’

‘Catherine Wolfenden – very practical, provides no-nonsense advice. She seeks to get a deep understanding of your business so that her advice is relevant and appropriate.’

Key clients

Crisp Websites Limited (trading as Pestfix)

Gama Healthcare Limited

Nutricia Medical Limited

The Hospital Company (Oxford John Radcliffe) Limited

Cinapsis / Monmedical – NHS Wales

Lucid Group

Universal Health Services Inc

Grifols

Work highlights

  • Acting for Pestfix in the high profile judicial review of the UK Government’s decision to award a number of valuable PPE contracts to suppliers in 2020 without competitive tenders.
  • Acting as lead legal advisor for Gama Healthcare Limited, one of the largest suppliers of infection control products to the NHS in the UK.
  • Advised the Hospital Company Limid on the market testing process under its hospital PFI project.

Browne Jacobson LLP

With offices in Exeter in addition to a presence in London, Manchester, Nottingham and Birmingham, Browne Jacobson LLP’s health practice supports clients on a national level and across the sector. Mark Barnett sports extensive expertise in defending clinical negligence claims, in particular against mental health providers, and is one of the key contacts of the Exeter-based team. Gerard Hanratty leads the nationwide health sector group out of Manchester.

Practice head(s):

Gerard Hanratty

Other key lawyers:

Mark Barnett

Testimonials

‘Mark Barnett is thoughtful and measured in the advice he gives and his time is held in high regard.’

‘Browne Jacobson are pragmatic and swift in providing advice on a range of healthcare matters, often at short notice and we have found them very supportive on all the occasions we have instructed them.’

‘Mark Barnett is our lead contact at Browne Jacobson. He is very approachable and and has a wide range of knowledge giving client’s an added benefit of instant advice when needed.’

Key clients

University Hospitals Bristol & Weston NHS Foundation Trust

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Cornwall Council

Somerset County Council

Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

NHS Kernow CCG

NHS Somerset CCG

NHS Dorset CCG

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

NHS Devon CCG

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

NHS Sussex Commissioners

Work highlights

    Stephens Scown LLP

    Focusing its advice on providers of healthcare service, Stephens Scown LLP‘s sector expertise extends to contentious, regulatory, and employment matters, amongst others. Helen Wallwork spearheads the Exeter-based team and combines experience in the healthcare market with extensive corporate and commercial knowledge. Laurie Trounce, who also leads the firm’s charities practice, is noted for her work on outsourcing, public procurement and joint ventures.

    Practice head(s):

    Helen Wallwork

    Other key lawyers:

    Laurie Trounce

    Testimonials

    ‘The key element for us was their understanding and calm attitude to us as clients. The healthcare team walked us through the processes and gently kept us motivated and focused to achieve our end goal. They genuinely wanted us to achieve the best outcome and would explain the legal jargon in layman terms when necessary.’

    ‘Businesses, especially SMEs, need very capable hands in legal processes and the healthcare team at Stephens Scown have them in abundance!’

    ‘The healthcare team as a whole were a very focused team and that kept us focused during difficult times. There were times of humour when negotiations got tough and they would always relieve the pressure.’

    Key clients

    Holland & Barrett

    Phoenix Learning and Care Group

    Age UK

    Kernow Health CIC

    Cornwall Air Ambulance

    Medic Malawi

    CJ Medical Limited

    Work highlights

    • Advised CJ Medical Limited on the contractual terms with a customer, a non-profit academic medical centre, providing clinical and hospital care and research.
    • Advising R. Callow and S. O’Neill on the sale of 100% of the entire issued share capital of UK Healthcare Group Limited.

    VWV

    Acting primarily for GP practices, VWV provides a large range of services to its clients including regulatory, employment and commercial matters. Primary care networks, GP mergers and GP federations are part of the portfolio that has kept the Bristol-based practice busy in recent times. Ben Willis is the key contact and combines expertise in the healthcare sector with a specialism regarding properties. Partnership agreements, disputes and contractual arrangements between practices and the NHS are handled by Oliver Pool.

    Practice head(s):

    Ben Willis

    Other key lawyers:

    Oliver Pool; Gemma Pouncey; Rebecca Beardsley

    Key clients

    Redlands primary Care

    Kernow LMC

    Pioneer Medical Group

    Pier Health Group

    Lakeside Healthcare Group

    Rugby Health PCN

    King Edward Street and others

    Staploe Medical Practice

    Westrop Medical Practice

    Victoria Medical Centre

    Work highlights