Mr Ash Woodcock > Bevan Brittan LLP > Birmingham, England > Lawyer Profile

Led by Ash Woodcock from the firm’s Birmingham office, the sizeable local government team at Bevan Brittan LLP has a national reach with disputes, climate change response and levelling-up funding among the mandates that have been keeping the Bristol team busy. Employment specialist Sarah Lamont has a niche focus on the processes required for disciplining or dismissing statutory officers. Chris Harper is well versed in company acquisitions and sales, while contentious construction specialist Louise Robling bolsters the team’s PFI disputes expertise. David Hutton has retired.

Bevan Brittan LLP retains a ‘very skilled and knowledgeable‘ local government practice that counts London Boroughs as well as city and councils across the country in its client roster. The team is particularly experienced at advising on development and infrastructure projects and is regularly instructed to handle the construction, procurement, and property aspects of educational and cultural projects. Birmingham-based partner Ash Woodcock leads the team, which also handles contentious and non-contentious work in relation to external audits as well as disputes related to local government powers. In London, Steven Smith is a key contact for development and regeneration schemes, while David Moore is noted for his public finance experience and Melanie Carter regularly acts on high-profile auditing matters. London-based partners Virginia Cooper and Olivia Carter are also recommended for their experience acting in disputes and judicial reviews related to jurisdictional and statutory power matters. Longstanding team member David Hutton retired in May 2023.

Bevan Brittan LLP’s IT team advises both private and public sectors clients on a range of issues, from outsourcing and licensing arrangements to SaaS contracts. The team has recently been involved in a number of complex IT and technology projects and the ‘versatile and knowledgeable’ Ash Woodcock leads the team; Woodcock advises on IT and technology projects for central and local government clients and is supported by senior associate Lizzie Dunford.

Bevan Brittan LLP‘s key areas of work include disputes, managing the expiry of PFI/PPP contracts, climate change response, health and safety and children’s services. The practice is led by Ash Woodcock, who routinely handles public procurement projects, with Rebecca Pendlebury specialising in regeneration schemes. Adam Kendall strengthens the team with experience in commercial litigation, as well as health and safety and wider criminal regulatory matters, whilst Kirtpal Kaur Aujla‘s strengths include handling service restructuring and outsourcing, among others within the fields of education, leisure and health and social care.