Matthew Newnham > Birketts LLP > Norwich, England > Lawyer Profile

Birketts LLP‘s core strength lies in advising local government clients on project development, property, and housing matters. Ruth Neave heads the practice, excelling in both domestic and EU procurement regulations. Abigail Trencher often advises on employment, safeguarding, and governance matters within the education sector, while Matthew Newnham handles the full gamut of contentious and non-contentious employment work within the healthcare sector.

The employment practice at Birketts LLP has a depth of talent across all of its offices, with its East Anglian partners forming the core of the firm-wide group.  As well as covering the full range of contentious and advisory work, the firm is also highly regarded for its employment law training programme. ‘Icon and inspiration to women of law‘ Jeanette Wheeler leads the cross-office employment practice from Norwich, where partners Matthew Newnham (who ‘always provides pragmatic and sound legal advice‘) and ‘legal training ninja‘ Sam Greenhalgh, legal director Tom Sharpe and senior associate Lucy Churchill are among a number of standout practitioners. In Cambridge, partners Abigail Trencher and legal director Olivia Toulson are the key contacts. In Ipswich, partners Catherine Johnson and Sonya O’Reilly take the lead.

Birketts LLP provides ‘an accessible and diverse range of services‘ for public services organisations across education, health and local government. Its multi-disciplinary team is known for ‘quick, personal and clear advice‘. Head of public sector Ruth Neave is based in Chelmsford but works across all five of the firm’s offices. Abigail Trencher  in Cambridge leads the education group, while Matthew Newnham in Norwich leads on health matters. The vastly experienced Neil Logan Green joined the Ipswich office from K&L Gates LLP to significantly boost the firm’s public sector real estate capability. ‘Highly innovative‘ property litigation specialist Richard Eaton in Ipswich also plays a key role in public sector matters. The firm’s recent local government work includes an investigation into a work-related fatality at a storage facility in Norfolk for Breckland Council.