Public Sector

Central Government

The decisions made in Central Government have a direct and often dramatic effect on the lives of ordinary people. It is crucial that those decisions are made on a properly informed basis by Ministers and officials paying due regard to the rule of law. We have extensive experience of acting for the following government departments in high-profile, politically sensitive litigation, advisory work and legislative drafting:

• The Home Office;
• Her Majesty’s Treasury;
• The Ministry of Defence;
• The Department for Transport;
• The Department for Education; and
• The Department for Health and Social Care.

We understand first-hand the pressures within the political machinery and the impact they can have on those tasked with making it work. We are also a recognised public sector supplier on the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) framework, and is therefore uniquely well-placed to advise, support and defend Government Departments themselves.

We can advise on:

• Statutory frameworks and their constituent powers and duties
• Public engagement and consultation exercises
• Legislative drafting – from individual amendments to underpin a campaigning strategy to Bills
• Litigation – from tribunals to the Supreme Court
• Procurement
• Governance and Maladministration

We pride ourselves on providing our clients with legally robust, practical and pragmatic solutions to real-world problems, in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Local Government

Regulation is an area of increasing complexity and the subject of scrutiny from a wide array of groups, including the courts, the media, those subject to the rules and those it protects.

We offer comprehensive insight into the regulated world advising both regulators and those regulated within private, not-for-profit and public sectors. Our extensive experience in both contentious and non-contentious aspects includes:

• Agriculture and food production
• Charities and social enterprise
• Education authorities
• Financial regulators (including FCA)
• Government bodies (including local authorities)
• Healthcare (public and private)
• Media and telecoms
• Professional regulators (architects, solicitors, doctors)
• Transport providers
• Utilities

Our team can advise you on the preparation, drafting, amendment and approval of both statutory and non-statutory regulatory regimes, including their application, implementation and relevant industry standards.

As experts at identifying, analysing and providing solutions to problems, we can help you to understand a particular regulatory regime to ensure proper implementation, secure operation, or whether you need to change or challenge it.