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Our global team provides cross-border and domestic advice to clients on public procurement and competitive tendering rules, in a contentious and non-contentious context.

Public procurement law is an increasingly important field of regulation. Prescriptive laws regulate the way in which public authorities and utilities award valuable contracts for works, supplies and services in many jurisdictions. Furthermore, the relevant regulations in the UK may soon be reformed, as a result of Brexit.

We have a leading public procurement practice. Our multi-disciplinary practice includes lawyers from our corporate, disputes, competition and trade and real estate teams. This guarantees that we can deal efficiently with any procurement issue, no matter how technical or complex.

Our clients include government departments, public bodies and utilities, as well as suppliers and contractors which bid for and perform public and utility contracts. We have extensive experience and an intuitive understanding of the machinery and process of government and the public-private commercial interface, gained over many decades, which we deploy for the benefit of both our public and private sector clients.

Our broad experience means that we are well-placed to advise across the full spectrum of procurement law issues. Much of our work involves advice on non-contentious matters, such as the procurement of major projects and contracts in a range of sectors including aviation, defence, energy, infrastructure, pharma, real estate, transport and information technology. We advise our clients on all stages of the procurement process, from initial design through to contract award and performance.

Procurement litigation is on the rise and the potential sanctions for non-compliance are severe. We draw on our extensive experience of litigation in order to help our clients to avoid procurement disputes as far as possible. However, where a tender process is contested, we have the expertise to work with our clients to successfully challenge the award decision or to defend the procuring authority.

Experience

The Highways Agency

Advising on procurement and state aid issues surrounding the National Roads Telecommunications Services (NRTS) project

Transport for London / London Underground Ltd

Advising on procurement issues relating to Railway Control Systems, mobile telecommunications, network upgrade works (e.g. Northern Line Extension) and a number of over-station developments (including Paddington Square and Southwark)

The Bazalgette Consortium (Allianz Capital Partners, Dalmore Capital, Amber Infrastructure and DIF)

Advising the consortium on the procurement, State aid and regulatory aspects of its successful bid for the Thames Tideway Tunnel project

Turner & Townsend

Acting for T&T in a claim against a Government agency alleging that it had breached procurement regulations in its conduct of the tender process for project and costs management framework agreements

Greater London Authority

Advising on the procurement of the multi-party framework agreement, known as London Development Panel 2, for selecting developers to undertake major housing projects in London

Greater London Authority

Advising GLA on the procurement law aspects of its competitive dialogue procedure to select the development partner for the major Silvertown Quays project in London Docklands


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Key contacts

Adrian Brown photo

Adrian Brown

Consultant, Brussels

Adrian Brown
Nusrat Zar photo

Nusrat Zar

Partner, London

Nusrat Zar
Tim Briggs photo

Tim Briggs

Partner, London

Tim Briggs
Rachel Lidgate photo

Rachel Lidgate

Partner, London

Rachel Lidgate
Stephen Rayfield photo

Stephen Rayfield

Partner, London

Stephen Rayfield
Andrew Lidbetter photo

Andrew Lidbetter

Partner, London

Andrew Lidbetter
Graeme Johnson photo

Graeme Johnson

Consultant, Sydney

Graeme Johnson