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Local Government
What we do
Our role is to provide you with the information you need to deliver first class legal services to your clients. We write overviews to illustrate the headline points of each of our topics. We write KnowHow, in the form of detailed practice notes, to guide you through the key practical issues of each topic, and clearly drafted precedents with drafting notes. To make it easy to find related items, we link these to the relevant Butterworths commentary, consolidated legislation, cases and forms that we have selected for each topic. And every week we review and analyse legal developments and send you an update by email.
The LexisPSL way
With LexisPSL you will find comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date results with simply a few clicks of your mouse. For example, charging:
Under Local Government Law, Powers and Duties click on 'Charging and trading' which takes you to the overview. This gives a short summary of the sub-topic.
Click on the 'KnowHow' tab to view the practice note on charging and trading.
In the practice note, the hyperlinks in the right-hand column will take you directly through to relevant cases, legislation and paragraphs in LexisLibrary, eg Halsbury's Laws volume 29.
Click on the 'return to powers and duties' link and click on the 'Legislation' tab where you will find a list of the relevant legislation for the practice note. This page links you directly to consolidated legislative provisions at the click of the mouse.
Bethan Evans
Partner, Bevan Brittan LLP
Bethan co-ordinates her firm’s work across key areas of activity involving central and local government, audit and regulatory bodies, and government agencies.
She also personally advises local authorities and other public bodies on governance, vires and a range of matters including: issues concerning elected members’ interests, the code of conduct and liabilities on outside bodies, local authority companies and the power to trade and charge, and joint venture and partnership vehicles.
Bethan has 18 years experience of law and governance in local government. Prior to joining Bevan Brittan she worked for four councils and as the Executive Director for a Welsh local government organisation. She has managed internal legal services, commissioned external legal support on major projects and undertaken individual casework.
Bethan is a contributor to the LexisPSL section on Local Government Law Contracts and Procurement.
Paul McDermott
Partner, Trowers & Hamlins
Paul has worked with a range of local authorities, registered social landlords and other public sector organisations to develop public-private schemes and create structures which enable multi agency service delivery to be effective.
He specialises in advising Councils on major housing PFI/PPP projects and major regeneration projects. Paul is also an expert in the provision of advice to clients on the development of innovative strategic partnerships for the delivery of improved public services.
Paul is contributor to the PPP/PFI Trading know-how.
Peter Keith-Lucas
Partner, Bevan Brittan LLP
Peter regularly advises authorities and members on standards and audit issues. He also specialises in local authority charging and trading powers, as well as partnering arrangements between the public and private sectors.
A former local authority Chief Executive and Head of Legal Services, Peter combines 25 years working in local authorities with a nationally recognised expertise in the area of local authority decision-making and corporate governance. He has established a national reputation as an expert on local authority constitutions and has specifically sought to develop means to secure more openness and accountability in the executive decision-making process.
Peter is also a popular lecturer on Rights of Access to Information.
Peter is a contributor to the LexisPSL section on Local Government Law Contracts and Procurement.
Claire Booth
Professional Support Lawyer, Bevan Brittan LLP
Claire’s work involves providing Bevan Brittan’s Public Sector Commercial team with a comprehensive and focused information and research service. She produces several email alerts, including the highly regarded fortnightly Authority Update, that is sent to over 500 people in local authorities and associated public bodies.
Claire also edits Bevan Brittan’s client newsletter, Authority View. She organises legal training for her team, and helps with external seminars. She keeps a watching brief for developments that impact her team’s work and also carries out ad hoc research. Claire is a qualified solicitor, as well as holds a qualification in library and information studies. She has many years experience in legal information and knowledge management work.
Claire is a contributor to the LexisPSL section on Local Government Law Contracts and Procurement.
Mark Cook
Transformation team, Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP
Mark advises principally upon service delivery, strategic procurements, facilities management and the private finance initiative. He is widely regarded as one of the most innovative lawyers in his specialist fields and has had considerable involvement with EC public procurement, UK tendering legislation and Best Value.
Mark is contributor to the best value know-how.
Ian Doolittle
Partner, Trowers & Hamlins
Ian is Head of the firm’s Public Sector - Communities and Governance department. Ian is a specialist in public sector housing law. Over the last eighteen years he has led teams on a large number of housing stock transfers, including many major metropolitan transfers.
He is also an expert on arms length housing management companies, having advised on both the establishment of many ALMOs and their future development at the national and council level. He is advising extensively on local housing companies, both ‘pilot’ councils and others.
Ian is acknowledged as a Legal Expert and a Leader in the fields of Social Housing and Local Government in both the Legal Business: Legal Experts directory and Chambers and Partners’ Guide to the Legal Profession.
Ian is contributor to the housing management know-how.
Kuljit Bhogal
Barrister, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
Kuljit has particular expertise in housing, community care, judicial review, regulatory crime and landlord and tenant. She acts for a wide range of local authority and private clients.
Kuljit has extensive experience in housing with recent work including community care issues, mental health and DDA 1995 points, claims for possession, all grounds, nuisance, Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, housing management issues including succession and unlawful subletting, service charge and Right to Buy disputes, unlawful eviction and lease/licence distinction.
Kuljit is contributor to housing provision, capacity and succession know-how.
Nicholas Hancox
Nicholas Hancox Solicitors
Nicholas Hancox founded his local government law firm, Nicholas Hancox Solicitors, in 2003. Prior, Nick worked for 20 years in local government, including four years as Director of Legal Services with Norfolk County Council.
The firm’s education clients include local education authorities and independent schools, church schools and faith schools. Highways clients of the firm are local highway authorities and the other owners and users of highway land.
Nick is an established author and his published work includes “Highways Law and Practice” (2002) and Butterworths’ Law of Education (loose-leaf and on-line), together with volumes of the Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents (Education), Halsbury’s Laws of England (Highways) and part of Butterworths’ Personal Injury Litigation Service. He is the Editor of the Law of Education Bulletin and writes articles for the New Law Journal.
Nick is contributor to highways and education know-how.
David Ryden
Principal Legal Advisor, Care Quality Commission
David has specialised for 25 years in area of child protection, working as social services legal team manager at the City of Bradford District Council and for other councils.
He has held positions such as member of West Yorkshire Family Justice Council, legal advisor to the adoption panel, Area Child Protection Committee and then the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board in Bradford. He is a member of the Legal Group Advisory Committee of the British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) and publishes ‘Social Care Legal Newsletters’.
David is contributor on the adoption and childcare know-how.
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