Sectors - Public Sector

Public bodies are under intense scrutiny at all times, facing demands for better, more cost-effective, more accountable service provision. With our strong sector experience, we understand more than most the challenges the public sector faces.

Our Public Sector Group provides a focus for our work and draws on specialists from across the firm. We offer advice on a wide range of matters of interest to our clients, including: statutory powers and remit; judicial review and legal challenges; constitutional, governance and best practice; human rights; freedom of information; legislation; and procurement.

We have built strong relationships with our public sector clients and have been ranked in the top tiers of legal advisers to local government by the two major legal directories, The Legal 500 and Chambers.

For more information on how our public sector lawyers can assist you please get in touch.  

"They provided a high level of service. The expertise of the individuals and what we gained from them was high and they adhered to timescales." – Chambers, Local Government

 

Key People

Experience

Scottish Prison Service
Legal advisers to the Scottish Prison Service in connection with the HMP Addiewell PPP procurement for a 700-place prison.
Outsourced leisure services
Advised Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, North Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire Councils on the outsourcing of their leisure services to NPDO organisations.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Advised NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in connection with its £600 million New South Glasgow Hospitals project.
Ministry of Defence
Advised on PFI and other major projects for the MoD including the provision of Heavy Equipment Transporters (project value: £190 million). The innovative structure and approach to this project was recognised through its success at the Public Private Finance Awards and the MoD's Whole Fleet Management outsourcing project.
Glasgow Housing Association
Advised Glasgow Housing Association in all of their five new build developments in 2010 including negotiating arrangements between the interests of GHA, the private sector developer and local housing associations.
Education PPP projects
Advised on education PPP projects in the following local authority areas: Aberdeenshire, North Lanarkshire,  South Lanarkshire, Dundee, East Renfrewshire, Fife, West Lothian, Edinburgh, Borders, North Ayrshire and Glasgow, acting for local authorities, developers and funders.
Argyll & Bute Council
Acting for Argyll & Bute Council in their £80 million schools project. The Council were working with Partnerships UK on a pathfinder project using an NPDO. The project won the Innovation Award at the Public Private Finance Awards 2006.
A leisure trust
Advising a leisure trust on a disability discrimination claim arising in the context of service provision as opposed to the employment relationship.
A Housing Association
Advising a Housing Association on a restructuring and downsizing necessitated by cuts in its funding.
HMRC
We successfully acted for HM Revenue and Customs in all their Missing Trader Intra-Community (MTIC) fraud cases appeals in Scotland, with a cumulative value of over £40 million.
Skills Development Scotland
Advised SDS in respect of the employment implications arising from the procurement of IT services, a contract valued at £40 million.
Skills Development Scotland
Represented SDS in relation to several hundred equal pay claims, which required careful consideration of the interaction between equal pay legislation and TUPE.

Clients

Articles

  • 18.Sep.2017 How balanced is your board?

    Responses to the UK Government’s Green Paper on corporate governance reform have again highlighted the strong business case for gender diversity in the boardroom. We consider the current UK position, and current proposals at Scottish and EU levels, to tackle this issue.

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  • 29.Aug.2017 Employer pension contributions to be included when calculating a 'week’s pay’

    In a change to existing practice, the EAT has confirmed that employer pension contributions must be taken into account when calculating a week’s pay, which will apply to statutory redundancy pay, statutory notice pay and unfair dismissal compensation.

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  • 22.Jun.2017 Commission on Parliamentary Reform publishes report on Scottish Parliament

    The Commission on Parliamentary Reform has now published its much-awaited report on the Scottish Parliament. The report makes a broad range of recommendations, including changes to the committee system, chamber debates and the legislative process itself, which will now be taken forward by Holyrood’s Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh.

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