Laura Wisdom Partner

Laura joined Burges Salmon in 2018 and specialises in public procurement law and commercial projects.

Laura has advised public and private sector clients on all aspects of procurement for high value, complex and politically sensitive major projects in the UK and internationally, including designing procurement strategies and drafting and negotiating a broad range of tender and contract documentation. She has also advised clients engaged in High Court litigation and alternative forms of dispute resolution, with a focus on public procurement disputes, giving her a deep understanding of challenge risk and risk mitigation.

Laura is recognised as 'Up and Coming' by Chambers and Partners UK and as a leading Government Contracts lawyer by Who’s Who Legal.

Laura has an LLM (Distinction) in Public Procurement Law and Policy and is a member of the Editorial Board of the Public Procurement Law Review and the Procurement Lawyers' Association. 

• Secondment to the Government Legal Department’s specialist Covid Cell to lead the legal team responsible for implementation of the Covid-19 mass testing programme.
• Advising the Department of Health & Social Care (and subsequently the UK Health Security Agency) on its ongoing £multi-billion procurement of Covid-19 lateral flow tests as well as various procurements of antibody testing services.
• Advising the Ministry of Defence on various major projects including the Future Defence Infrastructure Services Programme (a competition for £2.9 billion worth of new facilities management contracts) and a £multi-million redevelopment of aspects of Devonport Dockyard (a nuclear licensed site).
• Advising Translink on the design and implementation of a competitive dialogue for the selection of a master developer for the £300m+ Weavers Cross redevelopment in Belfast (the largest transport development ever undertaken in NI).
• Advising the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office on the design and implementation of its flagship Dynamic Purchasing System for facilities management services across FCDO’s global estate, including competitions for both the Asia Pacific and European regions.
• Advising Bristol City Council on its c.£1billion innovative City Leap initiative, which brings together private sector and community partners to delivery on a programme of energy and infrastructure investment opportunities.
• Other clients include: Ministry of Justice, DEFRA, Department for Transport, the Vaccine Taskforce, Transport for London/Greater London Authority and the UK Atomic Energy Authority.