Overview

Our commercial lawyers are committed to providing pragmatic legal advice. We have extensive experience advising national and international public and private sector clients, working with them to find timely, practical solutions and anticipate key areas of risk.

We have built a reputation for advising on complex legal matters and thrive on high profile and groundbreaking projects. Since 2010, we have influenced projects with a combined value of over £30 billion.

We specialise in highly complex multi-party projects, including in industry sectors that are heavily regulated. We flourish in commercial law matters within the financial services, infrastructure, nuclear, projects, public sector, defence, rail, technology, media, food and drink, manufacturing and sport industries.

Our commercial lawyers are committed to understanding your business needs. We work with you to deliver the best solutions to achieve your strategic, commercial and business goals.

Areas of focus

Our commercial law expertise includes the following:

  • Commercial joint ventures, collaboration and partnering arrangements.
  • Supply arrangements.
  • Sale and purchase terms and conditions.
  • Distribution and agency.
  • Consumer contracts.
  • Services agreements.
Experience

Advising FirstGroup plc on various major projects in the transport sector, including franchise bids and rolling stock procurement projects, since privatisation in 1996.

Advising the Home Office on its procurement of a replacement service to support the Independent Safeguarding Authority and Criminal Records Bureau for Disclosure and Barring Services. The competition was run as a pilot to introduce the Cabinet Office's "Lean Procurement" initiative and is regarded by the Government as a 'pathfinder' project for future Whitehall procurements.

Advising Mitie Group plc on its contract with Rolls Royce PLC to provide an outsourced total facilities management service to Rolls Royce sites across the EMEA region.

Advising Ministry of Defence and the Department for Transport on the £6 billion search and rescue helicopter PFI, the first MOD/DFT competitive dialogue process. Now advising MOD on the competition for application to the Falkland Islands.

Advising Babcock Airports on the completion of a new framework agreement to operate and maintain the baggage handling systems at Heathrow, as well as on the sub-contracting of software services.

Advising the Department for Education on the creation of an independent child protection company, the first of its kind.

Advising RAC on its appointment of BGL Group to provide RAC-branded car insurance in a five year deal with a value of £800 million Gross Written Premiums.

Advising Nationwide Building Society on the contractual documentation for its business critical credit card processing system and provision of related services.

Advising DiSCS, a joint venture between Babcock Land Limited and DHL Supply Chain Limited, on all aspects of its bid to act as the service provider under the Ministry of Defence's Logistic Commodities & Services (LCS) Transformation Project.

Meet the team
Helen Scott-Lawler

Helen Scott-Lawler Partner

  • Head of Food and Drink
  • Commercial
  • Intellectual Property and Media
Simon Coppen

Simon Coppen Consultant

  • Rail
  • Transport
  • Projects
John Houlden

John Houlden Partner

  • Head of Public Sector
  • Head of Procurement and Subsidy Control
  • Projects
Lloyd James

Lloyd James Partner

  • Construction and Engineering
  • Energy and Utilities 
  • Infrastructure
Mark Paterson

Mark Paterson Partner

  • Defence
  • Business Transformation
  • Central Government
Matthew Ramus

Matthew Ramus Partner

  • Head of Education
  • Defence
  • Transport
Brioney Thomas

Brioney Thomas Partner

  • Head of Transport
  • Asset Finance and Asset Backed Lending
  • Commercial
Martin Cook Temp Corporate Image Web Profile

Martin Cook Partner

  • Head of Fintech
  • Financial services
  • Technology and Communications
Lucy Pegler

Lucy Pegler Partner

  • Technology and Communications
  • Data Protection and Cybersecurity
  • Outsourcing

What others say...

Burges Salmon's input was exceptional. Their team combined technical excellence and attention to detail with very good client relationship skills.
David McIntosh, Commercial Lawyer at the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in relation to the Decommissioning Project at Dounreay

Key contact

Helen Scott-Lawler

Helen Scott-Lawler Partner

  • Head of Food and Drink
  • Commercial
  • Intellectual Property and Media

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