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Public sector

Market-leading public sector lawyers trusted by public bodies and their private sector partners to help you rise to the unique challenges of government, from the most complex programmes to day-to-day policy delivery.

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The government’s vision for reform of public services and sustainable public finances places new challenges on public bodies and their private sector partners.

It is more important than ever that public bodies and their partners can trust legal advisers to understand these challenges and to work side by side to respond to them. For over 30 years, our market-leading public sector lawyers have been providing strategic, commercially focused advice on public sector law to meet the challenges of the day. We provide intelligent solutions for complex, innovative and high-profile projects, inquiries and challenges, including those with political, newsworthy or public interest dimensions. We have an in-depth understanding of the status, powers and functions of departments and other central government bodies, as well as the devolved powers of the Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament), Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly.

Our team includes former senior civil service, devolved authority and local government lawyers, as well as secondees, offering first-hand experience of the public sector and expertise in how to successfully deliver projects at all levels of government.

  • Public procurement and subsidy control
  • Commercial contracts
  • Complex projects, including public-private partnerships and alternative delivery models and financing
  • Procurement challenges, judicial reviews and other dispute resolution
  • Public inquiries
  • Competition and regulatory risk and compliance
  • Administrative and public law
  • Outsourcing and service transformation
  • Privatisation and nationalisation
  • Corporatisation and governance of public sector bodies
  • Banking and finance
  • Technology and intellectual property
  • Freedom of information and data protection
  • Employment and pensions
  • Planning and compulsory purchase
  • Development and regeneration
  • Property and facilities management
  • Business transformation and restructuring

Sector expertise

Houses Of Parliament At Dusk.

Central government

Delivering specialist central government legal advice across all aspects of government contracting, public procurement, major projects, regulatory compliance, inquires and litigation.

Central government
City Hall and Tower Bridge Landon Mayor Office

Local government

Combining public sector experience and cross-departmental knowledge, our local government lawyers deliver practical legal services to local authorities to help them achieve policy objectives.

Local government
police car roof

Emergency services

Specialist legal advice for emergency services organisations within the private and public sectors.

Emergency services
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Education providers

Collaborative legal advice helping private and public sector organisations navigate complex, high-profile matters in the education sector.

Education providers
Scottish parliament Edinburgh auditorium

Devolved government

Specialist legal advice regarding devolved government and devolved authorities for both the private and public sectors.

Devolved government
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Our team

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Examples of our work

Covid-19 public inquiry

Advising on its investigation into the UK’s pandemic response.

Department of Health and Social Care

Advising on procurement of a Framework Agreement and Dynamic Purchasing System regarding lateral flow tests.

Ministry of Defence

Advising on many of its largest and most strategically significant equipment, services and infrastructure projects across the maritime, land, air and space domains.

Greater London Authority

Advising on major regeneration projects, including the £2 billion Royal Albert Dock and the £1 billion Albert Island industrial regeneration.

Bristol City Council

Advising on its ambitious ‘City LEAP’ plan to raise around £1 billion of investment to transform Bristol into the UK’s first smart-energy neutral city by 2030.

Welsh Ministers and Transport for Wales

Advising on the £5 billion procurement of the Wales and Borders rail service and South Wales Metro and construction aspects of the £738 million Core Valley Lines transformation.

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London Financial District Skyline At Night.

CCS

We are one of 12 firms appointed to the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Legal Services Panel (RM6179) for general legal advice services for central government.

We are also appointed as a preferred supplier to Lot 1 (Full Service), Lot 2 (General Service) and Lot 3 (Rail) of the CCS Wider Public Sector Legal Services Panel (RM6240) and the wider Rail Legal Panel (RM6204).

Additionally, we are part of a consortium with ArentFox Schiff LLP on the CCS Trade Law Panel (RM6183), in which we advise the UK government on the negotiation of free trade agreements (FTAs).

KCS

We are appointed to the KCS Procurement Legal Services framework. This encompasses a comprehensive range of legal advisory services and is available to all public bodies.

(Note: Instructions for central government and their arm’s length bodies should be put through the RM6179 framework).

Learn more
Clock Tower of County Hall, in the town of Maidstone in Kent, UK

What others say

“The firm are willing to tackle the difficult issues on projects. All lawyers at the firm are confident, knowledgeable and willing to help. Burges Salmon are good at resourcing within the firm to manage large and complex projects with the work completed to a high standard.”

Chambers UK 2024

“Burges Salmon are especially skilled at navigating complex and high-profile political scenarios and providing tailored advice.”

Chambers UK 2024

“Burges Salmon are efficient, commercial and on the pulse of public sector law and changes in the market.”

Legal 500 UK 2023

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Insights

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