Public Sector overview

The public sector is under mounting pressure to respond effectively to the agenda of the Coalition, with both central and local government finding the demands placed upon them increasingly more complex and challenging.

The Coalition have decided very substantial cuts in government spending. Under the Spending Review we see reductions in social infrastructure investment, changes in the way programmes are delivered, and very heavy emphasis on efficiency savings. Against that can be seen opportunities under the localism agenda, and in areas like energy and transport.

All of this will place heavy demands on central and local government. Some of these challenges involve complex legal issues and clear advice is essential for public sector decision-makers.

We recognise that there will be a very clear expectation that external service providers, not least law firms, must play a part in this - offering high quality services for lower cost.

We have been working with public sector clients for over 50 years: our experts understand the varied nature of government work and they have a wealth of experience to support in-house legal teams in meeting these challenges. Many of our lawyers had senior decision-making careers in government and, through our partnerships with clients, we have built a strong appreciation of how the public sector operates and the pressures faced.

We are appointed to the full commercial section of the Central Government Buying Solutions Legal Panel, which means we are approved suppliers for all forms of commercial work. For more information about Nabarro on Buying Solutions, please visit our dedicated Buying Solutions micro site. We are also on the Litigation Panel of the Treasury Solicitor.

We provide commercial support on PPP projects, outsourcings, and strategic partnerships and work in many sectors, including waste, housing and regeneration, healthcare, leisure and education. Our team has been at the forefront of advising clients on public procurement rules, including the use of the competitive dialogue procedure, framework agreements, dynamic purchasing systems and e-auctions. Our dedicated Public Sector team is at the heart of a wider Public Sector group of lawyers in real estate, energy, construction, corporate, employment and pensions.


 

Our latest alerts, briefings & reports
Nabarro briefings and reports
  • Court applies procurement award criteria  
For public authorities struggling with mounting challenges to tenders and increasingly stringent transparency requirements, a recent, common-sense ruling by the Scottish Court of Session is likely to provide some relief. View full briefing
  • ONEL: what constitutes genuine use of a Community Trade Mark?  
On 19 December 2012, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) handed down its long-anticipated judgment in the ONEL/OMEL case. This reference from the Court of Appeal of the Hague sought guidance on the question of whether use of a Community Trade Mark (CTM) in a single member state constitutes genuine use in the Community.  View full briefing
  • Changing offices to residential without planning permission: the rise of flats  
The Government recently announced in a letter to local authorities in England that new legislation will come into force in Spring 2013 allowing a change of use from offices to residential without the need to apply for planning permission. View full briefing
  • OHIM's box-ticking approach to class heading filings fails to tick all the right boxes  
Community Trade Mark (CTM) applicants beware. OHIM (the CTM office) has again (15 October 2012) changed its practice on filings for "class headings". View full briefing
  • New regulations and guidance to bolster the community right to challenge   
The right for community and other groups to challenge the way in which public services are delivered, which is set out in the Localism Act 2011, has been bolstered by new Regulations and draft Guidance, both published last month.  View full briefing
Our experience