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I am a commercial contract specialist with specific expertise in local government contracts.
I have worked in local government for more than 15 years and have a keen interest in commercial law. My clients are predominantly local authorities.
My work covers the application of contract law over a large number of areas in the public sector such as health and social care, public services and grant schemes, public law (including procurement law) and construction and drafting of bespoke contracts.
I have had a wide exposure to private sector suppliers/contractors on a number of high profile and high value projects for Lincolnshire County Council as well as other local authorities and have developed a specific skill in finding legal solutions through negotiation and offering pragmatic solutions to complex legal and commercial problems. Amongst my clients I am well known and respected for my tenacity and effort that I apply to protect and look after the interests of my clients.
I seek to understand the business goals of my clients’ projects to the extent that I am able to offer “added value” into the drafting of contracts so that successful business solutions are achieved.
I take pride in the fact that with the matters/projects I have been involved in, I have provided leadership in helping/challenging my client officers to analyse and rethink their decisions if necessary in order to achieve the best outcome.
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- Supported Housing/Extra Care Housing Schemes – Lincolnshire County Council is applying resources towards the delivery of a programme of supported housing and Extra Care housing across Lincolnshire. Legal Lead providing multi-dimensional input challenging the approach taken, identifying key issues and risk and drafting of Funding Agreements and Nominations Agreements.
- SEND Programme – This is one of the largest capital programmes undertaken by Lincolnshire County Council in recent years – in excess of £80 million for the build of new or refurbished and/or extension of all Special Educational Needs and Disability schools in Lincolnshire. Lead legal advisor on all aspects of the programme, including decision making (obtaining formal approval for each scheme in the Programme) and construction contracts under various Public Sector Frameworks.
- Single Section 75 Agreements with Health in respect of the provision of mental health services to Children and Young People in Lincolnshire – Legal Lead drafting two Section 27 Agreements in respect of the delivery of the services, the one with Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board for the transfer of functions and the other with Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust for service delivery.
- South Park Campus – This was the project for the creation of a tri-partite operational station with Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service, Lincolnshire Police and East Midlands Ambulance Service. Legal Lead in the drafting, negotiation and completion of a collaboration agreement between the three services. Most of the drafting was bespoke and involved protracted and complex negotiations with ultimate success in the application of brinkmanship on my part. I also provided the lead in relation to the construction contracts for the construction of the new campus for combined delivery of services.
- Lincolnshire Community Equipment Service – One of the most important services procured by Lincolnshire County Council. Legal Lead for creation of partnership arrangements with Health and the development of terms and conditions for the commercial contract to be procured on behalf of the partnership and participation on various workstreams including finance in relation to the re-procurement of the contract.
- Business Transformation Project for Lincolnshire Police with an approximate value of £22 million. Multi- dimensional input provided including drafting of all Operational Service Specifications, specialist guidance in respect of dialogue under the Competitive Dialogue tender process and general project advice.
- Revised Consortium Agreement of the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation – ESPO. ESPO was originally established in 1988 between Cambridgeshire County Council, Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council, Lincolnshire County Council, Norfolk County Council, Peterborough City Council and Warwickshire County Council. It was agreed between the member authorities that the agreement required updating in order to improve the then existing governance arrangements and to make it fit for purpose for the future. I was a member of the Legal Workstream Group which was established to draft and agree a revised Consortium Agreement including the development of a new constitution. Involvement included attendance at regular meetings to discuss and agree drafting, attending chief officer group meetings of member authorities, advising Lincolnshire County Council’s Executive Director of Resources on key risks and governance in entering into new agreement; advised on exit of Leicester City Council from the consortium and suggest basis of exit arrangements, advised Lincolnshire County Council o acceptance to Exit Agreement.
