Procurement

We bring a unique perspective to procurement challenges, having represented both unsuccessful bidders and affected third parties (such as charities and activist groups) in litigation challenging procurement decisions.

Our clients have included NHS activists challenging privatisation of services, legal aid firms denied contracts, and bidders unfairly disqualified from local authority contracting processes.

We can deploy top notch litigators with the skills to go toe to toe with the largest and most well-resourced opponents, in what could otherwise seem an impossibly daunting task.

Unlike many commercial lawyers, ours are well-practiced at maximising the chances of costs recovery (i.e. ensuring that your opponent has to pay most of your legal costs at the end of the case, so that you end up having spent relatively little). Doing so involves thinking about this from the outset and tailoring tactics accordingly.

Our rates are competitive, comparing favourably with many commercial outfits who have far less litigation experience, and we can call on well-established relationships with the Bar so as to ensure that your case is in the safest hands and that you receive impartial and realistic advice at an early stage of your case.

It is absolutely critical to act quickly when faced with a procurement decision that you need to challenge, because the time limits are so short. It may even be necessary to challenge a flaw in the process before the process has concluded (for example, an ITT that breaches Procurement Law may have to be challenged within 30 days of you knowing about it, which is likely to be before any decisions have been made).

Our team can provide confidential advice during and after the process so as to ensure that you make a well-informed decision.