The quality of public services is increasingly determined by world-class skills in public procurement.  The procurement regime applies not only to the public sector but also to certain utilities.  Such bodies’ day to day business as well as any real estate developments, joint ventures, restructuring, reorganisation or sale programme cannot function without a proper understanding of how procurement regulates their plans.  Contractors bidding for work with these bodies also need to know their way along this often confusingly complicated path.

We can help you through this complex process.  Our specialist lawyers take a thorough approach to legal detail and can also stand back and see the bigger, commercial picture, to deliver the best results.

We advise utilities and public sector purchasers (government departments, museums, NHS bodies) as well as contractors and developers to navigate the rules.  We can help mediate in any potential disputes, and take them to court when necessary.  CMS Cameron McKenna has extensive experience in supporting clients in a number of sectors - defence, aviation, roads, construction, telecommunications, health and lifesciences.  With the additional knowledge and expertise of dedicated teams in our offices in the CEE and the CMS alliance, we provide a multi-lingual service across major European business locations.  Our team offers practical advice on compliance with the EU procurement rules (and where these exist in parallel, also with national rules) and has helped set up effective restructuring and reorganisation operations.

Relevant experience includes advising:

• National Grid Group companies on a variety of procurement issues, including those related to the sale of four regulated gas distribution businesses and the development of the West Coast HVDC Line
• Transport for London on state aid and procurement aspects of taking in house the Tube Lines London Underground PPP, the last piece of the major restructuring of the development and maintenance arrangements for the London Underground network
• BIS (then DTI) on the procurement of a major outsourcing (National Physical Laboratory) and related facilities issues as well as on several smaller procurements
• BT on challenges to a public sector procurement process
• Acting for a number of lifesciences clients in bid protests for breach of the EU public procurement rules
• Department for Transport on procurement issues regarding the Channel Tunnel Rail Link
• Metronet on its successful bid to run the tenders for the London Underground PPP
• Royal Mail on a wide range of procurement issues including outsourcings and the inclusion of postal services in the utilities regime
• Northern Ireland Electricity on procurement issues generally, including those arising from the restructuring of the electricity sector in Northern Ireland
• A major contractor on its interests concerning the construction of the West Bridge of the Great Belt (Denmark) which involved proceedings by the European Commission before the European Court against Denmark