Duncan Weir
Managing Partner
As Bevan Brittan’s Managing Partner, I am responsible for leading ...
I am an experienced public sector lawyer and manager. I provide strategic advice and consultancy support for local authorities and other public sector bodies. I also give expert legal advice and assistance, usually directed at the highest levels of organisations. My work often requires political awareness and sensitivity.
I am a team player and worked in-house for over 15 years before joining the private sector. My last role in local government was as Borough Secretary and Solicitor for Greenwich Council managing a team of 150 staff across a dozen functions, including; contracts standards and monitoring, equalities, community safety and emergency planning, democratic services, elections and legal. Before that I was Head of Legal Services for Lewisham Council and prior to that was Assistant Head of Legal and Principal Economic Development Solicitor for Kirklees Council where I was involved in many new and innovative projects, including; Kirklees Stadium, Kirklees Henry Boot Partnership, Kirklees Community Association and Kirklees Theatre.
I regularly advise on public sector vires and governance including advice on decision-making and constitutional issues; conduct and ethics; option appraisals and structuring (both public-public/shared services and public-private sector partnerships); major projects and regeneration schemes, including asset vehicles; PPPs; setting up and managing companies, charities and social enterprises; income generation; judicial review and minimising challenge.
My team and I strive to provide seamless additional support to in-house legal departments.
Publications
I have contributed articles to Health & Social Care for Local Government Lawyer, EM LawShare, SOLACE and the Municipal Journal
Recent articles include:
The importance of Place and Revenue Growth for Local Government
Seminars and Training
I recently held seminars with SOLACE, the Westminster Forum, and LLG.
I am a partner in the Housing Management Department, which falls within the firm's housing and property dispute resolution team.
My clients include landlords (specifically social landlords/housing associations) and local authorities and my work comprises a mix of advising on contentious landlord and tenant matters across all forms of tenure, including secure and assured tenancies and leases, and conducting litigation, involving issues such as on matters such as disrepair, possession, subletting and nuisance from the first stages through to completion. I also have a great deal of experience in drafting tenancy agreements, leases, notices and other contractual and statutory documents within the ambit of landlord and tenant law.
I have worked closely with many social landlords and local authorities for nearly 20 years and, as such, I have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the pressures and concerns facing landlords in increasingly competitive and difficult times. I put this knowledge to good use on behalf of my clients, working collaboratively with them to ensure effective management of their housing stock and ensuring compliance with regulatory guidelines.
Seminars and Training
I have over 15 years' experience of delivering training to clients on landlord and tenant-related issues, both in-house and externally. I have spoken at events organised by the CIH and by the Housing Quality Network, and have given bespoke training to clients at their offices and at larger venues.
Career Highlights
Publications
I have written several articles including:
I joined Bevan Brittan as a partner within the housing team. My areas of specialism include contentious housing matters, advising landlords on matters such as breach of covenants, nuisance, possession, subletting, hoarding, disrepair and failing to provide access.
My practice involves acting for private, housing association landlords and local authorities. The Legal 500 have recognised me as, “first-rate".
Publications
Over the past few years, I have written several articles for Inside Housing and 24Housing, together with media statements on:
Gas Safety: updated regulations offer more flexibility
Seminars and Training
I have spoken at the National Federation of ALMOs on private rental sector tenancies. In addition, I regularly also organise and facilitate training sessions for clients, both in-house and on-premises.
Career Highlights
I am head of the Procurement, Competition and State Aid teams. My practice involves dealing with all aspects of contentious and non-contentious procurement law. I have particular expertise in litigation, High Court procurement challenges, judicial review and other statutory challenges.
My team and I are well-known for our involvement in leading, high-profile procurement cases in the public, private and third sector, and our experience stretches across a range of different markets.
Publications
I have written several articles in 2018 including:
Seminars & training
I teach the litigation module for the Law of Public Procurement (Masters) course at Nottingham Law School alongside Professor Sue Arrowsmith.
I recently spoke at the University of Nottingham’s Global Revolution Conference and the Whitepaper Public Procurement conferences in Belfast and Manchester.
Recognition
I am a partner in our Commercial and Infrastructure department and Head of our Local Government practice, responsible for client relationships and business development to government, national and local, and private sector organisations bidding back into these markets.
I have advised on more than 90 PPP and outsourcing projects and procurements including being the creator of Building Schools for the Future model.
In the last year I have advised on proposed partnerships for local authorities with annual budgets amounting to more than £1 billion. In the same period, I advised private sector bidders to win annual contracts worth more than £100m.
Being familiar with the political, economic and legislative landscape I am supporting clients on alternative methods and models of service delivery (outsourcing, joint ventures, commissioning only council models and procurements), regeneration, use of assets and funding structures including the implications and opportunities under Devolution.
Clients have said
"David’s strongest skill is his client management. He is very personable with a great deal of fortitude. I find him always very positive and seems to fully commit himself. I have never seen him drop his professionalism. He is very easy to work with."
"One of the good things about David is that he is regularly involved so can reinterpret objectives for us by asking questions and making suggestions."
"David is very likeable, very good in meetings - he inspires confidence and is a capable lead."
" Your support and that of your team has been absolutely excellent. Many thanks indeed for your personal commitment. I have really enjoyed working with you."
Career highlights
Publications
I have published articles including:
New transport links risk by-passing local communities
The importance of Place and Revenue Growth for Local Government
Councils deserve a better deal after Carillion's collapse
I am a partner and head of Bevan Brittan’s planning team. I advise on all the issues involved in bringing sites forward for regeneration and sustainable development including compulsory purchase advice, negotiating planning agreements, advice on highways matters and stopping-up applications, planning appeals, listed building and conservation area applications, contaminated land and the defence of town green applications.
I have a full understanding of the present and emerging legislative and policy framework which underpins the planning applications process and my objective is always to work closely with our clients to secure the best possible practical and commercial outcome.
Career Highlights
Seminars & Training
I regularly present seminars on planning and environmental issues on subjects such as: the compulsory purchase process, getting the most out of the planning process and negotiating planning agreements.
Memberships
I am a member of Compulsory Purchase Association
Publications
I have written several articles including:
I am a partner specialising in public procurement law. My work involves advising local authorities, NHS bodies, central government departments and other public bodies on the application of the procurement rules to their range of activities from establishing co-operation arrangements to conducting public contract tendering exercises.
I advise public bodies on planning for and conducting multi-stage procurement exercises from exploring competition and evaluation strategies, preparing procurement documentation, evaluating tenders, awarding contracts to debriefing bidders. I have advised on awarding contracts across a broad range of major project sectors including property development and regeneration, school building partnerships, municipal waste and energy management, leisure services, highways services, national framework agreements, rail franchising, IT projects, PFI hospital developments to NHS and community care services.
Because I work across many markets I am able to pass on an in-depth knowledge of procurement approaches and innovation to help clients resolve their procurement strategies.
The recent focus of my work has been in helping clients achieve efficiencies through establishing co-operation arrangements between public bodies to deliver shared services as well as advising on tendering strategic partnership joint ventures with the private sector to transform estates and services.
I am involved in advising on legal challenges both in bringing and defending actions in relation to procurement award or elimination decisions.
Seminars
I also provide training to local authority and NHS procurement practitioners and advisors on developments in procurement law.
Publications
I have published articles including:
Procurement: Development agreement declared ineffective
LexisNexis: 'Faraday scheme' contract declared ineffective
I advise housing associations, local authorities, charities and private companies working in the housing sector on all areas of corporate and governance work.
This includes:
Publications
I have written several articles including:
I am an associate specialising in defendant clinical negligence work and I am based in our London office. I have worked in this area since 1999 and work closely with NHS Resolution and NHS Trusts.
I have experience of cases with a wide range of complexity and value. I have a particular interest in obstetric and wrongful birth claims but I also have significant experience in claims involving catastrophic brain and spinal injuries as well as vascular injuries leading to amputations.
An important aspect of my work is ensuring that hospital staff are supported during the claims process. I have undertaken secondments both in a Trust legal department and at NHS Resolution and I have been involved in an analysis of claims and complaints handling.
I have provided training to hospital staff on the litigation process and also how to avoid claims arising for example by good record keeping. I am a regular contributor to Claims online publication. I have a general interest in patient safety issues and also medical ethics and have a postgraduate qualification in this field.
'Catherine Radford is a rising star of clinical negligence law'
From Chambers 2011
Before studying law, I was a senior nurse in the NHS and also worked with the Royal College of Nursing on national policy formulation and workforce development. I am a Solicitor Advocate and an experienced litigator in public law.
I am experienced in defending high profile judicial review cases around continuing care, children and adult safeguarding.
I have advised on governance at a strategic and operational level on the four cornerstones of governance - patient safety, operational efficiency, ethics and compliance. I sit on an ethics committee in the South West and am involved with the national network.
Publications
I have written several articles including:
How Should Local Authorities Capture New Local Safeguarding Arrangements?
I am an associate in our Commercial and Infrastructure department, and recently returned to private practice after spending ten years in-house at a large unitary authority. I have a broad range of experience advising local authorities, NHS trusts and service providers in the public sector, about procurement, state aid, shared services, funding agreements and contractual arrangements.
My experience working in-house means that I appreciate the importance of giving timely and practical advice that takes into account the wider background to a matter, and helps clients achieve their objectives. With this in mind, I understand the importance of spending time at the start of a matter to make sure that I understand exactly what the priorities are and what commercial outcomes are required.
Publications
I have written several articles including:
State aid and services of general economic interest
State aid - Still relevant?
ERDF Grant and Revenue Generation
I am a solicitor in the Commercial & Infrastructure department of the London office, specialising in procurement law. I recently joined the firm from a local authority, the London Borough of Croydon, where I completed my training contract and a number of years following my qualification.
My work involves me advising local authorities, NHS bodies and other public bodies on the application of the EU public procurement rules. I provide advice and support on various stages of a procurement process including assisting with the preparation of OJEU notices and drafting of procurement documentation.
Publications
I have written several articles including:
Procurement: Technical Specification Discretion
Procurement: Is a contracting authority under a duty to clarify incomplete tenders?
I am a Solicitor in the Commercial and Infrastructure team, working on governance, commercial and contractual issues, with a particular focus on local government and health clients. I advise regularly on partnering arrangements and structures for joint working for the delivery of public services.
Key areas of my work have included advising on, negotiating and drafting documentation on Children's Trusts (and Alternative Delivery Models), including advice in relation to core contractual terms, support service agreements, governance arrangements, performance frameworks and service specifications.
Other contractual advice I have provided has included advising on and drafting contracts for Social Impact Bonds and Section 75 Agreements.
I also have experience of strategy, policy and project management in the charity and education sectors.
Publications
I have written several articles including:
How Should Local Authorities Capture New Local Safeguarding Arrangements?