Who we help
We do things a bit differently at Anthony Collins Solicitors. We have a proud tradition of supporting the public sector and unlike purely commercially driven law firms we are able to mix our technical excellence with a genuine social conscience. The ethos and ethics of our practice and desire to help transform our communities into thriving places means that we are ideally placed to support and understand our local authority clients.
Local government is facing the biggest set of challenges for many years. With much reduced budgets and staffing levels, pressures to generate income, the need to work more efficiently and collaboratively with neighbouring authorities and the private sector, the lawyer’s lot is becoming even more difficult.
That’s why the Anthony Collins Solicitors approach to providing true partnering-based legal support works so well for our local authority clients. Our work with local authorities is wide and covers a lot of areas, from employment matters to acquisitions and mergers. Whether you need support with a judicial review, commercial litigation, or the tendering of a process (or of documentation) we have experts on hand to help. Our flexibility means that we can provide tailored and cost-effective support. Some clients prefer us to take total control of a project and liaise directly with client teams for instructions. Others, especially when there is a larger in-house resource, want us to be a second pair of eyes to support the in-house legal team. That means that the in-house team retain political credit but still have the benefit of external legal support.
This method of working helps clients to maximise the support given to the council whilst minimising the external legal spend. We have a range of pricing options depending on how much involvement we have and how much work is carried out collaboratively with the in-house legal team - whether we are working on a fixed-, capped-, value-based or hourly rated fee.
We can support you with resolving procurement challenges, integrating health or social care, or acquisition of land, you can rest assured we can add value. We have also helped authorities with bulk conveyancing, social-value projects, community benefits, alternative delivery models and procurement policies. These are all areas where we have designed processes to make them simpler. We are here to ensure that you have peace of mind, knowing that your matter is being dealt with correctly, efficiently, and in the strictest confidence.
Administration is a core and vital part of local authority management. We offer advice and guidance over the freedom of information act, councillor’s conduct, constitutions and decision-making, internal procedures and employment. Our expertise also covers energy projects, front-line services, social enterprise, state aid, asset management, anti-social behaviour, property litigation and joint ventures. We can help you with any and all issues involving local government.
Our dedicated team is focused on finding a swift and satisfactory conclusion to your query and is devoted to doing what is best for the community. This, combined with over 40 years’ experience, makes us the ideal candidates to solve your legal needs.
Find out more about the services we provide to local authorities...
Local authority powers
Vast experience of navigating local authority powers and duties.
Commercial contracts
Advising and negotiating commercial and inter-authority arrangements.
Judicial review
Advice and support for councils in bringing judicial review claims.
State aid
Helping navigate state-aid protocols.
TUPE and pensions
Specialists in both TUPE and pension advice.
Procurement
Support and advice on all aspects of procurement and its challenges.
Companies, partnerships and corporate structures
Experts in regulations, changing and setting up corporate structures within local government.
Dispute resolution
Experienced commercial litigation solicitors providing clear and practical advice regarding all dispute resolution issues.
Data protection and information sharing
Supporting local government to comply with the complex data protection and freedom of information legislation.
Local Government Pension Scheme: LGPS Funds
Help funds to navigate a wide range of challenging scenarios effectively and efficiently, taking the burden of doing so from officers so that they can focus on the business of running the fund
Local Government Pension Scheme: Employers
The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) provides benefits to a much wider constituency than just local government employees.
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We have been recognised for the work we do
PODCAST: Episode 2 - Local government: Investing in your area by way of loans
In this podcast, Jon Coane looks at the benefits of making loans and the issues that local authorities need to be aware of.
Building safety: Transitional arrangements for existing higher-risk buildings
The Government has released several factsheets on the Building Safety Bill. We will be reviewing these and outlining how they can assist providers to prepare for the new building safety regime.
Jess Phillips MP joins industry leaders in tackling UK’s social mobility challenges in recruitment
Social mobility and its impact on the modern workforce was top of the agenda at a virtual event hosted by law firm Anthony Collins Solicitors on Tuesday 23 November.
Environment Bill receives Royal Assent
Earlier this month, the Environment Act 2021 received Royal Assent introducing the Office for Environmental Protection. Many charities and environmental groups are buoyed by the new legislation.
Government changes public procurement tendering thresholds to make them VAT inclusive
The next public procurement tendering threshold is due to be 'rebased' on 1 January 2022. The new thresholds will be inclusive of VAT, rather than VAT exclusive as they are at the moment.
Recovering fire safety remedial costs
This article looks at a recent case that demonstrates how to recover remedial costs for fire safety works in a timely and cost effective way.
Tips for managing contractor insolvency: making the best of a bad lot
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdowns and Brexit are very much evident across the construction industry, not least due to the sharp and continued increase in the cost of materials.
Data breach claims – do you settle or fight?
Over the past two years, we have seen an increasing number of GDPR claims being made alleging that an individual’s data protection rights have been breached.
Band 1 rankings in Chambers and Partners 2021 for Anthony Collins Solicitors
Anthony Collins Solicitors are delighted to announce that they have been ranked as a Band 1 firm in Chambers and Partners 2022.
PODCAST: Pre-employment health questionnaires and discrimination risks
In this podcast, Libby Hubbard and Alice Kinder address the issues which arise when using pre-employment health questionnaires and how best to use them.
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