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Local government

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…

Commercial contracts

Advising and negotiating commercial and inter-authority…

Judicial review

Advice and support for councils in bringing judicial review…

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…

Companies, partnerships and corporate structures

Experts in regulations, changing and setting up corporate…

Dispute resolution

Experienced commercial litigation solicitors providing…

Data protection and information sharing

Supporting local government to comply with the complex data…

Local Government Pension Scheme: LGPS Funds

Help funds to navigate a wide range of challenging…

Local Government Pension Scheme: Employers

The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) provides…

Elected member training

Have you got the induction training booked for your members…

We have been recognised for the work we do

The Legal 500 Leading Individual 2023

The Legal 500 Rising Star 2023

The Legal 500 Top Tier Firm 2023

Helping a small employer avoid a substantial penalty

Out of the blue SH received a letter from the Pensions Regulator advising them that an escalating penalty for failure to deal with a compliance notice was accruing at the rate of £2,500 per day.

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Latest news

Anthony Collins announces nine promotions with one new legal director appointed

Social purpose law firm Anthony Collins (AC) has announced the appointment of four senior associates, four associates and one legal director across its specialist sectors of local government, housing, health and social care, charities and social business.

Tuesday 2 May 2023

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Anthony Collins launches 50th anniversary Social Impact Report

Anthony Collins (AC) reveals the scale and impact of its social purpose-driven legal work with the publication of its annual Social Impact Report.

Tuesday 14 February 2023

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Latest webinars and podcasts

PODCAST: ‘Without prejudice’ unpacked

In this podcast, Katherine Sinclair and Libby Hubbard provide practical advice on how to ensure you protect certain conversations.

Tuesday 31 January 2023

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WEBINAR: Holiday entitlement for part-year employees – Harpur Trust v Brazel

In this webinar, Anna Dabek and Libby Hubbard provide key information that can enable you to review your holiday pay arrangements.

Monday 7 November 2022

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1Jan12:30 — 13:30

WEBINAR: Essential assurance – DMC and compliance with ‘all relevant law’

1Jan09:30 — 11:30

WEBINAR: The ultimate mitigation strategy

1Jan10:00 — 11:30

WEBINAR: Annual service charge update 2023

1Jan10:00 — 13:00

VIRTUAL EVENT: Academy company secretary workshop 2023

SECTOR LEAD

Matthew Gregson

Partner

Partner in the employment team