Local Government
Comprehensive range of legal support, defendant litigation
services for all local and public authorities.
Weightmans' Public Sector team is one of the largest in the UK,
with extensive experience working with local authorities, local
authority consortia, police forces, fire authorities and NHS
Trusts.
Legal Support
Weightmans' Public Sector team provides a wrap-around support
service covering every conceivable legal issue for our local
government clients. Our lawyers have hands-on experience of working
in local government and the public sector. You can be assured
that we understand the issues you face and the political and
economic pressures you work under. Our approach is focused on
solving your legal problems as quickly, efficiently and
cost-effectively as possible.
We are LEXCEL accredited, and our commitment to electronic case
management assures the quality of everything we do. Your work will
be handled by people who know their subject thoroughly, and who are
fully supported by a dedicated know-how team.
Defendant Litigation
We are brand leaders in defendant litigation services for local
and public authorities, with in-depth expertise in all types of
claims including motor, public liability and employers'
liability. We have considerable experience in handling
sensitive and/or high profile claims, such as bullying, failure to
educate and abuse, and are equally skilled in handling the media
attention that these cases sometimes attract.
Whilst we encourage a commercial, cost effective and pragmatic
approach to claims, we recognise the financial constraints and
policy considerations that you have to consider, and tailor our
service accordingly.
We advise on risk management strategies, both generally and in
connection with specific claims. One of our partners has written
the authoritative textbook “Local Authority Liability” and we are
the legal advisers to the National Forum for Risk Management in the
Public Sector (formerly ALARM).
We have also developed a special fraud detection package for
public bodies. We regularly advise on policy matters and attend
internal committee and risk management meetings to provide input in
connection with wider issues affecting local authorities and
service delivery.
We are on the panel of all of the major public sector insurers
as well as receiving instructions directly from local authorities.
We regularly provide training through our own seminars, including
national conferences dedicated to police and fire authorities, as
well as through local and national bodies and regional insurance
officers’ groups.
One of our key differentiators as a legal practice is that we go
beyond the routine at every opportunity. We seek to work in
partnership with you and use our relationship as a springboard for
improvement. In this regard, we provide access to our research
facilities, help with professional training, arrange secondments
and support with staff development, enabling your officers to
innovate, develop and improve performance.