Browne Jacobson reappointed to Welsh Government Commercial Division panel

Browne Jacobson’s expertise and knowledge of the Welsh public sector has been recognised by its reappointment to the Welsh Government Commercial Delivery (WGCD) legal services panel.

The reappointment means the top 50 UK and Ireland law firm will build on over 25 years’ experience of advising the Welsh public sector and comes at a time when its Cardiff office continues its rapid expansion. 

Browne Jacobson was appointed to 11 of the 14 lots for the WGCD solicitors services framework, which runs for the next four years. 

These lots cover areas including adult and children’s social services; Welsh government advice; property, construction, planning and environmental law; and civil and criminal litigation. 

Tim Edds, Head of Cardiff at Browne Jacobson, said:

“We are delighted to have been reappointed to the WGCD panel. It’s testament to our market-leading public sector offering and our in-depth understanding of the devolution settlement here in Wales.

“We’re particularly pleased to be able to extend our strong partnership with Welsh Government, enabling continued collaboration on our award-winning FAIRE work experience scheme.

“The opening of our Cardiff office just under two years ago cemented our commitment to Wales and means we’re ideally positioned to continue advising the Welsh public sector on projects at the forefront of society’s biggest issues.”

During the previous framework, Browne Jacobson advised the Welsh Government on a number of high-profile projects, including supporting on the Covid-19 Inquiry; the establishment of Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, which will support the delivery of a significant pipeline of renewable energy projects; and the development of the £35m Morlais tidal stream renewable energy project, located off the coast of Anglesey.

The firm also advised the lead authorities on the establishment of the Celtic Freeport, the largest freeport in Wales, located across 500 hectares of land in Neath Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire. 

Since opening in July 2023, Browne Jacobson’s Cardiff office has increased its headcount five-fold to 35 people, including seven partners and two legal directors. In January this year, the firm  moved to an interim location at St Andrew’s Crescent to accommodate its growth. 

Laura Hughes, Head of the Public Law team and Executive Lead for Wales at Browne Jacobson, added:

“Our longstanding relationships with Welsh Government and other public sector bodies was the catalyst for our decision to open an office in Cardiff. We’ve invested significantly in a series of key hires over the past two years so that we now offer a full range of legal services to public and private sector clients in Wales.

“Having recently held a high-profile event in Cardiff exploring how the Welsh aerospace and defence sectors can contribute to the UK and Europe’s ambitions to strengthen defence, work progressing on a new permanent and larger office in Cardiff, and our reappointment to this key framework now confirmed, we’re very excited about what the future holds in Wales.”

Browne Jacobson advises clients across the UK in central, devolved administration and local government, as well as emergency services, registered housing providers and arm’s length bodies. 

The firm is also a member of the UK Government’s Crown Commercial Services legal services panel, which has led to it advising the Department for Transport and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.