Local Authority, Police & Emergency Services

Managing and reducing risk for public services

Local Authority

Our work with Local Authorities (LA), including housing associations, social care and educational institutions, focuses on managing and reducing risk. We ensure costs are kept under control and there is minimum loss of officer time. 

We understand LA institutions and the challenges they face. We promote a sensitive, collaborative approach to establish trust between parties. We work closely with clients to uphold their ethos, protect their reputation and support their working methods.

Our focus is on routine contentious and non-contentious matters as well as highly sensitive incidents, including allegations of historical and contemporary abuse, fatalities, misfeasance, discrimination, discipline, admissions, bullying and harassment, defamation, neglect or breach of duty of care in social service provision, fitness to practise within educational settings and failure to educate. We also concentrate on data protection and cyber, human rights claims and judicial reviews. 

Police & Emergency Services

We are regarded as the pre-eminent defendant firm for litigation against the police and are instructed on complex, sensitive and novel issues of the law. Our team is Security Check (SC) level vetted and ranked 1 in Chambers & Partners for police law. 

We specialise in a range of claims including misfeasance, malicious prosecution, assault, false imprisonment, catastrophic personal injury, breaches of data protection, the Human Rights Act and the Equality Act. We also focus on injuries at work, occupational disease and stress claims. We have a wealth of experience in representing chief constables in judicial reviews and inquests, in addition to representing officers in public inquiries. We also have a dedicated motor team. We advise on disciplinary issues, proceeds of crime and damage to police property. 

Our expertise in the fire and rescue sector is enviable, with considerable experience advising organisations from the outset of major incidents, through to the resolution of claims. Our work includes representing organisations in regulatory matters, public inquiries, inquests and civil claims. We are adept at working with representative bodies and in dealing with difficult aspects of fire and rescue pension law.