Expertise
Described by clients as “approachable…pragmatic and clear-thinking”, Tim helps clients simplify the complex legal, policy, commercial and cultural issues that arise in complex partnerships between the public and private sectors.
He focusses on delivering their operational and policy objectives.
He specialises in
- Public Procurement, Public Contracts; Healthcare Commissioning and Outsourcing
- Public Administrative Law (including Central Government; the NHS and the functions and powers of Local Authorities and NDPBs)
- Policy Development and New Legislation.
- Regulatory & Governance (advising programme boards, professional bodies, public bodies and institutions)
- Data Protection and Cyberlaw (risk management; compliance and incident management)and
- Income generation from public sector assets.
His practice builds on his extensive experience of holding board level and other senior leadership roles in the Civil Service, the National Health Service, and the Education sector.
He was Head of Commercial & Procurement at the Treasury Solicitor’s Department; Deputy Legal Adviser at GCHQ; Senior Assembly Counsel at the Welsh Assembly; General Counsel at what is now the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
He has been closely involved in designing, implementing and managing numerous transformational, pan-government infrastructure programmes.
He provides sophisticated, risk-weighted advice on all public law and regulatory aspects of public contracts including subsidy controls; public procurement; anti-bribery; FOIA; NHS legislation; and data protection law.
He also offers companies who are bidding for public contracts, and incumbent suppliers, a deep understanding not just of the law but of the structure, policies, culture and working processes of HM Government and of the NHS. This helps them adopt a sophisticated, well-judged and informed approach to bidding.
Tim advises
Tim advises across numerous sectors but principally:
- Health (including digital health and social care).
- Technology (including cyber security; transfers; IP and Strategic Partnerships)
- Government
- Defence
- Professional Services
- Third Sector
Experience Highlights
Public Procurement & Public Contracts
Tim has a longstanding specialist practice in public procurement. He has been involved in some of the highest profile projects and court cases and has been described by one of the Directories as ‘…a procurement heavyweight.’
- Advising the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and drafting its Global Procurement Policy and Guidance.
- Supporting an international central purchasing organisation on the design, award, and management of multi-lot framework agreements for the NHS.
- Advising the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) on its complex, multi-billion-pound procurement for the decommissioning of Dounrey Nuclear power station.
- Working as a lead negotiator for HM Government on the £1.3 billion PFI programme for the construction of GCHQ’s headquarters in Cheltenham.
- Advising Eurostar in litigation concerning the Utilities Regulations (Alstom Transport v Eurostar International Limited (1) and Siemens plc [2011] EWHC 1828 (Ch), [2020] PTSR 1).
- Advising on operational PFI/PF2 project agreements; Covid 19 Supplier Relief Policy and preparations for handover.
- On the client side, establishing multi-user, multi-provider framework agreements for government departments; NDPBs local authorities and NHS bodies.
- Successfully managing bids for places on legal services panels.
He has also been involved in major innovative public/private collaborations and policy innovations in England and Wales including:
- Designing and implementing a forensic methodology for the review of operational PFI contracts.
- Representing HM Government in international Treaty collaborations in the IT sector.
- Social Care Partnering Agreements.
- Shaping and negotiating Joint Working Agreements and international collaborations in the healthcare/pharmaceutical sectors.
- Co-Writing the NHS Wales Indemnity Policy.
Subsidy Controls/State Aid
- Advising and supporting a biotech company’s application for State Aid funding from a Combined Authority.
- Advising a grant recipient on subsidy law risk and compliance and providing a subsidy Opinion as part of a major regeneration and housing scheme in the Northwest.
- Co-developing a unique state aid grant allocation scheme to support retraining for nuclear sector workers in North Wales.
Public & Administrative Law & Regulatory Matters
Preparing, implementing, and interpreting new UK and EU legislation, and challenging or defending the reviewable decisions of public bodies.
- Advising on the implications of the EU/UK Trade and Co-Operation Agreement.
- Defending a health service body from a judicial review alleging failure to provide adequate mental health services (CAMHS).
- Advising on complex interception warranty issues under RIPA and the Intelligence Services Act.
- Resolving a dispute between local authorities in a post-discharge service funding dispute under the Mental Health Act.
- Member of the Government’s Information Assurance Programme Board.
- Supporting a government agency’s transition to self-funding status;
- Advising Government Ministers on a range of policy options in response to the GP recruitment and retention issue.
- Taking Devolution Legislation for Wales through both Houses of Parliament.
- Advising health service bodies on their options, functions and powers under the General Medical Services Regulations; General Dental Services; Pharmaceutical Services and NHS governance, policy, and legislation.
- Chairing statutory appeals bodies relating to the provision of general medical dental and pharmaceutical services.
- Writing secondary legislation relating to Nursing and Midwifery services in Wales.
- Advising on aspects of the administration of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry.
- Advising on the Covid 19 Regulations, guidance, and Supplier Relief Policy.
- Advising Welsh Health Ministers on the regulations affecting the ownership and management of dental practices.
- Responding to urgent issues emerging from a CQC inspection.
- Handling the regulatory and public law aspects of an urgent decision to close a failing care home and transfer its residents.
- Advising public bodies on implications of the Human Rights Act 1998.
Data Privacy, Information and Cyber Security Law
- Preparing extensive UK GDPR/DPA 18 compliance documentation, policies, procedures, and training for a major UK health care provider.
- Advising UK clients on the practical consequences of the Schrems II judgment; the removal of the US ‘Privacy Shield’ for EU/US international data transfers and the use of the new Data Bridge;
- Advising a UK corporate client on preparations for post-Brexit data transfers between the UK and European Economic Area (EEA).
- Developing policy on cyber-security measures for law firms and chambers.
- Advising on the lawful use of biometrics for identity verification in the workplace.
- Contributing to the debate on AI, surveillance technology, security, law enforcement and data ethics.
- Advising on contractual, regulatory and enforcement issues concerning the NCSC Cyber Essentials Scheme.
- Representing and advising an NHS provider in its urgent response to a major data security breach.
- Advising a tech services provider on enforcement of its right to confidentiality of its proprietary information by a third party.
- Assisting a global tech company in its discussions with HM Government regarding industry-wide cyber security measures.
- Advising a global technology company on the privacy and human rights aspects of its innovative battlefield surveillance technology.
- Designing an effective data protection impact assessment process for a major corporate client.
- Advocating for a data controller responding to a former employee’s complaint to the ICO alleging failure to provide adequate disclosure.
Tim has advised parties in a number of important judicial reviews; public inquiries and formal reviews examining matters of public interest including the adequacy of the provision of mental health services; the North Wales Child Abuse Inquiry; and numerous public procurement challenges.
He has advised numerous organisations on legislation as wide-ranging as the Human Rights Act; Regulation of Investigatory Powers Acts; Telecommunications Act; Wireless Telegraphy Acts; Mobile Telephony legislation; Humanitarian Law; Nuclear Industry laws; Crown Copyright; the Intelligence Services Act; Computer Misuse Act; Government of Wales Acts; Health and Social Care legislation; the General Medical Services Regulations, and International Treaties relating to the non-proliferation of WMD.
Tim acts for clients as diverse as the Cabinet Office; QinetiQ; Siemens; Babcock; First Group; OFCOM; MOJ; PJHQ; major corporates in the tech, semi-conductor and biotechnology sectors; IASME Consortium; SMEs; law firms and chambers; HM Foreign and Commonwealth Office; the Home Office and National Crime Agency; Welsh Government; Local Health Boards and NHS Foundation Trusts; CCGs; NDPBs; the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority; and Eurostar.
Publications & Appointments
- Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce
- Member of the Law Society’s Technology & Law Committee (2021)
- Magistrate (Shropshire and West Mercia Bench).
- Former Visiting Lecturer, (Procurement and Commissioning) University of Birmingham Business School; Institute of Local Government (INLOGOV) and the Health Service Management Centre.
- Tim was an expert witness to Parliament’s Public Administration Select Committee Inquiry into government procurement and commercial skills (2012).
- Former member of the CBI Advisory Group on Procurement and PFI.
- Co-author of ‘Power in Procurement’ (Heywood, T., and Lonsdale, (2012) PPP Journal).
- Governor at Worcester University (2022-2024);
- Non-Executive Director, (Chair of Remuneration Committee and Governance and Risk Committee) Wye Valley NHS Trust (2005–10).
Career History
- Deputy Legal Adviser, GCHQ;
- Head of Legal Affairs at CESG (now National Cyber Security Centre) (1999–2005);
- Director of Procurement and Commercial Law, HM Treasury Solicitor’s Department;
- Partner and Head of EU, State Aid & Procurement Law, Bevan Brittan llp;
- Director (Procurement), Burges Salmon llp.
Professional Memberships
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
- Member of the Procurement Lawyers Association.
- The Law Society.