Local government for the public sector

Working in partnership

We have substantial experience of advising local government in Scotland, at a time when local government officers continue to be asked to do more for less.

Our experience includes acting for 18 of the 32 Scottish local authorities, including amongst others, Glasgow City, Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, Highland, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. As a result, our multi-disciplinary team has substantial experience and a proven track record of working in partnership with local authorities across Scotland on a broad range of projects. With a detailed understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing local authorities, we deliver high quality, cost-effective legal services which support our clients to achieve their objectives and deliver best value.

We offer a multi-disciplinary approach to ensure that we can draw upon and deliver specialist expertise and experience whenever it is needed. We are accessible and approachable with a 'can do' attitude, which means you get the right people to work as an extension of your team and who you'll enjoy working with.

We believe rigorous financial management is a key consideration for all our clients. We operate a very flexible system of fee arrangements and have developed charging structures which are aimed at delivering efficiency, cost effectiveness and value for money.

We provide clients with a full range of legal, regulatory, strategic and commercial advice, helping them to deliver services in an increasingly challenging environment. Our in-depth understanding of the public sector environment gives us an indepth understanding of the key priorities for local authorities and how we can support them effectively as external legal advisers.

Our team has acted for 18 of the 32 Scottish local authorities. With a detailed understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing local authorities, we deliver high quality, cost-effective legal services which deliver best value

Key contacts - get in touch

Key services

Our team brings together practitioners with in-depth practical legal experience and expertise in key disciplines, which allows us to provide a comprehensive service in the following areas:

  • Banking & finance
  • Charities & social enterprise
  • Commercial contracts
  • Competition law
  • Data protection
  • Debt recovery
  • Dispute resolution/ Litigation
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Energy & natural resources
  • EU regulatory & competition law
  • Freedom of information
  • Governance
  • Housing & regeneration
  • Information technology
  • Infrastructure & projects
  • Insolvency
  • Intellectual property
  • Litigation
  • Opinion advice
  • Outsourcing
  • Planning & environmental
  • Public procurement
  • Real estate & construction
  • Shared services & joint working
  • Strategic joint ventures
  • State aid
  • Statutory interpretation
  • Vires issues

Our approach & added value

In recent years, we have worked on many of the most complex, high profile and high value projects in the local government sector and have been responsible for development of innovative models for delivery of public services which have subsequently been adopted by the sector as a whole.

We deliver our advice on time and on budget and we have extensive experience of working collaboratively with in-house legal and other specialist teams. In a spirit of genuine partnership, many of our lawyers have worked in-house or on secondment to our clients to support project delivery.

In an environment of delivering more for less, we offer a range of added value services.

Bespoke in-house Training
Training and professional development opportunities through the delivery of in-house training tailored to our clients requirements.

Seminars and events
Our annual conference and seminar programme (approximately 50 events per annum) covers topics relating to the legal requirements and sectors in which our clients operate.

Legal updates
Regular Alerts and Briefing Notes to keep our clients informed of legislative changes and developments within their industry sectors.

National Housing Conference
Our NHC is addressed by the Minister for Local Government and Housing and provides delegates with an opportunity to hear from leading practitioners and participate in breakout group and panel discussion sessions led by experts in their fields.

Contact us

Call us for free on 0330 159 5555 or complete our online form below for legal advice or to arrange a call back.

Please don't provide anything sensitive here, like health details, or your credit card number

By completing this form you agree to Harper Macleod's Privacy Notice.

Meet the team