Local Government

Our Public Sector team is one of the largest in Scotland and we have an impressive track record of robustly promoting and defending our clients' interests in the public arena, particularly local government.  No other firm in Scotland has connections with Scottish central and local government that greatly exceed those of MacRoberts’ Public Sector Group. 

For example, in 2016 MacRoberts provided public procurement training to 1,300 individuals involved in procurement across the Scottish public sector and this included key senior management from every single local authority in Scotland. Our role advising on equal pay litigation was a similar ‘across the board’ appointment. 

Our experience includes:

• Acting for numerous local authorities on complex employment law matters and pension schemes
• Provide sub-contracted legal advice to ReadyforBusiness LLP 
• Advising on major developments including City Deal infrastructure investment schemes.

We engage quarterly with procurement and commissioning personnel from across Scotland's local authorities to discuss how they can improve their engagement with "third sector" providers and in conducting "social procurement". In addition, we have been involved, through this programme, in sessions with: City of Edinburgh Council; Glasgow City Council; Highland Council; and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Increasingly working on innovations in how the public sector structures and operates, presenting on such matters to SOLAR, advising clients on the same and advising in the context of increasingly high value "Public Social Partnerships.

The strength of the Public Sector Group in relation to local government is enhanced due to our strong employment project finance and construction teams, meaning we can offer a full service of all major disciplines for the very largest public sector reforms, restructurings and major projects.