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Our advocacy team is led by Lindy Patterson QC. We have extensive advocacy experience in courts and tribunals across the United Kingdom on a broad range of matters.
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The team of experts within the Commercial & Advisory Services practice area regularly provides specialist advisory and transactional support services across a range of specialist disciplines.
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Our multi-disciplinary team advises on major projects throughout the UK. We strive to manage the inherent legal risks at each stage in the consenting process to maximise prospects of success for our clients.
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Our team advises on all shapes, sizes and complexity of projects from a vision to the nuts and bolts of the contracts, and, of course, resolving issues in the construction and operational phases.
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We act for an ever-growing list of leading and dynamic private and listed public companies, private equity investors, management teams, banks and financial institutions.
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Our Debt, Restructuring & Recovery team has earned its reputation advising financial institutions across the UK at both strategic and individual transaction levels.
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Our Dispute Resolution team provides a full range of dispute resolution solutions and outstanding client service.
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Dundas & Wilson's Employment Team operates as a single practice group covering the whole of the UK. As a team we are fortunate to work with a wide range of clients which are prominent in all of the sectors in which the firm operates.
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Within Energy & Utilities we have specialist expertise in the Nuclear, Renewables, Water, Waste & Energy from Waste, Networks & Storage, Conventional Power and Oil & Gas.
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In a dynamic field of the law at the forefront of modern life, our Environment team advises on all aspects of legal compliance, risk management and environmental best practice.
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EU & Competition issues have an increasing impact on commercial activities in all sectors of the economy. We offer clear thinking in this complex area
- Financial Services Regulatory
Developing our footprint in the financial services sector is at the heart of Dundas & Wilson's business strategy.
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Recognised as having one of the leading UK-wide funds practices, Dundas & Wilson's investment funds team advises UK and international regulated and unregulated funds and their sponsors, managers and investors on all aspects of fund formation, management, promotion and investment.
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In today's knowledge economy IP is more important than ever. Taking appropriate steps to identify, protect and exploit IP assets can distinguish a business from its competitors in the market place.
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Innovative, reliable and cost effective information communications technology and business systems enable businesses to deliver excellent customer service, manage performance and risk and drive profitable growth.
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Clients value our determined focus. They choose us time and time again because we work tirelessly to deliver the right results in this complex and regulated environment.
- Mediation
There’s more than one way to resolve a dispute. Traditionally parties have looked to the courts but there are a number of alternatives (known as ADR, or “alternative dispute resolution”) including mediation.
- Outsourcing
Driven by a need to improve quality of service and at the same time to drive down costs, businesses in all market sectors are increasingly considering the potential advantages and the disadvantages of outsourcing.
- Pensions
Practical commercial solutions are what our pension lawyers offer clients with UK pension law problems. Early advice is often much more than just self-financing.
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Our multi-disciplinary team advises both public and private sector clients on the planning issues and processes involved in delivering national and major development projects.
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An ever changing economy needs a combination of time-tested methods and innovative approaches to achieve workable solutions for infrastructure procurement and service delivery.
- Property Finance
Our Property Finance team is uniquely positioned to advise national and international financial institutions on the provision of acquisition, development and investment funding across the UK.
- Public Law
Public law is the law that governs the state and its interaction with individuals, including companies and other legal entities. The team is led by Colin Boyd QC, the former Lord Advocate who brings to Dundas & Wilson a wealth of experience in government and public law.
- Public Procurement
Dundas & Wilson is rated as having one of the best Public Procurement practices in the UK. Our team of specialist procurement lawyers have extensive experience advising clients on the application of the EU procurement rules.
- Real Estate
With almost 100 lawyers and 13 partners across three offices we have the knowledge, skills and resources to provide you with an excellent service.
- Retail Banking
With a highly sophisticated client base, Dundas & Wilson advises banks and other entities seeking to develop bespoke banking services.
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Our dedicated tax specialists aren't just technically able, they combine their legal expertise with experience gained from involvement in some of the largest transactions carried out over a wide range of industry groups, as well as in the public sector.
- Transport
Our transport group brings together our skills and expertise on national transport projects from the consenting process through to procurement construction and operation.
Our extensive client base means you will benefit from our hard fought expertise gained by acting for clients from all sides of the table. Find out about our core skills, which are grouped together within areas of expertise.
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- Financial Services
Working with some of the top financial services companies in the country, Dundas & Wilson prides itself on developing long-term mutually beneficial relationships with our financial services clients.
- Real Estate
We have the knowledge, skills and resources to provide you with an excellent service as you face decisive choices in 2013.
- Energy & Infrastructure
Dundas & Wilson works at the heart of the dynamic, highly regulated and complex energy and infrastructure sectors.
- Government & Public Sector
Some law firms will focus on the type of public sector organisation. At Dundas & Wilson we have structured our public sector teams into specialisms to provide optimum solutions and approaches based on client challenges.
We understand the business environment of all our clients. Our in-depth knowledge and understanding comes from working with a range of leading clients in their sector.
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People
Across the UK we have almost 400 lawyers, providing legal expertise across a range of areas.
Click here to see all our legal staff
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Discover more about some of our people and read about their experiences both in and out of Dundas & Wilson
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A summer placement is a great opportunity to gain an insight into a career as a lawyer and the work of Dundas and Wilson.
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At Dundas & Wilson we want to support you in realising both your personal and professional aspirations.
We want you to get the most out of your traineeship and help you develop and progress.
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Our success depends on the skills and commitment of our people, so attracting and retaining the best people is where we start.
Join us and you will have a rewarding career working with an excellent client base in a progressive environment.
Our success depends on the skills and commitment of our people, so attracting and retaining the best people is where we start.
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We will use our time, skills and talents to positively contribute to the future of our local communities.
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Dundas & Wilson is committed to reducing the impact of its business on the environment.
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Dundas & Wilson strives to give the highest quality of service to all of its stakeholders in the marketplace.
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We believe that investing in the wellbeing and development of our people will not only contribute to the overall success of the firm but will benefit the service we give to our clients and be of positive benefit to our wider communities.
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Our CSR programme is at the heart of our business.
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Contact London
Northwest Wing
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Aldwych
London
WC2B 4EZ (map link)
Tel: +44(0) 20 7240 2401
Fax: +44(0) 20 7240 2448
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Tel: +44(0) 131 228 8000
Fax: +44(0) 131 228 8888
Glasgow191 West George Street
Glasgow
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Tel: +44(0) 141 222 2200
Fax: +44(0) 141 222 2201
Aberdeen11 Queen's Gardens
Aberdeen
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Tel: +44(0) 1224 444 100
Fax: +44(0) 1224 444 101
On 15 March, the High Court considered an application for judicial review by the trade union, Unison, in relation to an outsourcing contract awarded by the NHS. While the High Court rejected Unison's application, it did so only on the facts of the case and did not exclude the possibility of trade unions successfully bringing an action for judicial review of procurement decisions.
Facts
Unison issued its application for judicial review of a decision by ten primary care trusts (PCT) to outsource their Family Health Services to NHS Shared Business Services. Unison was challenging the decision to award the outsourcing contract without carrying out a regulated procurement procedure under the Public Contracts Regulations 2006. As it would not have been a bidder in any regulated procurement procedure, it could not challenge under the Regulations, but instead sought a judicial review of the PCTs' decision.
Judgment
Mr Justice Eady accepted that "one can envisage circumstances in which a breach of the Regulations could so affect the members of a union that the law should afford a remedy in public law". Such a remedy may be available when a union could "show that performance of the competitive tendering procedure might have led to a different outcome that would have a direct impact on it or its members."
In this instance, Mr Justice Eady concluded that Unison had not been able to show what might have happened if a procurement had been carried out under the Regulations - there were no known candidates that might have bid and no indication of what the contract terms might have been. Furthermore, he concluded that Unison's bid was time barred - the time for a challenge began to run when the PCTs had announced that they had made a decision to proceed to contract, rather than when the contracts themselves were entered into.
However, the decision could have wide ranging impact given Mr Justice Eady's express acceptance that there are, on principle, circumstances in which a trade union could seek judicial review of a decision which breaches the Regulations.
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