Most Highly Regarded Firms: Public Procurement 2011

• July 2011

• Public Procurement

In this section we analyse the findings of our research in greater depth to identify the firms and practitioners who stand out worldwide.

GLOBAL

For the third consecutive year, Allen & Overy LLP emerges as the best recognised firm in our research, placing 11 of its lawyers from six of its international offices in the following pages. Tokyo managing partner Aled Davies is one of three lawyers listed from Japan and is recognised as “world class” in infrastructure and natural resources project development, having handled major matters throughout Asia, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. Simon Black and Adam Moncrieff also rank highly in Tokyo, while in Hong Kong Joseph Tse and Asia Pacific managing partner Thomas Brown are considered “first rate” by peers. The Dubai office fields three “excellent” individuals, including Middle East banking head Bimal Desai, whose practice encompasses Islamic finance, PPP projects, energy and transport infrastructure. Ian Ingram-Johnson and Duncan Macnab complete the firm’s impressive showing in the UAE. In London, former head of public procurement John Wotton comes “highly recommended” for his work before the UK and European competition authorities. Amsterdam’s Arent van Wassenaer is noted for his transactional expertise, while Helga Van Peer in Brussels is considered a “top disputes lawyer”.

Following its merger with Canada’s Ogilvy Renault and Deneys Reitz earlier in the year, Norton Rose LLP is now one of the best-represented firms in our research. In London, Totis Kotsonis receives praise for his work on behalf of public bodies, contractors and utilities in EU and state aid rules compliance, competitive dialogue and dispute resolution. Mark Jones is also listed and comes recommended for his competition and regulatory compliance expertise. Norton Rose OR LLP fields three “big names” in Ottawa:  Richard Wagner, Paul Conlin and head of trade Gregory Somers were praised by respondents to our survey for their “comprehensive” and “high quality” work in government procurement matters. John Sharkey represents the Melbourne office and combines a “well respected” project development practice with “excellent” dispute resolution skills. 

Clifford Chance LLP fields five of its lawyers from offices in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Stephen Harder is the managing partner for the Beijing and Shanghai offices and was praised by sources for his natural resources infrastructure work and cross-border transactions. Hong Kong’s Huw Jenkins is an “excellent” name in infrastructure and power projects, property finance and banking matters. Robin Abraham represents the Dubai office where his practice, which combines banking and projects expertise with a strong Islamic finance focus, is held in “high esteem” by peers. Anthony Giustini in Paris and Timothy Jeffares in Frankfurt demonstrate Clifford Chance’s European strength.

Ashurst offers a similarly diverse complement of lawyers in this edition. Tokyo managing partner John McClenahan is internationally renowned for his “superb” work in major infrastructure projects in the natural resources and transport sectors. Matthew Bubb is the managing partner of the Singapore office and a “highly regarded” PPP specialist with strong acquisition finance and cross-border transactional experience. Julian Ellison leads the competition and EU law group in Ashurst’s Brussels office and has acted in public procurement and state aid matters at both a national and EU level, including representing clients before the European Courts of Justice. Franco Vigliano heads both the Milan and Rome offices as well as the Italian energy, transport and infrastructure group, and sources praised his PPP and financing work as “outstanding”. Abu Dhabi managing partner David Wadham is praised for his energy projects and Islamic finance work.

Four lawyers from three of its offices rank highly for White & Case LLP. New York-based Arthur Scavone is the global head of energy, infrastructure and project finance at the firm and comes highly recommended for his power and natural resources projects work. At the same office, Troy Alexander is recognised for his financing work on behalf of sovereign governments and their agencies. The “brilliant” Ariel Ramos is based in Mexico City and focuses on infrastructure project development. Shamilah Grimwood is recognised as a “leading name” in Johannesburg, with sources praising her public sector finance and regulatory practice. 

EUROPE

England is home to more leading public procurement lawyers than any other European jurisdiction, with a total of six barristers and solicitors ranking in our list of most highly regarded professionals internationally.

Nigel Giffin QC is a “go-to silk” for public law matters according to sources. He boasts “considerable expertise” in matters relating to education, social services and housing as well as employment and the environment and is a former member of the Attorney General’s Counsel to the Crown. At Monckton Chambers, Michael Bowsher QC’s “exceptional” practice focuses on advocacy in EU, competition, state aid and commercial public law matters. At the same chambers, Jennifer Skilbeck is “brilliant” according to our sources.

Susie Smith of Bevan Brittan LLP in Bristol emerges as the most highly regarded practitioner in our research for the second consecutive year. Her “expansive and in-depth” expertise in handling UK, EU and international procurement projects at all stages of development as well as her “formidable” disputes expertise have earned her a “peerless reputation” at home and abroad.

Jonathan Davey heads the commercial practice group of Addleshaw Goddard LLP and is internationally renowned as an authority on EU procurement rules and processes and UK competition law. Competition, procurement and state aid “expert” Garth Lindrup is also a “strong name”, having acted for the Department of Health, the Ministry of Defence and the NHS Business Services Authority on recent matters.

Oliver Black is the foremost public procurement specialist at Linklaters LLP, which also fields lawyers from Hong Kong and Dubai in this edition, and peers praised his “fantastic” utilities regulation practice.

At Brodies LLP in Edinburgh, Mark Clough QC is recognised as a “leading light” for competition work and sources also praised his state aid, procurement and international trade practice, having handled numerous cases in the national courts. 

Patrick McGovern heads the telecommunications/electronic communications and broadcasting and the utilities, energy and resources groups at Arthur Cox in Dublin. He brings his “vast and varied” experience in these sectors to bear in his public procurement work, which sources recognise as “cutting edge”. Philip Lee Solicitors fields two of its “first-rate” Dublin-based lawyers here. Founder and managing partner Philip Lee’s work in public utilities projects is “exceptional” according to respondents to our survey, while Sarah Johnson is noted for her “great” infrastructure procurement and development work.

Ciara Kennedy-Loest is a “major player” in the Brussels market and regularly advises public sector purchasers, utilities and bidders in transactions, litigating before both the UK and European courts. She has acted for the European Agency for Reconstruction and the European GNSS Supervisory Authority in recent, high-profile matters.

THE AMERICAS

We recognise more public procurement lawyers from Canada than from any other jurisdiction in the current edition. With five of its lawyers listed from three of its offices, Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP emerges as the leading firm in the country for this work and one of the best-represented firms globally. Judy Wilson is internationally recognised for her work advising clients on infrastructure and public procurement issues and is hailed as a “brilliant” practitioner in PPPs and alternative finance matters. Anne Stewart QC has a “very strong” reputation for her work in major transport and health-care infrastructure projects throughout Canada, and she is joined in Vancouver by Ian MacIntosh and Jeff Merrick. Litigation partner Gordon Cameron represents the Ottawa office and is noted for his work in commercial and administrative matters.

Pinheiro Neto Advogados is one of three Brazilian law firms to achieve multiple listings in our research. Ricardo Pagliari Levy is a “world-class talent” whose work in government procurement and administrative contract matters encompasses project development and PPP expertise as well as civil, administrative and commercial litigation. Natural resources and energy “expert” Ricardo E Vieira Coelho also ranks highly at the firm.

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