The procurement team at national law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has been enhanced by the arrival of Brendan Ryan as a partner.

A specialist in public procurement and subsidy control (formerly state aid), Brendan worked for international law firms in London prior to joining Clarke Willmott from the Competition and Markets Authority.

His practice includes working with public sector organisations and utilities to design and run tender processes, defending them against challenge and managing risk when modifying existing public contracts.

Brendan has extensive experience of advising on exemptions from competitive procurement, including making direct awards and contract extensions, and of providing support to bidders seeking to win major public contracts.

Most recently, at the Competition and Markets Authority, Brendan was involved in setting up the new Subsidy Advice Unit, an independent body tasked with reporting on relatively high-value subsidies referred by UK public authorities.

He has worked with clients across a range of sectors including infrastructure, construction, social housing and regeneration, outsourcing, energy, healthcare, transport and charities. He also has a wider background of advising on competition, public law, utilities regulation and international trade.

A graduate of the public procurement Masters programme at the University of Nottingham, he is also a member of the Procurement Lawyers’ Association and has written for various publications, including the Public Procurement Law review and LexisPSL.

“With the Procurement Act 2023 coming into force later this year, it’s a really exciting time to have joined Clarke Willmott,” says Brendan Ryan.

“This new legislation will have an impact on contracts entered into by public authorities and utilities, many of them clients of the firm, including those in the social housing sector. Equally, the new UK subsidy control regime is already making its presence felt, particularly in relation to grant funding arrangements for social housing and regeneration projects.”

Richard Moore, a partner in the procurement team at Clarke Willmott, said: “We are delighted to welcome Brendan to the firm. His non-contentious procurement and subsidy control expertise will be a welcome addition to Clarke Willmott’s existing offering to its social housing and public sector clients and to those clients in the private sector looking to bid for public sector contracts.”

Vicky Kells, joint head of Clarke Willmott’s social housing sector, said: “It’s great to welcome Brendan on board following our recent recruitment of two other new partners in the shape of Lynn James and Neelam Sharma. Brendan’s expertise further bolsters what our growing team can offer to clients in the fast-moving social housing sector.”

Clarke Willmott is a national law firm with offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton.

For more information visit www.clarkewillmott.com