Nicholas is a Senior Consultant and one of the country‘s leading local government and public solicitors.  Having worked as a solicitor in many local authorities and having previously practised both teaching and social work, Nicholas has extensive experience of local government law, management and practice. He successfully completed the Top Managers’ Programme in Local Government and holds the Diploma in Local Government Law and Practice. Chambers UK Guide has remarked that clients ‘have the strongest confidence in his judgment and abilities’ and, with his advice being ‘practical and clearly expressed’, he has ‘fostered an incredibly strong client following in his many years of practice’.

In addition to advising local authorities and other public and private clients on sensitive and complex areas of local government and public law and training officers and members, Nicholas writes and speaks regularly on these areas and his work is published in a variety of media including Law Society‘s Gazette (in which he has a regular local government law column), Local Government Lawyer, Municipal Journal, New Law Journal and Chartered Secretary.

Nicholas provides advice and assistance on local authority and public sector law and governance (including vires and other public law considerations, human rights and audit law), training, investigations, corporate support and strategic consultancy.

Nicholas is also Communications Officer for the Association of Council Secretaries and Solicitors and has a PhD from the University of Sheffield.

Best career moments include:

• creating a leading national local government practice when at Pinsent Masons
• successfully defending a High Court challenge against a local authority auditor (reported in law reports)
• effecting Service Transformation within local government
• advising at national level on key policy issues affecting local government

Notable cases include:

• acting for a major local authority on a substantial, lengthy and complex audit challenge
• conducting an investigation into a local authority’s planning processes
• incorporating the Association of Council Secretaries and Solicitors
• giving top level legal and corporate advice to a major local authority company
• handling a complex planning inquiry for Leeds Bradford Airport
• training officers and members nationally on local authority law and Managing in a Political Environment