International law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has appointed Brendan Ryan as a partner in its Public Law & Projects team, strengthening the firm’s national public procurement, subsidy control and international trade law capability.
Brendan joins WBD in London and brings experience advising public bodies, utilities and private sector suppliers on complex procurement, subsidy control, public law and international trade matters. He was most recently a partner and Head of Procurement at Clarke Willmott, having previously worked at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Pinsent Masons and Norton Rose Fulbright.
His appointment further enhances WBD’s established public sector and projects offering, which supports clients across local government, real estate development, transport, construction, charities, energy and infrastructure. Public procurement advice is a key part of the firm’s ability to help clients structure, procure and deliver major projects, often acting as the gateway to wider commercial, real estate, construction, regulatory and contentious support across the business.
Brendan has extensive experience advising on large-scale procurements, including tender process design, direct awards, qualification and debarment, consortium bidding, contract modifications, as well as subsidy control, trade agreements and trade remedies. His experience includes advising central government, local authorities, utilities and major private sector suppliers (UK and international) to the public sector. He has also supported public sector panel appointments and is an active contributor to the procurement law community through conference speaking, publications and industry networks.
Brendan’s additional international trade law experience will complement WBD’s transatlantic platform and support the firm’s ambitions to grow its advice to clients operating across borders, particularly in sectors such as manufacturing, retail, ports, airports, energy and infrastructure.
Brendan Ryan said:
“Womble Bond Dickinson has an outstanding reputation for its public sector, procurement and projects work, and I am very pleased to be joining a firm with such a strong national platform and collaborative culture. The procurement landscape continues to evolve, creating both complexity and opportunity for clients delivering major public and private sector projects. I look forward to working with colleagues across the firm to further develop WBD’s procurement, subsidy control and international trade offering and to support clients on their most important projects.”
Andrew Hirst, partner at Womble Bond Dickinson, commented:
“Brendan is a highly regarded public procurement lawyer with an excellent track record across public procurement, subsidy control and international trade. His appointment strengthens a practice that is central to the way we support clients across public sector, transport, energy, infrastructure, real estate and wider projects work. Procurement advice is often critical at the earliest stages of major projects, helping clients unlock and deliver complex transactions, and Brendan’s expertise will add further senior capability, resilience and market profile to our national team.”
WBD’s Public Law & Projects team advises public bodies, utilities, private sector organisations and project sponsors on procurement strategy, public law, governance, subsidy control, major projects and disputes. The team works nationally across the firm’s UK offices and supports clients operating in highly regulated and strategically important sectors.
