Laura specialises in procurement law and contract law. She has advised a wide variety of clients including various NHS bodies, central government departments, local authorities, other public sector bodies and the private sector on both procurement and contract law issues at national and international levels.
Laura regularly advises on procurement processes and the general application of procurement law, including: drafting procurement documents and related contracts; advising on challenges to procurement processes (both claimant and defendant); general ad-hoc advice on issues such as urgent direct awards; extensions and variations to existing contracts; and the robustness of procurement processes generally.
Her contract law experience includes: advising on and drafting high value framework agreements; advising on and drafting supply and distribution contracts for both UK and cross-border arrangements; drafting and review of general terms and conditions for business to business relationships; and drafting and review of both template and bespoke contracts for supplies and services.
In particular, Laura was involved in advising and drafting a number of high value contracts relating to the supply of pharmaceutical and biomedical supplies to the manufacturers of a number of COVID-19 vaccines during 2020 and 2021. She was also involved in advising on and drafting various contracts for the collaborative works to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine programme from both a procurement and contract law perspective.
Experience
Examples of experience include:
- A local authority - assisting with advice in respect of the procurement of an innovative heat network.
- Department for Transport - advising on and assisting with the procurement of a framework to deliver specialist technical advice, including drafting the contract and procurement documents.
- North East Purchasing Organisation – assisting with procurement and commercial advice on the successful and innovative procurement of the NEPRO3 framework used regularly by both central and local government clients.
- NHS England, NHS Foundation Trusts, NHS Trusts, Clinical Commissioning Groups, Commissioning Support Units and Category Towers on various procurement issues and processes, including drafting procurement documents, contract documentation and novation agreements/contract variations.
- A world-leading technology and innovation centre on the establishment of a collaborative project with a leading global biopharmaceutical company and various related supply and distribution contracts relating to the COVID-19 vaccine booster programme.
- A leading UK chemicals company on various multi-million pound contracts for the supply and distribution of pharmaceuticals to the producers of COVID-19 vaccines including a particular focus on the allocation of liability in the event of any adverse impact to the expedited vaccine rollout.
- A worldwide distributor of PPE and a leading UK car manufacturer on routes to market for the development and supply of PPE worldwide during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- A large number of NHS Foundation Trusts and Trusts on a range of matters including defence of challenged processes, reviewing standard and bespoke procurement documents, shared services, public to public contracts and assisting with the drafting and negotiation of the terms and conditions of a framework agreement for the future operating model for NHS Supply Chain worth circa £2bn.
- A leading UK chemicals company on the purchase of patented chemical reaction equipment worth circa £1.5m.
- A multi-million pound distribution agreement for a UK leading drinks manufacturer.
- Local Authorities on a range of matters including the reviewing and drafting standard procurement documents and advising on the onward sub-contracting of services provided for under a historic PFI contract.
- Central government on various procurement processes, drafting procurement documentation and delivering training to internal evaluators.
