Bristol-headquartered national law firm Bevan Brittan has been shortlisted for a major title in the 2017 Partnerships Awards, which recognise and reward the best organisations involved in public-private partnerships (PPPs).
Now in their 19th year, the Partnerships Awards are the largest of their kind and attract more than 100 entries from leading organisations and projects across Europe, Africa and Asia.
Bevan Brittan is competing in the ‘legal adviser of the year’ category. 
More than 700 guests are expected at the awards ceremony, which takes place at the Hilton Park Lane, London, on May 11.
The firm has worked extensively in recent years on a range of innovative partnership models between the NHS and private providers. Most recently, it has led on supporting a new business model, as one option to transform hospitals and other NHS facilities to make them work better in the interests of patients.
The Strategic Estate Partnership (SEP) model maximises value and benefits from declining infrastructure by aligning it more closely with modern clinical strategy and integrated health and social care objectives.
The SEP model involves the procurement of partners to enable access to capital markets – and harness the capacity and capability of the private sector to maximise the value from an estate through innovative commercial, revenue or capital solutions.
Examples of Bevan Brittan’s recent work include Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where the firm continues to advise the Trust on developing innovative new models of care and ACO (accountable care organisation) model.
This includes entering into a joint venture with an elective care partner to improve efficiencies in its day case operations.
The joint venture will provide day-case surgery from a new specialist facility, delivered through the SEP to allow a high turnover of simple standardised surgical treatments providing a faster, better patient experience and drive financial efficiencies for the Trust, freeing up space in acute and emergency facilities.
The firm is also advising Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust in Cambridgeshire on the establishment of a long-term partnership with the private sector to deliver an ambitious estate strategy and development masterplan for its 40-acre site, which includes plans to create a sustainable health campus, combining living, care and education facilities.
Bevan Brittan managing partner Duncan Weir, pictured, said: “Our work in the health sector is a key part of what we do as a firm. We are proud of the pioneering role we have played in developing new and innovative models to facilitate better partnerships between NHS organisations and private providers.”
Partner and overall health infrastructure lead, Rosemary Jago, added: “We are continuing to invest in our multi-disciplinary SEP team because we see the huge value the model can bring to the health sector, as one option a trust may wish to consider for delivering its infrastructure requirements.
“We have advised on all six SEPs established to-date nationally, developing the suite of legal documentation that has formed the basis for all subsequent SEPs – including five currently in procurement.
“We have first-hand experience of what makes joint ventures become successful, through ‘living and breathing’ the PPP projects we advise on, SEP being just one option. We look forward to the awards night in May.”
Bevan Brittan also has offices in Birmingham, London and Leeds, and employs 52 partners and nearly 300 staff.
