Emyr Lewis

Emyr covers public and constitutional law as well as heavyweight commercial transactions in the ICT and media sectors, public procurement and State Aid.

Main areas of practice

Emyr has particular expertise in Welsh law and legislation, having advised public bodies and businesses about this emerging field since before the National Assembly was created.

Clients

Emyr regularly advises public bodies at the highest level on constitutional, statutory and European issues and is also a member of the firm’s specialist education sector practice. Emyr was Senior Partner for Wales before leaving to become the Head of Department of Law and Criminology at Aberystwyth University.

Significant experience

Higher Education/Further Education Law

• Advising on the overhaul of Universities’ IP policies and several IP licensing and spin-out projects
• Advising on the establishment and governance of special purpose vehicles for collaboration between Universities and each other, and between Universities and FE colleges
• Advice on State Aid implications of various projects and activities, in particular the treatment of IP in collaborative research projects and spin-outs
• Advising several Chartered institutions on obtaining Supplemental Charters, revisions of Charters, Statutes, Regulations and Ordinances

Public and Constitutional Law

• Advising the Welsh Assembly Commission’s independent review panel on members’ pay and allowances
• Advising public bodies and NGOs in respect of proposed draft legislation relating to Wales, both at Westminster and at Cardiff
• Advising the House of Commons Welsh Affairs select committee on prospective legislation
• Advising the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the Devolution implications of the Equalities Bill

Technology, ICT, Telecoms, Systems Procurement & Outsourcing, Media, IPR

• Leading the team advising the Welsh Government on its superfast broadband project, with a total value of around £500 million
• Advising Government on resolving contractual and potential state aid difficulties and claims with an ICT services provider under a contract worth in excess of £100 million
• Advising Welsh Government on reprocurement of the all-Wales Public Sector Broadband Aggregation project
• Leading the team advising a consortium of six Universities, on the procurement of a EUR 50 million High Performance Computing facility for use in collaborative research

EU Procurement and State Aid Law

• Advising both contracting authorities and suppliers in relation to a number of complex procurements, including competitive dialogue procurements
• Advising the UK Department of Health on State Aid issues related to its activities
• Advising Government on legal matters relating to policy issues involving sustainable procurement, social and environmental clauses and collaborative procurement
• Advising on several procurement disputes and challenges

Non IT Projects

• Advising Tinopolis plc on hostile takeover of stock-market listed TV Corporation plc, subsequent take-private and corporate acquisitions in the UK and US
• Advising the National Museum and Galleries of Wales on the National Waterfront Museum Project, including advice on funding (involving the acquisition and integration of EU structural funds), constitutional matters, including the establishment with the of a joint charitable company
• Advising British Energy plc on a major partnering agreement with Siemens

Expertise

• Charities
• Education
• Social Housing
• Commercial Contracts
• Public Procurement
• Technology

Career

He was named in the 2021 Legal 500 Hall of Fame.