Expert advisor to Local Authorities with Trading and Housing Companies

Blake Morgan is a law firm with particular expertise in local authority companies in housing, waste, education and social care.

Our ambition is to support local authorities and contractors to set up companies with strong business cases and plans – both for the investing parties and also the company itself. We achieve this through well planned and scoped, efficiently implemented, successful projects. We don’t just have experts who advise on the law – our team focuses on outcomes for our clients, and ensures we provide the most up-to-date, real-world solutions for our clients, at the right price for the job, whilst protecting their reputation and budget in a manner to withstand scrutiny.

Main Areas Of Practice


We work with local authorities keen to set up companies and partnerships.
Our expertise includes:

Regulation 12 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and 'Teckal'

We are experts in Regulation 12 of the the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and can advise on the conditions that must be fulfilled for an organisation to be a Teckal subsidiary.

State Aid advice

We help local authority companies manage state aid issues that may arise in situations such as applying for public sector grant funding.

Loans and injection of resources at market value

Our local authority experts advise on the best funding options available to you to help your company succeed.

Timing of investments

We advise on all aspects of investment into local authority companies and their assets.

Local authority vires

Our expert team can advise on local authority vires to ensure you are acting within the correct legal capacity for the power being utilised.

Choice of corporate entities

It's vital that local authorities seek expert legal advice when considering the pros and cons of various corporate entities. We are here to help you choose the most commercially sound solution for your company.

Incorporation and Member Agreements

Incorporation and member agreements help prevent misunderstandings about the roles and responsibilities of the principal parties of an incorporated company. We help make arrangements now to prepare for the future.

Business planning and business case core content

Setting up a new business can be challenging, but we provide ongoing support to both new and existing local authority companies to ensure you meet your business goals.

Company resourcing

We are experienced in all aspects of resource management and will make sure your company has the right resource at the right time in the right place.

Our Clients


We act for a variety of councils and private sector companies interested in setting up companies, to include district councils, county councils, and local enterprise partnerships.

"Blake Morgan has a very good team, with many capable team members in the local government field."
- Chambers and Partners, 2025


"Blake Morgan are very efficient, thorough and pragmatic in how they go about things."
- Chambers and Partners, 2025


"The lawyers provide clear advice and always provide prompt replies."
- Chambers and Partners, 2025


"Blake Morgan had a strong team that navigated through complex discussions and provided suitable resolutions. Their experts were available, highly responsive and provided incredible advice."
- Chambers and Partners, 2024


“The team has a broad understanding and relevant experience that enables complex matters to be simplified, including finding solutions to challenging contractual matters."
- Chambers and Partners, 2024


Highlights


Our local authority experts acted for a South Coastal District Council on its plans to incorporate two special purpose vehicles (SPVs) as companies limited by shares, and the transfer of properties from the council's existing property portfolio into the new companies. This included advising on governance structure, corporate vehicles and all key legal aspects of the business case. 


Our local authority specialists advised a District Council on its acquisition of the entire issued share capital of a special purpose vehicle (SPV), a company limited by shares, for the sum of £5,900,000. The SPV owned a parcel of land that was in the process of being developed from empty office premises into residential flats to be marketed as private rented sector units. 


Our experts supported a County Council on a large local authority trading company joint venture (Latco JV) with a Teckel company owned and controlled by another contracting authority, to operate as a recruitment agency providing our client local authority with agency and bank staff to support our client's residential services.


Awards, Accolades and Accreditations


Our Experts


Penny
Rinta-Suksi
Partner

Oxford

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Simon
McCann
Partner

Cardiff

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John
Cole
Consultant

Oxford

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Rajiv
Joshi
Partner

Reading

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