Claire Jones is Partner in our public sector team.
Claire qualified as a Solicitor in 2005 and joined Birketts in 2020, having begun her career in the City and later working in‑house at a local authority.
Claire specialises in the full range of legal matters affecting public authorities, including statutory powers and governance, contracts, procurement, and subsidy control. She leads high‑value, multi‑disciplinary projects across local government functions and advises on powers, governance frameworks, procurement strategies, and subsidy control compliance for complex initiatives, including major regeneration schemes.
Claire leads Birketts delivery of advisory services to local authorities going through the process of Unitarisation, leading on both advice and training to the sector.
Claire’s expertise includes the drafting of a wide range of local authority agreements, including intra‑authority collaboration and service sharing agreements, contracts social care services, leisure operations, and waste management arrangements. Claire also advises extensively on public procurement and has significant experience preparing and negotiating complex contractual structures under the Procurement Act 2023.
Claire regularly advises public bodies on the exercise of their statutory powers, duties, and decision‑making obligations. She has comprehensive knowledge of local government governance and provides guidance to officers and committees on lawful decision‑making processes, statutory powers, and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requirements.
Recognised for her ability to deliver coordinated, technically robust legal advice in a clear and practical manner, Claire has a strong track record of bringing projects to completion on time, within budget, and in accordance with principles of good governance.
She frequently delivers client training programmes on key areas affecting the public sector, including the Procurement Act 2023, subsidy control, FOIA, and the governance of local authority companies.
Recent work highlights
Advising Local Authority and publicly owned corporate bodies to deliver nutrient mitigation
Advised local authority on its statutory powers to incorporate a corporate vehicle used for the delivery of nutrient mitigation to unlock the local housing market. Work included giving options appraisals, procurement advice, and inputting and advising on internal governance processes for a local authority as member of the corporate body.
Open Framework for Adult Social Care £2.2 billion
Claire led Birketts’ team of lawyers acting on one of the first light touch Open Frameworks procured under the Procurement Act 2023. The Open Framework was for an 8 year term with a value of over £2.2 billion for the provision of older persons residential and nursing care. Claire and her team provided comprehensive procurement advice, from designing the procurement, to drafting documents including the ITT and notices. The team drafted a full set of contract documents including the framework agreement and call-off contracts, collaborating with our client to design contracts that best met their needs. the Birketts team included contract, procurement, employment and data protection lawyers and specialists social care lawyers.
Advising local Authority on 25 year Leisure Management Contract valued at c£20m
Claire led the Birketts’s mutli-disciplinary team delivering a leisure management and development agreement for 3 leisure facilities in Essex. Work included collaborating with our client and leisure consultants on contract drafting, capital works, funding arrangements, and development of the leisure facilities.
Experience & education
2005 Claire qualified as a Solicitor
Areas of Expertise
Insights
-
Procurement Act 2023 – Where are we now? Part 4legal updateProcurement Act 2023 – Where are we now? Part 4
Michael Corsham, Claire Jones24 Jun 2024 -
Procurement Act 2023 – where are we now? Part 3legal updateProcurement Act 2023 – where are we now? Part 3
Claire Jones, Michael Corsham18 Jun 2024
-
Procurement Act 2023 – where are we now? Part 1legal updateProcurement Act 2023 – where are we now? Part 1
Claire Jones, Michael Corsham28 May 2024
-
Procurement Act 2023 – where are we now? Part 2legal updateProcurement Act 2023 – where are we now? Part 2
Claire Jones, Michael Corsham28 May 2024
