Wragge & Co LLP's public sector, IT and regeneration experts have completed a major deal for Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. A team led by partner Sarah Sasse has advised the council on a 15-year corporate partnership worth almost £300 million with BT and Liberata.

Under the terms of the agreement, BT and Liberata will provide a range of corporate and support services, including IT, communications, HR, customer services, procurement and finance. They will also invest £45 million to upgrade the council's IT infrastructure and computer systems.

The Wragge & Co team comprised IT specialists Kirsten Whitfield and Purdey Castle. Mark Greenburgh and Claire Hughes advised on the employment elements of the deal, while Suzannah White provided pensions law advice. This team is working alongside Sandwell Council's Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Services, Lynda Bateman, and its Head of Legal Services, Neeraj Sharma.

Sarah Sasse said: "This deal secures investment and ongoing expertise for Sandwell Council, as well as improved services for local people. It is a good result and another achievement for our public sector practice. This practice brings together experts from all disciplines to provide the sector-focused commercial expertise and in-depth experience needed to handle large, complex projects."

Neeraj Sharma said: "We found the contribution made to this project by Wragge & Co invaluable. They provided a range of specialists that covered the full spectrum of the project including commercial, employment, pensions and regeneration. Many aspects of the deal were innovative and needed developing from negotiations with BT. Wragge & Co complemented the in-house skills in progressing this quickly and effectively. We would highly commend Sarah Sasse and Wragge & Co to any authority considering such a major project."

About 500 council employees will transfer to the partnership, eventually moving to a new regional business centre in West Bromwich. Wragge & Co regeneration experts Stephen Sellers and Sally Farrall are advising on the procurement of this new business centre.

Public sector work is a growth area for Wragge & Co, with lawyers from across the firm advising local authorities and central government departments on a full range of legal matters. Specialist areas include debt finance, employment, construction, pensions, property, PFI, outsourcing, planning and regeneration.

IT is a core part of the public sector practice. Headline deals include an £80 million IT PFI project for London Borough of Croydon, £50 million IT outsourcing for Coventry City Council and one of the first BSF ICT projects for Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.

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For further information about this press release, contact Kathryn Hobbs on +44 (0)121 213 2397, Alexa Highfield on +44 (0)121 213 2396 or Michelle Dolphin on +44 (0)121 213 2369

This press release may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.