Wragge & Co wins Commercial Team of the Year

Wragge & Co has been crowned Commercial Team of the Year at the 2010 British Legal Awards. The judges named the firm the winner from a shortlist comprising Ashurst, Berwin Leighton Paisner, CMS Cameron McKenna, DLA Piper and LG.

The award was based on the firm's involvement in a ground-breaking healthcare sector first - the competitive acquisition of an entire NHS Trust. A landmark transaction, it was completely new territory for the public healthcare sector.

Senior partner Quentin Poole said: "This is a fantastic result for the firm. Cutting-edge, commercially-astute legal advice and outstanding client service continue to differentiate us in the marketplace."

Commercial partner David Hamlett, who led the project, added: "The win is a real credit to everyone's efforts in delivering this highly complex, ground-breaking project. Wragge & Co, working alongside financial adviser Deloitte, supported NHS East of England's Strategic Projects Team in reaching a successful outcome."

Wragge & Co won this award for its involvement in the competitive acquisition of Bedfordshire and Luton Mental Health and Social Care Partnership NHS Trust (BLPT) by South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.

All NHS Trusts in the East of England were given a deadline of December 2010 to achieve Foundation Trust status. BLPT's board recognised it needed some help to achieve this. Wragge & Co advised the NHS East of England, the regional Strategic Health Authority, in the first-ever competitive procurement to find a Foundation Trust to acquire the entire BLPT Trust, including all assets and staff. In just under eight months, the ground-breaking transaction was designed and completed - showing that the NHS can complete innovative and complex mergers and acquisitions in tight timescales and within budget.

Organised by Legal Week, the British Legal Awards celebrates the achievements of firms, teams and individuals in the legal profession. The Commercial Team of the Year category was judged on evidence of legal expertise and innovation, project management skills, team working and client satisfaction.

Wragge & Co's full-service healthcare practice is at the forefront of developments in this dynamic sector. The team draws on its substantial private sector experience from a broad range of industries to offer NHS clients commercially-sound advice. Experience includes advising the Abu Dhabi government on healthcare laws, work which earned the team a Financial Times Innovative Lawyers award.

Health sector 'firsts' also include playing a leading role in the Government's Independent Sector Treatment Centre (ISTC) programme and advising Central Surrey Health to create the first Social Enterprise; a not-for-profit organisation owned and managed by the nurses and therapists who work for it.

A number of Wragge & Co's healthcare experts form part of the firm's large and dynamic Commercial, IT and Outsourcing team. The six-partner team offers expertise in outsourcing and complex projects including high-profile projects for government and global contractual arrangements, as well as more routine commercial contract support. Clients include the Ministry of Defence, Birds Eye, Marks and Spencer, Premier Foods, Transport for London and AstraZeneca.