Anthony Collins bolsters local government team with appointment of former director of governance and legal services as partner
Law firm Anthony Collins Solicitors (ACS) has appointed a former monitoring officer and director of governance and legal services at Herefordshire Council as a partner in its local government team.
Claire Ward, who has more than 19 years of legal experience, also served as acting deputy chief executive at Herefordshire. Prior to this, she worked for Cumbria County Council, after qualifying as a solicitor.
ACS said Ward would “play a key advisory role in supporting local authorities nationwide and in offering important advice for council monitoring officers, chief executives and other senior officers on governance issue”.
She will work alongside consultant Olwen Brown in the governance team.
Ward said: “It is a great time to be joining the growing team at ACS, working with Olwen Brown and other colleagues as the firm’s local government work and national reputation for its governance work goes from strength to strength.
“ACS’s mission and core values resonate with my own purpose as a legal professional with a passion for local government, and I look forward to the results that we’ll achieve as a team."
Matthew Gregson, partner and local government sector lead at Anthony Collins Solicitors, said: “Claire's skills and significant experience of working within local government will be key in providing practical advice to local authorities as they tackle challenging governance issues and further ACS's position as a leading local government practice.
"Claire’s appointment reinforces the firm’s commitment to supporting our clients with the very best talent we have to offer, while also delivering our purpose to improve lives, communities and society.”
Ward’s appointment follows the firm’s reappointment for the third time to the £70m legal framework run by EM LawShare, the largest public-sector legal services consortium in the UK. The firm is also a member of the London Boroughs Legal Alliance panel.