Bevan Brittan bolsters Leeds office with hire of council lawyer

Law firm Bevan Brittan has expanded its local government team in Leeds with the hire of David Kitson from the in-house legal team of Scarborough Borough Council.

Kitson, who joins as a Senior Associate, worked at the local authority for nearly 13 years. He was also Deputy Monitoring Officer and Senior Information Risk Owner.

Bevan Brittan said: “During his time at the council, he frequently delivered advice that required a high degree of political awareness and sensitivity, and advised upon and resolved many technical and contentious issues.”

Kitson has extensive experience providing expert regulatory and governance advice, training and support to local government, as well as to other public bodies including NHS clinical commissioning groups, national park authorities and registered social landlords, the firm said.

He advises on conduct and ethical standards; constitutional issues; complaints and investigations; information law such as GDPR and Freedom of Information requests; and governance and the democratic process.

He also has significant experience dealing with unreasonable complainants and vexatious correspondence in a variety of contexts.

Kitson said: “Bevan Brittan has a strong reputation built on its extensive credentials in advising local authorities and public sector bodies. My in-house experience means that I will be able to give practical advice reflecting both the political context and the day to day issues in the public sector.”

Judith Barnes, local government partner at Bevan Brittan in Leeds, said: “We are really pleased that David is joining us. His track record and council experience will give him a strong rapport with our clients and a real understanding of the challenges they are dealing with. He is a great addition to our growing team.”

Bevan Brittan has also hired two new assistant solicitors in Leeds who both join the healthcare property team: Maria Shone who joins from law firm Langleys, and Gary Wales who moves to the firm from Beaumont Legal.

James Atkins, healthcare property partner in Leeds, said: "They are both very talented young lawyers and their recruitment will give us even greater capacity to deliver excellent service to clients old and new across the public and private health sector. Our Leeds team continues to advise on day to day NHS estates matters as well as major development and disposal projects.”