Trusted advisors to local authorities

At Blake Morgan we specialise in local authority leisure, housing, education, waste and social care.

Headed by Penny Rinta-Suksi, a Leading Individual in the Legal 500 and industry name in local authority leisure, our ambition is to support unitary, district and county councils, as well as funders and contractors working in this market. Our mission is to aid our clients to achieve their vision and strategy through well planned and scoped, efficiently implemented, successful projects. We don’t just have experts who advise on the law – our team focuses on outcomes for our clients, and ensures we provide the most up-to-date, real-world solutions for our clients, at the right price for the job, whilst protecting their reputation and budget in a manner to withstand scrutiny.

Main areas of practice

Blake Morgan's local authority legal experts specialise in a number of areas such as leisure, libraries, housing, education, waste and social care.

Leisure projects

The team is particularly well known for its expertise in unitary and district council leisure projects with varying degrees of capital investment to include design, build, operate and maintain (DBOM) projects, local authority leisure contracts and leisure trust structures. The team has expert knowledge of the Sport England Standard Form documentation and the latest agency model being used to secure VAT savings.

Local authority procurement

Our expert lawyers advise on complex, innovative and high profile procurements for a range of public sector clients. This includes local government reorganisation (LGR), dealing with local authority companies, local authority Teckal and trading corporate vehicles, as well as service outsourcing in waste, education, and health.

Our clients

Our clients include Reading Borough Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames, the London Borough of Wandsworth, the Royal Borough of Richmond Upon Thames, Basingstoke and Deane Council, Dover District Council, Canterbury City Council, Thanet District Council, Gateshead Council, Wokingham Borough Council, Cardiff City Council and the Vale Of Glamorgan Council.

Penny Rinta-Suksi and Rob Jeffries are outstanding in the field of leisure management contracts.
- Legal 500, 2026

Their knowledge of commercial terms outweighs that of other legal firms.
- Legal 500, 2026

Penny and her team provided an outstanding service to us during a competitive dialogue process. They were always there to answer any questions and provide guidance, with both a speedy and insightful response at all times. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending them to others.
- Pam Rowe-Jones, Wokingham Borough Council

Unrivalled knowledge in public sector leisure procurement.
- Legal 500

"Blake Morgan has a very good team, with many capable team members in the local government field.
- Chambers and Partners, 2025

Blake Morgan are very efficient, thorough and pragmatic in how they go about things.
- Chambers and Partners, 2025

The support we have received from Blake Morgan, particularly you [Penny Rinta-Suksi] and Rob [Jefferies], has been incredible and we simply wouldn’t have arrived at this point without your expert advice and input.
- David Evans, Mansfield District Council

We would also like to extend our thanks to you and your team for getting us to the point where we can transform leisure services in Reading and improve health outcomes for our communities. Your team are brilliant. I really appreciated the patience, clarity and understanding of our ambitions for this project from everyone who worked with us.
- Donna Pentelow, Assistant Director of Culture, Directorate of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services, Reading Borough Council

I must say thank you to you (Penny Rinta-Suksi) and your team for your invaluable support and advice on this procurement. I found the whole team at BM to be knowledgeable and responsive. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend you to other clients.
- Sue Markham, Principal Solicitor of Chiltern and South Bucks Joint Legal Services

I enjoyed working with Penny and the team at Blake Morgan. I found the service both proactive and responsive, with my team's questions being answered in a positive way, providing us with practical solutions and advice. We had a number of complex issues along the way that needed a quick turn around and we found that Blake Morgan really helped us, with the turnaround in pieces of work astonishingly fast and communication top.
- Phil Hughes of Fenland District Council

Penny is great at focusing the team on providing me with a solution and easily picks up and demystifies complex issues.
- Christine Parsloe of London Borough of Merton

Highlights

We supported Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council in its competitive dialogue leisure procurement, with the drafting of its procurement documents and Design Build Operate Maintain (DBOM) contract. We advised the Council on all of its documents and evaluation criteria from start to finish, to include all planning and construction documents and the review of all sub contracts. We also provided advice regarding bidders potentially entering into an agency model with the Council, following an update on the revised VAT treatment on in-house leisure services.

We supported the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames on the re-procurement of their leisure services and their adoption of the leisure agency model. We supported the Council with bespoke provisions in the initial drafting of the Leisure Operating Contract. We also assisted with the procurement documents and evaluation criteria and application of the evaluation criteria to both standard and agency bids.

We advised Richmond and Wandsworth Councils on their strategic adoption of the leisure agency model, describing it as “a transformative approach to delivering local leisure services.” This matter was important to the client because it allows councils to retain strategic oversight and ownership of leisure assets while partnering with expert operators to manage day-to-day services.

Awards, accolades and accreditations

Supporting CLOA

Blake Morgan is proud to be official sponsors of the Chief Cultural & Leisure Officers Association (CLOA).

Our experts

Penny Rinta-Suksi

Penny Rinta-Suksi

Partner

Oxford

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Oliver Crich

Oliver Crich

Partner

Manchester

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Rajiv Joshi

Rajiv Joshi

Partner

Reading

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Gillian McCue

Gillian McCue

Legal Director

Cardiff

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Eve Piffaretti

Eve Piffaretti

Partner

Cardiff

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Rob Jefferies

Rob Jefferies

Legal Director

Reading

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Owen Williams

Owen Williams

Partner

Oxford

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Frequently asked questions

The leisure agency model is an alternative service delivery structure that can enable local authorities to retain greater control over leisure services whilst potentially achieving VAT efficiencies. Interest in the model has grown as councils seek to balance financial pressures with the need to invest in facilities, health and wellbeing outcomes, and community services. However, the benefits of any agency arrangement will depend on how it is structured, governed and operated in practice. Read more about what to consider for adopting the leisure agency model here.

Authorities should carefully consider governance arrangements, procurement implications, risk allocation, contract management requirements and tax treatment before adopting the model. While the agency model can deliver significant benefits, it can also introduce new complexities. A successful approach requires the delivery model to align with the authority’s strategic objectives, supported by clear contractual arrangements and robust governance structures. Read more about the commercial considerations here.

Early planning and specialist advice are essential. Local authorities should ensure procurement strategies, evaluation criteria and contractual structures are designed to support their long-term objectives while remaining compliant with procurement requirements. Contracts should also be sufficiently flexible to respond to future changes in legislation, operating conditions and service requirements without creating unnecessary procurement risks. Read more about mitigating risk here.

A DBOM project brings together the design and construction of leisure facilities with their long-term operation and maintenance under a single contractual arrangement. These projects often involve significant capital investment, complex risk allocation and long-term operational commitments. Blake Morgan has extensive experience advising on DBOM leisure projects, including procurement, construction, maintenance and operational arrangements across multiple leisure sites. Read more about the DBOM here.

DBOM projects require local authorities to manage a wide range of legal, commercial and operational risks throughout the project lifecycle. Specialist legal advisers can support authorities from procurement and contract drafting through to award, mobilisation and ongoing contract management. This helps ensure appropriate risk transfer, effective governance and successful delivery of facilities and services that meet community needs.

Whether implementing an agency model, procuring a DBOM contract or responding to local government reorganisation, authorities should plan for long-term flexibility. This includes reviewing existing contracts, governance arrangements, assets and service delivery models, while ensuring sufficient internal capability to manage change. A strategic and well-planned approach can help authorities maximise value, support community outcomes and maintain service resilience in a changing local government landscape. Read more about navigating local government reorganisation here.

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