FFW Advises Home Office on Forensic Science Service Restructuring

16 January 2006

Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) has advised the Home Office on the restructuring of the Forensic Science Service (FSS).

The FSS provides the police and the criminal justice system with essential forensic science services.  It has now transformed from being a Home Office Trading Fund to a separate, Government-owned company.  This change in status follows an independent review by Robert McFarland in 2003 and will give the FSS the commercial agility it requires to continue to compete effectively in a changing market and remain at the leading edge of forensic science in the UK and internationally.

This project underlines FFW’s position as a leading adviser to central government departments.  The firm is the only law firm to have been appointed to all seven of the Government’s L-Cat (Legal Catalogue) panels and was recently appointed to the Lit-Cat (Litigation Catalogue) panel.

Corporate partners Tim Davies and Neil Palmer led the FFW team, assisted by partners David Gallagher (pensions), James Warren (employment) and Jane Elkins and John Pedder (property) and solicitors Martin Griffiths and Charu Nagpal.

Tim Davies said: “We have been working on the FSS restructuring for over two years and we are delighted to have successfully completed the project.  This is the second restructuring we have completed for the Home Office this year and it demonstrates the strength of the firm’s public sector capability.”

Charles Russell advised the FSS.

For further press information please contact:
Louise Eckersley, PR Executive, Field Fisher Waterhouse on 020 7861 4120
Ben Girdlestone, Communications Manager, Field Fisher Waterhouse on 020 7861 4968