Simon Harris Senior Associate

Simon Harris

Simon Harris is a Birmingham-based senior associate in the Commercial, IT and Outsourcing team.

Simon specialises in advising on major public sector contracts. He recently worked extensively with a Central Government Department on its procurement for global telecommunications services. Simon assists with drafting, reviewing and negotiating public sector contracts and procurement documents. He has acted as legal project manager on a number of high profile public sector projects.

Experience

• Advised a Central Government Department on its procurement for global telecommunications services through a Framework Agreement. Simon acted as legal project manager from the start of the engagement, assisted in negotiation meetings with the current contractor, reviewed procurement documentation and advised on the application of procurement law under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Procured through the Competitive Dialogue with Negotiation procedure, he assisted in preparing the draft contract for OJEU publication, which is based on the Model Services Contract, and ultimately contract award. Simon regularly provided procurement advice, especially throughout the evaluation and moderation of tenders.
• Supported the Ministry of Defence on its re-procurement of the Armed Forces' Military Pay and Pensions Service. Simon acted as legal project manager, provided day-to-day support to the Commercial and Technical team. He provided support in extending the current contract. He reviewed the procurement documentation, including the Invitation to Negotiation and award decision notices, and supported throughout the evaluation process. Simon assisted in negotiation meetings with multiple bidders, negotiating changes, and drafting and reviewing the contract that was based on the Model Services Contract.
• Advised a Central Government Department on a national polling programme, which included running over 17 parallel procurements for goods and services including recruitment and IT applications. Simon assisted with reviewing and amending the contract documentation, and providing procurement advice. As legal project manager, he coordinated the team in providing procurement, contractual, data protection, litigation and employment advice.
• Supported a UK Public Authority through the £10m procurement of a contractor to assist in providing internal consultancy services. Simon has assisted with drafting the contract, reviewing procurement documentation, including the evaluation criteria, reviewing clarification questions from potential bidders and advising on the response, and drafting financial distress provisions.
• Advised a Central Government Department on the documentation required to run a high-profile nationally significant Competitive Dialogue process.
• Assisted a public sector client on a cyber-security project.
• Worked with a national housing association on its procurement of a partner to provide IT resources via a Competitive Dialogue process. Simon drafted procurement advice notes around the interpretation of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and reviewed contract notices.
• Assisted a leading not-for-profit organisation on amending and updating its call off procedures, mini-competition procedures and direct award rules. Simon also provided advice around the use of framework agreements and non-disclosure agreements.
• Advised a management consultancy firm around the interpretation of exclusion grounds, self-cleaning provisions contained within the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, and whether the firm was required to disclose a breach in its procurement documentation. This advice involved seeking counsel's initial opinion.
• Advised various public sector clients on ad-hoc procurement queries around the most appropriate choice of procurement procedure, the interpretation of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016, clarification questions around incumbent bids, issues arising following tender responses and drafting/reviewing standstill letters, contract notices and modification notices.
• Provided advice and training on the evaluation of public tenders for a London-based charity.