Nicola Sumner

Partner, Head of Infrastructure
020 7405 4600
Contact by email
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I have to give a massive shout out and thanks to Nicola Sumner as being just absolutely amazing and brilliant.

Legal 500 2023

Nicola Sumner has leading procurement and infra expertise. “She has honesty, integrity, subject matter knowledge and the ability to work with tricky stakeholders, as well as mentor those with less experience”.

Legal 500, 2021 edition

Nicola Sumner is an absolute expert on public procurement. Her advice is always excellent and timely.

Nicola Sumner has “well established expertise in procurement, PFI/PPP and contractual matters”

Legal 500, 2020 edition

Nicola Sumner is “highly regarded by clients for her expertise advising on projects relating to infrastructure including rail, road and utilities developments.”
One client comments: “She is a significant and constant source of support through the many varied challenges we face. She is always approachable and calm and she adds value on a repeated basis.”

Chambers and Partners UK, 2020 edition

Practice areas:

Sector experience:

Nicky is head of Sharpe Pritchard’s infrastructure group and specialises in advising on procurement and infrastructure projects.

She is experienced in advising on both public contracts and utilities contracts procurement regimes. Sectors include central government, local government, waste, energy, water, rail and road.

Nicky is a panel member of the ICE’s Procurement Advisory Group and a member of the Procurement Lawyers’ Association. Nicky is joint author of Defra’s Waste Infrastructure Delivery Programme’s Residual Waste Treatment Contract.

Case highlights

  • New Hospital Programme: Advising DHSC on procurement strategy for this major new programme.
  • Restoration and Renewal Programme: Advising the delivery authority on the procurement aspects of this programme for restoration and renewal of the Houses of Parliament.
  • Procurement advice and commercial assurance: advising on a number of major programmes and projects in the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio.
  • Thames Tideway Tunnel: working with Thames Water’s project team between April 2012 and licence award in 2015 on all aspects of the project including the procurement of over 30 construction contracts from the main works civils to the enabling works for the tunnel and the procurement of the infrastructure provider, Tideway.
  • Bazalgette Tunnel Ltd (‘Tideway’): advising the infrastructure provider for the Thames Tideway Tunnel on post close procurement and commercial issues.
  • Waste infrastructure PPP/PFI programme: working with Defra, Local Partnerships and local authorities on waste PFI/PPP projects, advising on procurement and commercial strategies, PPP/PF2 issues, advising on operational matters including delivery of operational savings.
  • Local authority waste management: advising numerous local authority waste disposal authorities on their long-term waste management PPP/PFI projects, including West London Waste Authority on its £1.4 billion residual waste services PPP project to manage residual waste in West London.
  • Waste and energy infrastructure projects: advising on Nottinghamshire Waste PFI, Buckinghamshire Waste PPP, Suffolk Waste PFI, Hertfordshire Residual Waste Treatment Project, Slough Residual Waste Management Project.

Publications

Nicola Sumner