Fred Groves - Sharpe Pritchard

Central Government
Corporate Clients
Education Providers
Energy Sector
Health
Leisure
Local Government
Start up
Waste Sector

Commercial
Commercial Contracts
Data, Privacy and Information Law
Litigation
Procurement challenges
Public Law
Technology

Fred was seconded to the Department for Business and Trade Legal Advisers for an 18-month period (on part-time and full-time bases). As part of the Post Office redress team, Fred provided legal advice and support to DBT in the payment of financial redress (compensation) to subpostmasters affected by the Post Office Horizon scandal and the Capture software.
Acting as part of a team for a Government Department in a complex contractual dispute with a supplier. The case was heard at the High Court and was high-value and technical in nature. Fred played a key role in the pre-action stage, in the issuing of proceedings, in initial and extended disclosure, and in the witness of fact and expert witness aspects of the case. Fred was responsible for day-to-day case management and comprehensively advised the client on litigation risks and strategy.
Acting as part of a team for a Government Department in a dispute heard at the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court.
Advising a client in relation to the proposed abandonment of a competitive procurement process under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
Advising a client in relation to the non-performance of a settlement agreement by a supplier.
Advising a client on the breach of contract by a supplier in relation to an audit of the supplier’s premises and security processes.

Generative AI in Complaints and Requests: Opportunities, Risks and Implications for Public Bodies

7 May 2026

Authors: Christopher Watkins, Fred Groves and George McLellan Introduction Generative AI can offer a host of benefits to members of the public when interacting with public bodies, particularly to individuals who may previously have faced difficulties in composing formal correspondence, such as a complaint or request for information. However, the increasing use of generative AI is... Read more

New Regulations for the Use of AI in Court Documents?

10 April 2026

The proliferation of generative artificial intelligence is radically changing the way that parties conduct litigation. Are new regulations needed to control the use of these technologies in the production of court documents? Fred Groves and Christopher Watkins discuss.

ASA Ruling on Wahed Invest Ltd: A Critical Analysis

19 February 2025

Introduction On January 8, 2025, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) issued a ruling regarding a series of poster advertisements for Wahed Invest Ltd (Wahed), an online Islamic investment company (ASA Complaint Ref: G24-1262171). These ads were displayed in Transport for London (TfL) locations, including on TfL trains, London Underground platforms and TfL busses, and drew…

New government consultation on the phasing-out of petrol and diesel cars for 2030: Comments and observations

7 January 2025

On 24 December 2024, the UK government Department for Transport (“the DfT”) commenced a new “fast-track” consultation titled ‘Phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 and Support for the Zero Emission Transition’ (“the Consultation”). The Consultation is “open”, meaning that any individual or organisation may respond to it by completing…