21 May 2026

Nicky is head of Sharpe Pritchard’s infrastructure team, specialising in advising the public sector on complex procurements for UK infrastructure projects and programmes.
Nicky is experienced in advising on public and utility contracts, PCR 2015, UCR 2016 and the Procurement Act 2023 procurements, Sectors include central government, local government, rail, waste, energy, water and health.
Nicky is recognised in both Legal 500 and in Chambers & Partners as a leader in her field. Nicky was also awarded a “Lifetime Achievement” award by the Partnerships Awards in 2024 in recognition of her work on some of the UK’s most high-profile and complex projects. Nicky is a panel member of the ICE’s Procurement Advisory Group and a member of the Procurement Lawyers Association. She is joint author of Defra’s Waste Infrastructure Delivery Programme’s Residual Waste Treatment Contract.
Nicola Sumner is an eminent public body adviser with a wealth of experience acting on complex, multifaceted PPP/PFI projects, regularly handling procurement, development and commercial issues.
Legal 500 2025
Nicky Sumner is the first person I think of for procurement. The depth of her knowledge of the subject matter is head and shoulders above anyone I've previously instructed.
Legal 500, 2025
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
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
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
Nicola Sumner, head of the infrastructure team at Sharpe Pritchard, is highly regarded for her expertise in advising on projects across sectors such as utilities, rail, health, and waste management. She has in-depth experience advising government departments, local authorities, and other contracting authorities on the Procurement Act 2023.
Chambers 2025
21 May 2026
22 April 2026
20 June 2025
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have long played a central, if controversial, role in UK infrastructure delivery. For over twenty years, models like the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and its successor, PF2, underpinned investments across schools, hospitals, justice buildings and transport networks. Yet by the end of the 2010s, these models were widely discredited. Concerns over inflexibility,…
Read more24 May 2024
Background and current context On 22 May 2024 the Procurement Regulations 2024 (the ‘2024 Regulations’) were made, but the majority of the provisions do not come into force until the Procurement Act 2023 (the ‘2023 Act’) substantively commences. This is necessarily the case because the 2024 Regulations implement various aspects and details from the 2023…
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