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Oliver Slater

Oliver Slater

Associate

020 7405 4600

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Oliver is an Associate in the firm’s Infrastructure department. He advises clients on public law across a range of complex and high-profile projects, with a particular emphasis on competition law (including subsidy control) and public procurement.

Oliver’s role:

Oliver provides comprehensive subsidy control advice across various sectors, working with both public authorities and grant recipients. He assists with compliance assessments under the Subsidy Control Act 2022, designs competitions, and advises on issues related to subsidies and schemes of particular interest. Oliver also addresses the implications of central government funding, contractual variations, and low-value subsidies.

In competition law, Oliver deals with potential breaches by public authorities. He has advised central government departments, local authorities, and major infrastructure programs on competition law risks and infringements.

Well-versed in procurement law, Oliver helps clients navigate PCR 2015, UCR 2016, and the Procurement Act 2023. He advises on high-profile procurements, drafts various contracts, and leads a team in redacting contracts for public authorities.

In the energy sector, Oliver advises on district heating schemes, electric vehicle infrastructure, and regulated electricity. His transport sector experience includes supporting an in-house legal team on public procurement, subsidy control, and commercial contracts.

  • Central Government
  • Energy Sector
  • Health
  • Local Government
  • Transport Sector
  • Commercial
  • Commercial Contracts
  • Infrastructure
  • Procurement
  • State Aid and Competition
  • Advising a central government department on a number of major grant funding competitions (total value in the hundreds-of-millions), including in relation to “subsidies of particular interest” referred to the SAU.
  • Advising an NDPB on subsidy control implications of its programme to subsidise a UK-first technological service, including identifying subsidies in a complex web of relevant parties and advising on compliance with the subsidy control principles. He also advised on the referral process to the SAU. Oliver’s advice has also included ensuring that the NDPB does not inadvertently stray into certain categories of “automatically unlawful” subsidies.
  • Advising local authorities on a number of town centre redevelopments, including whether contractual relationships with developers give rise to “subsidies” as defined in the Act. He has also advised on the referral process to the SAU as certain related grant agreements are likely to give rise to “subsidies of particular interest” (as they may exceed £10,000,000).
  • Advising one of the country’s largest utilities on the subsidy control implications of a variation to a supply contract (>£50,000,000). In particular, whether that variation was a subsidy as defined in the Act or whether the CMO principle applied. Also advising the utility on a £26,000,000 grant received from another public authority (and whether that grant was given on terms compliant with subsidy control rules).
  • Advising on the subsidy control implications of an incentivisation payment under a c. £1billion construction contract.
  • Advising a Combined Authority on its proposed operating lease scheme for electric buses (>£10,000,000). In particular, advising on whether a subsidy arises and, if so, whether any such subsidy would comply with the subsidy control principles. Oliver also advised on whether a subsidy arises in relation to a Hydrogen Supply Agreement the authority proposed entering into (including consideration of the CMO principle).
  • End-to-end advice for a central government department on its procurement of an IT service desk provider under a CCS Framework Agreement (single supplier award following further competition in the tens-of-millions). Tasks undertaken include: advising on the appropriateness of the relevant CCS Framework Agreement; drafting procurement documents (ITT and evaluation questions), contract documents (amending the standard-form services contract and assisting the client with development of its Requirements), and assisting with the development of the Financial Response Template; advising on clarification questions and bidders’ suggested contractual amendments; advising on abnormally low tender concerns and subsequent processes (as per the Sourcing Playbook); and advising on legal risk of challenge arising/successful challenge in light of tender responses.
  • Procurement assurance services (LOD1) for a central government department on its highest value, highest profile procurements (multi-billion-pound awards). Tasks undertaken include: reviewing the procurement and contractual documentation; identifying and classifying concerns; and working with the client to find solutions to such concerns.
  • Advising one of the country’s largest utilities on a wide range of procurements under the UCR 2016, both in an external assurance role and as part-time secondee. Tasks undertaken include: establishing a multi-contractor Framework Agreement (valued in the tens of millions); advising on contract modifications through the lens of Regulation 88; and assuring procurement and contractual documents for high-value procurements, identifying concerns and suggesting solutions.

Modifying subsidies: What is permitted and what is not?

24 June 2025

Public authorities are likely no stranger to the rules governing the modification of instruments awarded by public authorities in the procurement context[1], but the legal framework surrounding amendments made to awarded subsidies may feel less familiar. This is no surprise – in fact, at the time of writing, only 10 of the 1554 standalone subsidies…

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Zones/RABs and heat networks: The path to an investible infrastructure asset class?

18 June 2025

The UK’s new heat network zoning framework (the outlines for which were drawn by the Energy Act 2023) is set to redefine how low‑carbon heating is delivered by creating geographic zones, where district heat networks are the mandated, optimal solution. It’s an enticing proposition: guaranteed customer bases in each zone, ripe for financing and scaling….

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Manchester United’s new stadium proposals: a subsidy banana skin?

25 March 2025

Manchester United’s plans to build a new stadium have been the subject of widespread criticism: the design has been likened to a “circus tent”, the club’s Supporters’ Trust is “anxious” about implications for ticket pricing; and Graham Stringer MP has described the plans as a “tax exile’s half-baked, misbegotten scheme”. Mr. Stringer is, concerned about…

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Court of Appeal upholds state subsidy in Bulb takeover case

11 March 2025

The Court of Appeal has handed down its judgment in R (British Gas Trading and E.ON) v Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. This judgment follows the Divisional Court’s earlier refusal to grant British Gas and E.ON permission to judicially review decisions made by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and…

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