David Tatlow
Director of legal and democratic services and monitoring officer
Birmingham City Council
David Tatlow heads the largest local government legal department in Europe, comprising 235 individuals, including 126 lawyers. It’s the equivalent of a medium-sized law firm and returns around £12m in turnover on average.
Tatlow has cut back on using the law firms listed on the council’s legal panels to try to reduce costs. The panel includes firms like Ashfords, Pinsent Masons and Shoosmiths that were selected through an extensive competitive tendering process around five years ago. Nevertheless, last year, external legal spend averaged £2.8m, of which £2.5m was spent on barristers.
Law firms used: Ashfords, Berrymans Lace Mawer, Bevan Brittan, Cobbetts, Davitt Jones Bould, Eversheds, Freeth Cartwright, Pinsent Masons, Shoosmiths, Squire Sanders, TLT, Walker Morris, Wragge & Co
2011-present: Director of legal and democratic services and monitoring officer, Birmingham City Council
2009-11: Director of legal services, Birmingham City Council
2001-09: Assistant director of legal services, Birmingham City Council
1995-2001: Assistant head of legal services, London Borough of Enfield