Sanjay Prashar
Executive head of legal and democratic services
London Borough of Sutton
Sutton’s legal panel is part of a wider consortium led by the London Borough of Bromley and set up in 2010. Around 26 firms provide counsel for various outer London boroughs, the Corporation of London and five district councils in Kent.
However, Sanjay Prashar said at press time that he was planning to join forces with Richmond, Merton and Kingston councils to set up a single legal service for the public sector in February 2013. The move will reduce external legal spend and strengthen the in-house practice.
Currently, Prashar’s 30-strong in-house team doesn’t focus on commercial work, so he uses external firms such as Bevan Brittan, Ashfords and Trowers & Hamlins for this. In 2012, external expenditure totalled around £500,000. Three-fifths of this was spent on a specific property deal in which Prashar instructed Pinsent Masons, while the remainder was spent on barristers.
Law firms used: Ashfords, Bevan Brittan, Pinsent Masons, Trowers & Hamlins
2009-present: Executive head of legal and democratic services, London Borough of Sutton
2008-09: Deputy head of corporate law and employment, Barking and Dagenham Council
2007-08: Legal services manager, Torbay Council
1999-2007: Senior solicitor, Bury Metropolitan Borough Council