Mark Cook

Practice Areas

Local government: local government and public law, public procurement, company and commercial law, subsidy control

Career

Mark advises people and organisations on how to work together across the public, private and civil society sectors.

He has a strong track record in enabling social, economic, and environmental well-being to be a core feature in the delivery of public contracts. Mark provides councils and their partnering organisations with strategic advice on models for transforming public services, using the law to create flexible routes for achieving change. He is particularly engaged in enabling organisations to collaborate in purpose-driven projects, through contracts and governance (e.g. doing business as members of a co-operative).

With over 25 years of experience at the firm, Mark has held numerous leadership positions and oversees projects that enable the delivery of better public services. He advises local authorities on procurement and corporate structures and is prominent in advising in areas of subsidy control, joint venture vehicles, and not-for-profit structures.

Mark enjoys working as one team with client officers and leaders, bringing assurance and a sense of calm to fraught negotiations. His ability to clarify complex matters for his clients instils confidence in them to tackle challenges and provide support through a relationship founded on mutual trust. Mark works hard to deliver solutions that involve people in local communities, and he believes in the ability of those on the ground to make a difference in the neighbourhoods where they live and work.