Weightmans hires former head of local government at BLM

Weightmans has hired public sector claims specialist Henry Bermingham as a partner from BLM, where he was head of the local government team.

Bermingham has “decades of experience dealing with all aspects of claims against public authorities including human rights, abuse, discrimination and data protection, as well as highway claims and risk management”, Weightmans said.

He is also recognised or his expertise in social care work involving historic abuse and deprivation of liberty.

Bermingham, who served as President of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL) from 2007/8, said: "Weightmans is one of the preeminent national practices for local authorities. It is a firm that is intimately acquainted with the market and understands the unique requirements of public sector clients and I am delighted to be on board.

"This is a great opportunity to be at the centre of local authority excellence and I look forward to helping to grow the reputation of the firm even further."

Peter Wake, Partner and Head of Local Government Litigation at Weightmans said: "Henry is a first rate lawyer and his well-deserved reputation for getting the right result for clients is matched with a solid track record of delivering top quality advice and support to the public sector.

"Local authorities face a considerable amount of pressure to deliver more services with less resources. Like us, Henry truly understands the challenges they face – he is a great fit and we are delighted to welcome him to the firm.”