DAC Beachcroft appoints leading local government lawyer

International law firm DAC Beachcroft is pleased to announce the appointment of Judith Barnes as a Partner to lead its expanding Local Government team.

One of the UK's most respected local government lawyers, Judith joins DAC Beachcroft from Eversheds, where she spent 13 years as a partner. She has headed Eversheds' highly-regarded Local Government practice for the past three years.

During her legal career, Judith has previously worked for five local authorities and is a former Head of Legal Services at both Greenwich and Lewisham London Borough Councils. An expert in governance, she has a long track record of providing high-quality strategic advice across a diverse range of areas to chief executives and management teams at local authorities. She is described in the 2012 edition of Chambers and Partners as “an "extremely capable and proactive" local government specialist."

In her new role, Judith will work with DAC Beachcroft Partner Stephen Hocking, who leads the firm's Public Sector practice. She will officially join the firm on 1 September 2012.

Commenting on the appointment, DAC Beachcroft Senior Partner Simon Hodson said: "This is an exciting appointment for us and we are delighted to welcome Judith to the firm."

He added: "Her expertise and reputation in this complex area of law is unrivalled in the UK. In addition, she has substantial experience of working at the interface between the public and private sectors, which is a perfect fit for our strategic approach. Her arrival at DAC Beachcroft is a significant move towards our goal of being the market-leading local government practice."

Judith Barnes said: " This is an exciting opportunity for me to join a leading public sector law firm to build upon and strengthen the existing local government team. DAC Beachcroft shares my commitment to serving the public sector and I am thrilled to be joining them."