Member Article

Aaron & Partners picks up new five-year contract with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water

Chester law firm Aaron & Partners has won a new five-year contract with regional utility undertaker Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water following a competitive tender process.

A team led by four of the firm’s top Partners will provide legal expertise in areas of property law as well as planning and environmental legislation as part of the agreement, which continues an unbroken 26-year association between the two organisations.

In total, ten UK law firms have been appointed by Dwr Cymru Welsh Water to its latest legal services framework agreement.

The framework is set to run until 2024, with an option to extend annually for a further two years at the discretion of Dwr Cymru Welsh Water.

Simon Ellis, Head of Real Estate at Aaron & Partners, said: “We’re incredibly proud of our long-standing association with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and are delighted to have agreed a new five-year contract.

“This agreement is a significant one for all of us at Aaron & Partners and it’s also a fantastic way to begin 2020.

“As one of our longest-standing clients, the fact that we have continued to work so closely with Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water over the years is testament to the efforts of our team and the quality of service we have always aspired to provide.

“The agreement will also see some of the most talented solicitors from our Real Estate and Planning, Energy, Environment and Regulation teams working closely together to help Welsh Water deliver on its ambitions to provide the highest quality services to all the communities it serves.”

With three million customers across most of Wales, Herefordshire, and parts of Deeside and Cheshire, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water is the only not-for-profit water company in Wales and England and is owned by Glas Cymru, a single purpose company with no shareholders run solely for the benefit of customers.

The company has committed significant investment in its network in recent years with around £1.7 billion used to enhance its water and sewerage network.

A customer dividend of £47 million was also announced in 2019 and will support projects such as helping low-earning customers pay their water bills and preventing sewer blockages and the flooding of homes and businesses across its region.

Christine Thorpe from Dwr Cymru Welsh Water said: “We’re pleased to have concluded our recent legal services framework agreement and look forward to working closely with all of the law firms that submitted successful applications.

“Aaron & Partners is a firm we have worked closely with for many years and we’re very pleased we can continue to utilise their knowledge and expertise across the practice.

“We have some ambitious targets to achieve as an organisation and it’s vital that we have the right partners in place to help us deliver on the wide-ranging commitments set out in our Dwr Cymru Welsh Water 2050 strategy.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sam .