VWV appoints local government specialist Jonathan Goolden as Partner
VWV has strengthened its Government & Public Services offering with the appointment of local government law specialist Jonathan Goolden.
Goolden has joined VWV's Government & Public Services team, bringing with him extensive experience advising councils and public bodies on governance, constitutional and regulatory matters.
He joins from Wilkin Chapman Rollits, where he advised councils and public bodies across England on a wide range of local government law issues, from governance and member conduct to lessons learned reviews and public law challenges.
Goolden is well known within the local government legal community through his longstanding involvement with Lawyers in Local Government (LLG), the national membership body for local government lawyers. He has built a strong reputation advising on major infrastructure projects, including advising flood risk management authorities on governance and land drainage powers.
Goolden joins VWV at an important time for the sector, where councils are facing growing governance and financial pressures, rising scrutiny of standards arrangements and significant reforms across local government structures and service delivery.
Commenting on his appointment, Goolden said:
"VWV has built an impressive reputation for advising public sector organisations across the country and I am delighted to be joining the firm. The local government sector continues to face unprecedented challenges, from financial sustainability and governance pressures through to devolution, reorganisation and increasing regulatory complexity.
I look forward to working with colleagues across the firm to support local authorities, internal drainage boards and other public bodies as they navigate these challenges and continue to deliver vital services for their communities."
Allison Cook, Partner and Head of Government & Public Services at VWV, has said:
"Jonathan is widely respected across the local government sector for his technical expertise, practical advice and deep understanding of the challenges facing public bodies. His experience advising local authorities and internal drainage boards complements our existing strengths and will enhance the support we provide to clients across England and Wales.
His appointment reflects our continued investment in the Government and Public Sector Team and our commitment to helping public bodies respond to a rapidly evolving legal and regulatory landscape."
This appointment follows a period of sustained growth for VWV's Government & Public Sector team, as demand grows for specialist advice on governance, standards and regulatory compliance across the public sector.
