David Lowe
David Lowe is an experienced partner focusing on commercial contracts and the firm's Head of International Trade. He also plays a crucial role in the firm's Brexit Unit.
He helps negotiate and draft contracts to achieve their commercial aims in areas such as supply chain, procurement facilities management, property management, outsourcing, logistics, manufacturing, supply of goods and services, international trade, consumer and travel law.
David advises clients on national and international supply chain and procurement agreements. His expertise in the sale of goods is demonstrated by being one of the eight expert authors of Incoterms 2010 rules - the international freight delivery terms.
He has advised on numerous logistic agreements with most of the main suppliers and has worked with numerous major corporates on their procurement strategies. His supply chain expertise is best illustrated by his role in the food and retail sectors, where clients include major names such as Premier Foods, Iglo (Birds Eye), United Biscuits, Hovis and Marks & Spencer.
He also has considerable expertise in property management, facilities management, student nominations agreements, auctions and other commercial contracts in the real estate sector David has written the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Guide to Property Management and several other RICS guides.
Cross border outsourcing is also of ever-increasing importance. David recently advised an international bank on an EMEA-wide facilities management outsourcing in over 20 countries, and a multi-national pharmaceutical company on a contract for specialist tax and accounting advice in more than 75 countries.
David is creative and pragmatic in his understanding and application of the law. He enjoys working on complex and unusual assignments, particularly when there are no precedents, as exemplified by his work advising the Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London on the host city contract for the London 2012 Olympics, or advising Transport for London on the Santander Cycle Hire scheme - the so-called 'Boris Bikes', or advising the London Legacy Development Corporation on the appointment of a concession operator for the former London Olympics Stadium.
A secondment to British Airways have also given him a thorough first-hand understanding of the holiday and travel sector, and he is an expert on the Package Travel and ATOL regulations.
David won UK Projects and Procurement Lawyer of the year at the International Law Office Client Choice Awards 2013 and was recognised in 2017's prestigious Acritas Stars database as a 'star lawyer'.
David's worked with Iglo (Birds Eye) to establish new arrangements for a frozen food warehouse with Partner Logistics and national and international logistics outsourcing to DHL to establish an innovative structure - it was ranked 'stand-out' in the Financial Times' '2010 Innovative Lawyers' report, in which David was also shortlisted for the 'Legal Innovator of the Year' award.
David is a co-chair of ThinkHouse, Gowling WLG's tailored programme for in-house counsel. David is responsible for organising and chairing events throughout the year providing useful knowledge and practical tips to equip in-house lawyers with knowledge and skills that add value to their business.
Clients
AstraZeneca, CBRE, Iglo (Birds Eye), Intu, Marks and Spencer, London Legacy Development Corporation, Premier Foods, Ricardo, Transport for London, United Biscuits.
Experience
- Advising CBRE on Prupim's property management outsourcing - Europe's biggest ever property management outsourcing relating to more than 1000 properties.
- Advising Intu on its £30m facilities management alliance with Europa Support Services and Inviron.
- Acting for Premier Foods on its long term maintenance and repair outsourcing deal with IESA.
- Advising BP on its fuel supply agreement for more than 30 Moto motorway service stations.
- Acting for BirdsEyeIglo on its multimillion pound logistics and warehousing outsourcing.
- Working with Transport for London on the Barclays Cycle Hire scheme, including its procurement, the contract with Serco, user terms, insurance procurement and sponsorship.
- Advising a multi-national pharmaceutical company on international outsourcings, including a contract for specialist tax and accounting advice in more than 75 countries.
- Advising an international bank on a facilities management outsourcing EMEA-wide in more than 20 countries.
- Helping Marks and Spencer on vast range of procurement contracts, with contract value exceeding £100 million.
- Working with the GLA and the Mayor of London on the host city contract for the London 2012 Olympics.
- Advising on the commercial contracts arising from H2 Equity Partner's acquisition of a majority share in Unipart Automotive.
- Advising on the commercial contracts arising from Premier Foods' £182 million disposal of its canned grocery operation to Princes Limited.