1. AGM

The Procurement Lawyers’ Association next event and Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Wednesday, 13 May 2026 between 4.00pm and 6pm at the London offices of Blake Morgan LLP .

The AGM will follow presentations by the 2024 and 2025 winners of the Rosie Choueka Memorial Essay Competition:

• Beth Edwards (the 2024 Essay Prize winner), an associate at Sharpe Pritchard, on “Does the Procurement Act 2023 get it right in relation to debarment?”;
• Nigel Patel (the 2025 Essay Prize winner), a pupil barrister at 39 Essex Chambers, on “Levelling the playing field: Incumbent providers, equal treatment under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, and treating suppliers the same under the Procurement Act 2023″.

There will also be a Panel discussion which will include presentations by Deok Joo Rhee KC (39 Essex Chambers) and Jonathan Lewis (Monckton Chambers).

The AGM is expected to commence at 5.15pm and will be followed by a drinks reception.

The attached Notice of AGM sets out matters to be discussed as ordinary business.

The event is free for PLA members. You can join the PLA online via the Membership page on this site. Annual membership is free for those who are less than 3 years qualified. If you are more than 3 years qualified, annual membership is £12.50 if you work in the public sector and £25 if you work in the private sector.

Members: To register for this event please simply respond to PLAevents@pinsentmasons.com

Please note that the AGM and event will be held in person only.

Non-members: The cost of attending the event is the cost (where applicable) of annual membership.  Accordingly, please join the PLA (as above) and then register for this event by responding to PLAevents@pinsentmasons.com

If you have any queries in relation to this event, please contact Totis Kotsonis at totis.kotsonis@pinsentmasons.com or on tel. 020 7054 2531

If you have any queries about the AGM or elections to the Executive Committee, please contact Peter Ware at peter.ware@brownejacobson.com or on tel. 0115 976 6242

2. Associates Event

We also want to remind members about our upcoming in-person Associates Network Event. If you haven’t yet registered, there is still time to secure your place!

Event details:

• Date: Thursday, 14 May 2026
• Time: 5.30pm
• Venue: Osborne Clarke, One London Wall, Barbican, London EC2Y 5EB

This event is aimed at junior procurement lawyers (below partner level), trainees, pupils and those who are new to the field of public procurement. It is a fantastic opportunity to hear from experienced practitioners, ask your burning questions, and connect with fellow procurement lawyers over refreshments.

Our panel

Our excellent panel of procurement experts will be chaired by Kate Davies, Associate Director at Osborne Clarke, and includes:

• Peter Ware, Partner at Browne Jacobson LLP
• Catherine Wolfenden, Partner at Osborne Clarke LLP
• Simon Taylor, Barrister at Keating Chambers

The panel will be discussing their careers in public procurement, what they find rewarding about the field, and their views on the key changes introduced by the Procurement Act 2023 – as well as taking questions from the floor.

How to register

• The event is free for PLA members.
• Non-members who are 3 years qualified or less are also welcome to attend free of charge. We offer a complimentary annual membership for this group – please email info@procurementlawyers.org.uk to activate your membership.
• Non-members who are more than 3 years qualified should obtain an annual PLA membership prior to registering. Annual membership is £12.50 for public sector and £25 for private sector. You can join online at procurementlawyers.org.uk/register

To register, please respond to PLAevents@pinsentmasons.com

If you have any questions regarding the event, please do not hesitate to contact Kate Davies (kate.davies@osborneclarke.com), Madeleine Ledger (madeleine.ledger@bevanbrittan.com) or Charlotte Neely (charlotte.neely@osborneclarke.com)

We very much hope to see you there – please do spread the word to any colleagues who may benefit from attending!

Kind regards,

PLA Events