Simmons seconds partner to PFI panel

Simmons & Simmons commercial partner Edwin Godfrey has been seconded to the Private Finance Panel as joint deputy chief executive.

The panel is funded by HM Treasury to monitor and encourage the implementation of PFI projects and has a broad range of professionally qualified members.

Rees Griffiths, who shares Godfrey's post as deputy chief executive, said that the panel needed the "well honed analytical skills of a senior legal mind".

"It became a personal crusade of mine to get one," he said, "so I was especially pleased when Simmons were kind enough to second Edwin Godfrey whose credentials left us greatly impressed."

"This is a great opportunity both for myself and the firm," said Godfrey. "I will return to Simmons with good contacts and unique experience of a greatly expanding area.

"It should help to bring in more PFI work - we know that other firms have made a big play of having someone quite junior on the panel, so representation at my level should be a big advantage in that respect."

Around half the members of the panel are currently working on a secondment basis. They are divided into teams to work on different projects.