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Luke Butler

Associate Professor in Law, Faculty of Social Sciences

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Biography

Luke R. A. Butler is an Associate Professor in Law, Director of the Executive Programme in Public Procurement Law and Policy and member of the Public Procurement Research Group. Luke specialises in commercial aspects of government contracts. Formerly, Luke was a Lecturer in Law at the University of Bristol (2012-17) and Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Birmingham (2017-19). He is Joint Editor (alongside its founder, Professor Sue Arrowsmith QC (hon)) of the Public Procurement Law Review, the leading international peer-reviewed journal in the field, a member of the European Procurement Law Group, and a member of the Procurement Lawyers' Association. He is currently a non-practising Barrister, having been called to the Bar by the Middle Temple in 2009 and a Senior Fellow of Advance HE. As a student, Luke was awarded a First Class law degree, an LLM (European Law) with Distinction, a PhD (in defence procurement law), and was the recipient of a number of academic and vocational prizes and scholarships.

Expertise Summary

Luke is a commercial lawyer specialising in regulation of the procurement and management of government contracts. He is the author of Transatlantic Defence Procurement: EU and US Defence Procurement Regulation in the Transatlantic Defence Market (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2017) and co-editor of Public Procurement Regulation in (a) Crisis? Global Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic. Luke's current programme of research focuses on all aspects of "single-sourcing". More generally, Luke maintains a broad interest in all forms of complex government contracting across a range of industries, general principles of public procurement regulation both domestic and international, and comparative public procurement law. Luke has provided consultancy and training to governments, international organisations and the third sector.

Luke encourages prospective PhD students interested in public procurement and government contracts generally to contact him to discuss potential proposals. Information about the School of Law PhD programme and how to apply can be found here: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/law/study/postgraduate-research/index.aspx. Information about scholarships can be found here: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/law/study/postgraduate-research/funding.aspx.

Teaching Summary

Luke has taught an unusual and extensive range of subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate level, all of which continue to inform his thinking on the myriad issues that arise in his… read more

Recent Publications

  • LUKE R A BUTLER, 2022. Transforming Public Procurement in the United Kingdom: Regulating for Open and Transparent Contracting Public Procurement Law Review. 31(3), 120-168
  • SUE ARROWSMITH, LUKE R A BUTLER, ANNA LA CHIMIA and CHRISTOPHER R YUKINS, 2021. Public Procurement in (A) Crisis: Global Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic Hart. (In Press.)
  • LUKE R A BUTLER, 2021. ‘Regulating Single Source Procurement in Emergency Situations in the Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Issues in Policy and Practice’. In: Public Procurement in (A) Crisis: Global Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic (In Press.)
  • SUE ARROWSMITH and LUKE R A BUTLER, 2021. ‘Emergency Procurement and Regulatory Responses to COVID-19: the case of the United Kingdom’. In: Public Procurement in (A) Crisis: Global Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic (In Press.)

Luke has taught an unusual and extensive range of subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate level, all of which continue to inform his thinking on the myriad issues that arise in his multi-disciplinary specialism in government contracts. In particular, Luke has a strong background in private law. At undergraduate level, from 2013-2019, Luke was module leader of both Equity and Trusts (final year) and Commercial Law (final year) at the Universities of Bristol and Birmingham, requiring knowledge of agency, personal property law, domestic and international sale of goods and equity. In addition, Luke has acted as module leader for final year research dissertations modules and also run modules for other University schools on Business Law. For many years, Luke has also variously taught contract law, the law of tort, public law, EU law and criminal law tutorials as well as a range of legal skills related modules. At postgraduate level, Luke has, among others, devised and taught courses on EU and WTO public procurement law.

For academic year 2019-20, Luke is teaching contract law, tort law and criminal law.

  • LUKE R A BUTLER, 2022. Transforming Public Procurement in the United Kingdom: Regulating for Open and Transparent Contracting Public Procurement Law Review. 31(3), 120-168
  • SUE ARROWSMITH, LUKE R A BUTLER, ANNA LA CHIMIA and CHRISTOPHER R YUKINS, 2021. Public Procurement in (A) Crisis: Global Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic Hart. (In Press.)
  • LUKE R A BUTLER, 2021. ‘Regulating Single Source Procurement in Emergency Situations in the Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Issues in Policy and Practice’. In: Public Procurement in (A) Crisis: Global Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic (In Press.)
  • SUE ARROWSMITH and LUKE R A BUTLER, 2021. ‘Emergency Procurement and Regulatory Responses to COVID-19: the case of the United Kingdom’. In: Public Procurement in (A) Crisis: Global Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic (In Press.)
  • SUE ARROWSMITH and LUKE R A BUTLER, 2021. ‘The Experiences and Lessons of the Covid-19 Pandemic: Public Procurement Regulation in (a) Crisis?’. In: Public Procurement in (A) Crisis: Global Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic (In Press.)
  • ALICE MANZINI, LUKE R A BUTLER and MARTIN TRYBUS, 2021. L R A Butler, A Man‘Centralised Purchasing Bodies in the UK’. In: M Comba, R Caranta and A S Graells (eds) Centralised Purchasing within the EU Edward Elgar. (In Press.)
  • LUKE R A BUTLER, 2021. ‘Public Procurement and Petroleum Contracts – Setting Aside International Commercial Arbitration Awards on Grounds of Public Policy: Betamax Ltd v State Trading Corporation’ Public Procurement Law Review. (In Press.)
  • LUKE R A BUTLER, 2021. ‘Meeting the Threshold for Effective Regulation? The Rationale and Reform of Qualifying Contract Thresholds under the Single Source Contract Regulations’ (2021) Public Procurement Law Review Public Procurement Law Review. (In Press.)
  • LUKE R. A. BUTLER, 2020. Guidance to NHS trusts, NHS foundation trusts and clinical commissioning groups on the Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Note PPN 02/20 Public Procurmeent Law Review. 162-168
  • LUKE R A BUTLER, 2020. Procurement Policy Note—Recovery and Transition from COVID-19, Action Note PPN 04/20 Public Procurement Law Review. 228-233
  • LUKE R A BUTLER, 2020. Defence Procurement Policy Note 01/20 Responding to COVID-19—Defence Update to CO PPN 01/20; Defence Procurement Policy Note 02/20 Responding to COVID-19—Defence Update to CO PPN 02/20; and Covid-19 Defence Furlough and Interim Payment Policy Note Public Procurement Law Review. 215-227
  • LUKE R A BUTLER and ROBERT ALLEN, 2020. Governing Compliance with Public Procurement Law: A View from Inside the Ministry of Defence Public Procurement Law Review. 301-333
  • LUKE R A BUTLER, 2020. Pricing Contracts Affected by COVID-19: Single Source Regulations Office Note on Single Source Defence Contracts Public Procurement Law Review. 29(6), 265-280
  • LUKE R.A. BUTLER, 2019. Responsible public procurement: towards a public service contract regulator? Public Procurement Law Review. 5, 198-208
  • LUKE R.A. BUTLER, 2019. Single Source Wars, The Saga Continues 2: The Single Source Contract (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2018 Public Procurement Law Review. 3, 71-86
  • LUKE R.A. BUTLER, 2019. Single Source Wars: The Saga Continues Public Procurement Law Review. 1, 28-38
  • TONY PROSSER and LUKE R. A. BUTLER, 2018. Rail Franchises, Competition and Public Service Modern Law Review. 81(1), 23-50
  • LUKE R.A. BUTLER, 2018. An Inspection of Rail Franchise Procurement: First-Class Regulation for Privatised Passenger Rail? Public Procurement Law Review. 27(6), 251-278
  • LUKE R.A. BUTLER, 2017. Transatlantic Defence Procurement: EU and US Defence Procurement Regulation in the Transatlantic Defence Market Cambridge University Press.
  • MARTIN TRYBUS and LUKE R.A. BUTLER, 2017. The Internal Market and National Security: Harmonisation, Impact and Reform of the EU Directive on Intra-EU Transfers of Defence Products Common Market Law Review. 54(2), 403-442
  • 2017. Review of The Law of Collaborative Defence Procurement in the European Union by Baudouin Heuninckx (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2016) Common Market Law Review.
  • ALBERT SANCHEZ GRAELLS, PEDRO TELLES and LUKE R.A. BUTLER, 2016. Exclusion and Qualitative Selection of Economic Operators under Public Procurement Procedures: A Comparative View on Selected Jurisdictions. In: MARTIN BURGI, MARTIN TRYBUS and STEEN TREUMER, eds., Qualification, Selection and Exclusion in EU Procurement DJOF (Copenhagen). 245-274
  • LUKE R.A. BUTLER, 2016. Exclusion, Qualification and Selection in the UK under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. In: MARTIN BURGHI, MARTIN TRYBUS and STEEN TREUMER, eds., Qualification, Selection and Exclusion in EU Procurement DJOF (Copenhagen). 189-243
  • LUKE R.A. BUTLER, 2015. Review of European Defence Cooperation in EU Law and IR Theory, by Tom Dyson and Theodore Konstadinides (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013), xviii + 256 pp. inc. index, hardback, £57.50, ISBN: 9781137281296 European Law Review. 40(2), 299-302
  • PEDRO TELLES and LUKE R.A. BUTLER, 2014. Public Procurement Award Procedures in Directive 2014/24/EU. In: FRANCOIS LICHERE, ROBERTO CARANTA and STEEN TREUMER, eds., Novelties in the 2014 Directive on Public Procurement DFOJ (Copenhagen). 131-184
  • LUKE R.A. BUTLER, 2014. A Uniform Approach to Innovation in Public Procurement in the Innovation Union?. In: FRANCOIS LICHERE, ROBERTO CARANTA and STEEN TREUMER, eds., Novelties in the 2014 Directive on Public Procurement DJOF (Copenhagen). 337-385
  • LUKE R.A. BUTLER, 2013. Review of J. Cibinic, R. C. Nash and C. R. Yukins, Formation of Government Contracts and J. Cibinic, R. C. Nash and K. R. O' Brien-DeBakey, Competitive Negotiation: The Source Selection Process Public Procurement Law Review. 1, 45-48
  • LUKE R.A. BUTLER, 2013. Review of S. Hobe, M. Hofmannova, J Wouters (eds.) A Coherent European Procurement Law and Policy for the Space Sector: Towards a Third Way, Cologne Studies International and European Law, Lit, Volume 22 Public Procurement Law Review. 5, 206-209
  • LUKE R.A. BUTLER, 2012. Below Threshold and Annex IIB Services Contracts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: A Common Law Approach. In: ROBERTO CARANTA and DACIAN DRAGOS, eds., Outside the Directives, Inside the Treaty?: Public Procurement Below Thresholds and Annex IIB Services DJOF (Copenhagen). 283-334
  • LUKE R.A. BUTLER, 2010. Review of Trust Funds under International Law – Trustee Obligations of the United Nations and International Development Banks by Ilias Bantekas, T.M.C. Asser Press, 2009, 320 pp. inc. Hard Cover International and Comparative Law Quarterly. 59(4), 1175-1176
  • LUKE R.A. BUTLER, 2010. Review of EU Counter-Terrorist Policies and Fundamental Rights: The Case of Individual Sanctions by Christina Eckes, Oxford, OUP, 2009, xxxiv + 478pp. inc. Hard Cover European Law Review. 35, 737-740
  • SUE ARROWSMITH, LUKE R A BUTLER and ANNAMARIA LA CHIMIA, 'General Introduction’. In: Public Procurement in (A) Crisis: Global Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic Hart. (In Press.)

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