Decision

Advice Letter: Laurence Mann, Chief of Staff to Lord Cameron as Strategic Advisor, DLA Piper LLP (US)

Updated 5 June 2025

1. BUSINESS APPOINTMENT APPLICATION: Laurence James Mann CBE, former Special Adviser to the Foreign Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Paid appointment with DLA Piper LLP (US). 

Mr Mann sought advice from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (the Committee) under the government’s Business Appointment Rules for Former Crown Servants (the Rules) on taking up appointment with DLA Piper LLP (US) (DLA Piper) as the Chief of Staff to Lord Cameron as a Strategic Advisor.

The purpose of the Rules is to protect the integrity of the government. The Committee has considered the risks associated with the actions and decisions made during Mr Mann’s time in office, alongside the information and influence he could offer DLA Piper. The material information taken into consideration by the Committee is set out in the annex.

The Committee’s advice is not an endorsement of the appointment – it imposes a number of conditions to mitigate the potential risks to the government associated with the appointment under the Rules.

The Rules[1] set out that Crown servants must abide by the Committee’s advice. It is an applicant’s personal responsibility to manage the propriety of any appointment. Former Crown servants are expected to uphold the highest standards of propriety and act in accordance with the 7 Principles of Public Life.

2. The Committee’s Consideration of the risks presented

DLA Piper is a global law firm operating through various separate and distinct legal entities. DLA Piper has contracted with the UK government providing legal advisory services.  This has included advising the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) on the subject matter of the UK government’s participation in The Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific (IF-CAP) [2] [3]. Mr Mann informed the Committee that DLA Piper has represented the FCDO with respect to the ongoing COVID-19 Inquiry.

The FCDO confirmed that Mr Mann did not meet with, nor was he involved in any policy, regulatory or commercial decisions specific to DLA Piper, or whilst in office. Whilst he was Special Advisor to the Foreign Secretary - who held overall responsibility for the department - the FCDO confirmed he was not sighted or involved in DLA Piper’s work on IF-CAP, nor the COVID-19 Inquiry. Therefore, the Committee[4] considered that the risk that this role could be seen as a reward for Mr Mann’s decisions in government service is low.

As Special Adviser to the Foreign Secretary, Mr Mann will have had access to a wide range of privileged information. The risks are limited given there is no direct overlap between Mr Mann’s role in government and his proposed role with DLA Piper. Further, the FCDO is not aware of any specific information that could provide an unfair advantage to DLA Piper.

There are risks associated with Mr Mann’s influence and network of contacts gained whilst in Crown service. Part of his role with DLA Piper is supporting Lord Cameron in providing strategic and geopolitical advice to augment the firm’s expertise and network. Mr Mann said that his role will not involve contact with the UK government. However, in supporting Lord Cameron, there is a risk that Mr Mann could draw on his contacts gained in office but outside of government to the unfair advantage of DLA Piper.

3. The Committee’s advice

The Committee determined the risks identified in this application can be appropriately mitigated by the conditions below. These make it clear that Mr Mann cannot make use of privileged information, contacts or influence gained from his time in Crown service to the unfair advantage of DLA Piper.

In accordance with the government’s Business Appointment Rules, the Committee advises this appointment with DLA Piper LLP (US) be subject to the following conditions:

• he should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of himself or the persons or organisations to which this advice refers) any privileged information available to him from his time in Crown service;

• for two years from his last day in Crown service, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK government or any of its arm’s length bodies on behalf of DLA Piper LLP (US) (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients); nor should he make use, directly or indirectly, of his contacts in the government and/or Crown service contacts to influence policy, secure business/funding or otherwise unfairly advantage DLA Piper LLP (US) (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients);

• for two years from his last day in Crown service, he should not provide advice to DLA Piper LLP (US) (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients) on the terms of, or with regard to the subject matter of, a bid with, or contract relating directly to the work of the UK government or any of its arm’s length bodies; and

• for two years from his last day in Crown service, he should not become personally involved in lobbying contacts he has developed during his time in office and in external governments and organisations for the purpose of securing business for DLA Piper LLP (US) (including parent companies, subsidiaries and partners).

The advice and the conditions under the government’s Business Appointment Rules relate to an applicant’s previous role in government only; they are separate from rules administered by other bodies such as the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and the Registrar of Lords’ Interests[5]. It is an applicant’s personal responsibility to understand any other rules and regulations they may be subject to in parallel with this Committee’s advice.

By ‘privileged information’ we mean official information to which a minister or Crown servant has had access as a consequence of his or her office or employment and which has not been made publicly available. Applicants are also reminded that they may be subject to other duties of confidentiality, whether under the Official Secrets Act, the Ministerial Code/Civil Service Code or otherwise.

The Business Appointment Rules explain that the restriction on lobbying means that the former Crown servant “should not engage in communication with Government (Ministers, civil servants, including special advisers, and other relevant officials/public office holders) – wherever it takes place – with a view to influencing a Government decision, policy or contract award/grant in relation to their own interests or the interests of the organisation by which they are employed, or to whom they are contracted or with which they hold office.”

Mr Mann must inform us as soon as he takes up this work or if it is announced that he will do so. Similarly, he must inform us if he proposes to extend or otherwise change his role with the organisation as depending on the circumstances, it might be necessary for him to seek fresh advice.

Once this appointment has been publicly announced or taken up, we will publish this letter on the Committee’s website.

4. Annex- Material Information

4.1 The role

DLA Piper is one of the largest law firms in the United States and the Americas.  It  has provided legal advisory services to the FCDO and the government widely. During Mr Mann’s time in government service, DLA Piper advised the FCDO on its participation in The Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific (IF-CAP). IF-CAP is a multi-donor financing partnership facility with the goal of scaling-up finance for accelerated action against climate change in Asia and the Pacific – in which the current Foreign Secretary announced in November 2024 a guarantee of $280 million (around £220 million) to the new IF-CAP initiative, which the UK is a founding partner of together with the Asian Development Bank and the other financing partners[6].

Mr Mann stated his role is to support Lord Cameron in his respective role as Strategic Advisor to DLA Piper in:

• assisting him in providing strategic and geopolitical advice to the firm’s leadership team with a particular emphasis on global risk.
• assist in convening and attending meetings to strengthen relationships with key firm partners and clients, and attending/ participating at events for the firm.

Mr Mann stated that there are clear guardrails in his role to ensure that his role will not involve any contact with the UK Government on behalf of the firm.

4.2 Dealings in office

Mr Mann stated that DLA Piper has a relationship with the FCDO – as DLA Piper International has represented his  former department with respect to the current UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

Mr Mann stated that he did not meet with, nor was involved in any policy, commercial or regulatory decisions specific to, DLA Piper in his capacity as Special Adviser to the Foreign Secretary.

4.3 Departmental assessment

The FCDO said that Mr Mann did not make any decisions specific to DLA Piper in office, nor did he meet with the company in his role as Special Adviser to the Foreign Secretary.

The FCDO stated it has a historic relationship with DLA Piper. The FCDO Legal Directorate stated that:

• DLA Piper was previously contracted by the Operations Committee in September 2022, which was prior to Mr Mann’s time in government service and the contract was handled by the Director General Legal at the time as well as the contract extension.
• DLA Piper was contracted by FCDO to provide advice on Development Capital grants during Mr Mann’s time as Special Adviser, but he did not have any involvement in decisions nor awareness of matters involving DLA Piper and FCDO.
• the COVID-19 Inquiry team responded separately in respect of DLA Piper’s engagement on the subject matter – without Mr Mann’s involvement.

The FCDO did not have concerns with the appointment and recommended the standard conditions together with a limitation on the role to prevent him from undertaking any work that overlaps with his time as Special Adviser to the Foreign Secretary. It also noted that the FCDO Permanent Under-Secretary had a less cautious view in terms of the risk relating to unknown clients.

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[1] Which apply by virtue of the Civil Service Management Code, The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, The King’s Regulations and the Diplomatic Service Code

[2] www.dlapiper.com/en/news/2024/11/dla-piper-advises-foreign-commonwealth-development-office-on-multidonor-sustainable-finance-fund

[3] IF-CAP is a multi-donor financing partnership facility with the goal of scaling-up finance for accelerated action against climate change in Asia and the Pacific – of which the Foreign Secretary announced in November 2024 a guarantee of $280 million (around £220 million) to the new IFCAP initiative, which the UK is a founding partner of together with the Asian Development Bank and the other financing partners.

[4] This application for advice was considered by Andrew Cumpsty; Isabel Doverty; Sarah de Gay; Dawid Konotey-Ahulu CBE DL; Hedley Finn OBE; Michael Prescott; and Mike Weir.

[5] All Peers and Members of Parliament are prevented from paid lobbying under the House of Commons Code of Conduct and the Code of Conduct for Members of the House of Lords. Advice on obligations under the Code can be sought from the Parliamentary Commissioners for Standards, in the case of MPs, or the Registrar of Lords’ Interests, in the case of peers.

[6] www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-confirms-help-for-developing-countries-to-tackle-climate-change-and-build-greener-future#:~:text=The%20Foreign%20Secretary%20also%20announced%20a%20guarantee,to%20the%20UK.%20The%20Foreign%20Secretary%20said: