Adviser, Team Lewis

Cabinet Office 

1 July 2026

Paid appointment with Team Lewis: Application under the Business Appointment Rules from The Rt Hon The Lord Case CVO, PhD, former Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service at the Cabinet Office. 

Thank you for submitting an application for advice under the Business Appointment Rules (the Rules) to the Civil Service Commission (the Commission) on behalf of The Rt Hon The Lord Case CVO, PhD, formerly Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service at the Cabinet Office. The application is for a paid, part-time role as an Adviser at Team Lewis. Further detail on the content of the application is in the Annex. The Commission’s advice is required as Lord Case is a former civil servant at SCS Pay Band 4. His last day of service was 31 March 2025.

The purpose of the Rules is to protect the integrity of the government. They aim to avoid any reasonable concerns that: a civil servant may be influenced in their official duties by the risk of reward; a civil servant may improperly exploit access to information; and an organisation may gain an improper influence through the employment of a civil servant.

The Commission’s advice¹ is that the appointment with Team Lewis should be made subject to the following conditions: 

1. Privileged information – Lord Case 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 office or from his roles as Chair of the Barrow Delivery Board, Non-Executive Director at the Ministry of Defence on the Defence Nuclear Board, and/or any other role where he continues to represent the UK Government or its arm’s length bodies.
2. Lobbying – For two years from his last day in office, until 31 March 2027, Lord Case should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government or its arm’s length bodies on behalf of Team Lewis (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients). He should also not use, directly or indirectly, his contacts in the government and/or civil service to influence policy, secure business/funding or otherwise unfairly advantage Team Lewis (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients). 
3. Bids and contracts – For two years from his last day in the civil service, until 31 March 2027, Lord Case should not provide advice to Team Lewis (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients) on a bid or contract relating to the UK Government or its arm’s length bodies.
4. Engagement with government – For two years from his last day in the civil service, until 31 March 2027, Lord Case should not have any engagement on behalf of Team Lewis (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients) with the UK Government or its arm’s length bodies. 
5. Limitation to the role – For two years from his last day in office, until 31 March 2027, Lord Case is prevented from advising Team Lewis (including parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients) on the UK defence and UK national security matters. 
6. Limitation to the role: unknown clients – For two years from his last day in office, until 31 March 2027, Lord Case is prevented from advising on work regarding any policy or operational matter he had a material role in developing or determining, or where he had a material relationship with the relevant client, during his time as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service at the Cabinet Office. 

Lord Case and Team Lewis confirmed to the Commission his intention to fully comply with the lobbying ban that applied to him, as well as their understanding of, and adherence to the remaining conditions that apply to Lord Case’s role. 

The Rules set out that civil servants must abide by the Commission’s advice. It is Lord Case’s personal responsibility to manage the propriety of any appointment and to understand any other codes and requirements he may be subject to, including in relation to ongoing non-civil service roles, in parallel with the Commission’s advice.  

The Commission’s jurisdiction and the conditions set out in this letter relate only to the Rules as they apply to Lord Case’s former role as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service. Any conditions which apply  in relation to his current Non-Executive roles are to be determined by the departments concerned.

Lord Case must seek advice if he proposes to extend or otherwise change his role with the organisation. Once this appointment has been publicly announced or taken up, the letter will be published on the Civil Service Commission’s website.

Yours sincerely, 

Gisela Stuart

First Civil Service Commissioner

Annex A: The application

1. According to its website, Team Lewis is a global marketing and communications agency. It offers a wide range of services, including public relations, digital marketing, and creative strategy. It operates in diverse sectors such as automotive, consumer technology, cyber security, energy, financial services, and healthcare. In March 2026, it launched a specialist defence and advanced technologies practice, which will work with clients to address complex public policy and regulatory challenges in this space.² The agency has been a registered consultant lobbyist since April 2015.

Applicant assessment 

2. As an Adviser, Lord Case stated he will advise Team Lewis on geopolitical issues and trends to help them better understand issues affecting businesses globally. 

3. Lord Case confirmed his role will not involve contact with, or lobbying of, government. 

4. As Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service at the Cabinet Office, Lord Case advised on the running of the Cabinet and its associated committees to ensure the government reached a collective agreement on policies. As part of his duties, he was one of the Prime Minister’s senior advisers on the working of government and on major policy decisions, and had ultimate oversight of the entire Home Civil Service. 

5. Lord Case stated he was not responsible for any policy, regulatory or commercial decisions specific to Team Lewis at any time in his last two years in the civil service.

Ongoing role with government

6. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Cabinet Office confirmed that Lord Case continues to represent the government as: 

• Non-Executive Director (NED) on the Defence Nuclear Board (1 April 2025 to 31 March 2028). This oversees the Defence Nuclear Enterprise which comprises the organisations that operate, maintain, renew and sustain the UK’s nuclear deterrent.
• Chair of the Barrow Delivery Board (appointed 10 February 2025). 

Correspondence with Team Lewis

7. Team Lewis confirmed its understanding of, and adherence to the Commission’s advice and the conditions imposed on Lord Case’s appointment. The company confirmed his role will not constitute lobbying nor involvement in engagement with government.

Departmental assessment

8. The Cabinet Office noted that Team Lewis has a relationship with the MOD and has previously sponsored dinners for defence officials including events at the RAF Club and the RAF Museum. It added that in March 2026, the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, alongside leaders from government, industry and innovation, attended Team Lewis’ launch of their Defence and Advanced Technologies Practice. However, the Cabinet Office confirmed that Lord Case did not meet with Team Lewis during his role as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, and was not involved in decisions specific to the company. The department said that the risk that the appointment is a reward for past favours from his time as Cabinet Secretary is low.

9. The Cabinet Office stated that as Cabinet Secretary, Lord Case had access to a wide range of privileged information, including national security matters and the Single Intelligence Account (the funding of the UK’s three main intelligence agencies). The department stated that Lord Case could provide the prospective employer and/or its clients an unfair advantage. The department said that this risk is heightened by his current role at the MOD, and noted the new defence practice announced by Team Lewis. The Cabinet Office therefore recommended that the applicant is restricted from providing advice on UK defence and UK national security matters for a period of two years from the final day of service.
10. The Cabinet Office noted that a complete list of Team Lewis’ clients is unavailable, other than those for whom they have lobbied. The department believes that there is a risk that Lord Case could advise a client with whom he had a prior relationship in government. Therefore, the Cabinet Office recommended that Lord Case should be restricted from advising the prospective employer’s clients on any work relating to any decisions which he had a material role in developing or determining, or where he had a relationship with the relevant client during his time in office, for a period of two years from the final day of service.

11. The Cabinet Office stated that while Lord Case does not envisage lobbying the UK Government, there is a risk, real or perceived, that the applicant will be involved in the company’s lobbying activity. The department stated the applicant should therefore be restricted from contacting the UK Government on behalf of his prospective employer. It added that this does not preclude his ability to perform his other public sector roles, nor contact with government when he is not representing Team Lewis or its clients.

12. The Cabinet Office also noted Lord Case’s ongoing role as a NED on the Defence Nuclear Board. The MOD confirmed that Lord Case has a responsibility to ensure that no conflict arises between his public duties and private interests and is required to comply with the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. He must also remove himself from discussions of any matters where his interest might suggest a danger of bias. The MOD stated that risks associated with his ongoing role require him to comply with the terms of his appointment, declare his interest, and manage it in agreement with the department. In respect of the Business Appointment Rules, the MOD recommended Lord Case be explicitly advised that he must not discuss with Team Lewis any matters discussed at MOD boards where he serves. 

13. Additionally, the Cabinet Office recommended that the advice letter is explicit that Lord Case must maintain his obligations to comply with the conflict of interests policy as set out in the terms of his appointment as a Non-Executive Director with the Ministry of Defence, and that agreeing appropriate arrangements is a matter for the MOD.

The Commission’s analysis

14. Risk of reward.  While Team Lewis maintains a relationship with government through the MOD, the Cabinet Office confirmed that Lord Case had no official dealings with, and did not make any decisions specific to, Team Lewis during his time as Cabinet Secretary. Given the absence of any direct involvement in the organisation’s commercial or promotional activities while in office, the Commission considered the risk that this role is a reward for his actions or decisions in office to be low. 
15. Access to information and limitation to the role. As the former Cabinet Secretary, Lord Case had access to a broad and sensitive range of information across all areas of government policy, including national security and the Single Intelligence Account. While the passage of over a year since his departure generally reduces the currency of such information, this mitigation is significantly weakened by his ongoing access to privileged information and key stakeholders through his current roles as Chair of the Barrow Delivery Board and NED on the Defence Nuclear Board. Further, the Commission noted the relevance of the recent launch of Team Lewis’ new defence practice, which focuses on integrated communications and public affairs expertise. This creates a direct overlap between the agency’s commercial offering and the high-level security insights Lord Case holds from his former role in government. Despite the time elapsed since he left office, these insights retain a high degree of currency, particularly regarding national security. Therefore, the Commission agreed with the Cabinet Office to place a specific restriction on advising on UK defence or national security matters.

16. In addition to the standard condition preventing the use of privileged information, specific internal mechanisms within the MOD, including the appointment terms and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies, serve to manage potential conflicts of interest. To further mitigate risks concerning his access to information, the Commission determined that the standard privileged information condition should be clarified to explicitly cover any other capacity in which Lord Case continues to represent the UK Government or its arm’s length bodies.

17. Improper influence and engagement with government. As the former Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, Lord Case will have a network of contacts in government that could provide an unfair advantage to Team Lewis. This risk is significant given that Team Lewis is an active lobbyist with established interests in the defence sector. While Lord Case does not envisage having contact with government in this role, the Commission considered that his continued visibility in ongoing government advisory roles heightens the risk that any interaction could be perceived as lobbying. The Commission agreed with the Cabinet Office that this perception risk, whether regarding policy or contracts, cannot be managed by the standard lobbying ban alone. To mitigate this risk, both real and perceived, the Commission agreed to impose a ban on any engagement with the UK Government in this role.

18. Limitation to the role: unknown clients. Furthermore, as Team Lewis operates as a consultancy with unknown clients, there is a risk that Lord Case could advise a client with whom he had a material relationship while in office. To address this, the Commission agreed with the Cabinet Office that Lord Case should be restricted from advising clients on any work regarding any policy or operational matters he had a material role in developing or determining, or where he had a material relationship with the relevant client, during his time in office for a period of two years from the final day of service.

19. Waiting period. As an SCS4 official, Lord Case is subject to a three month waiting period upon leaving government service in taking up any appointments. This is not applicable as it has been over a year since he left the civil service. 
20. The Commission’s jurisdiction. The Commission’s jurisdiction exists solely in relation to the Rules, and the risks associated with Lord Case’s former roles as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service. While the Commission notes the potential for conflicts of interest arising from the ongoing NED roles held by Lord Case within the MOD, these roles are governed by separate departmental conduct frameworks and fall outside the remit of the Commission. The decision to impose the conditions in this letter is intended to mitigate risks specifically related to his time in the Civil Service. Any risks which may arise from other roles are to be managed by the relevant government bodies concerned.

1.  See Advice under the Business Appointment Rules for details applying to all advice issued by the Civil Service Commission. ↩︎
2. Team Lewis, ‘TEAM LEWIS Launches Specialist Defence and Advanced Technologies Practice for the New Age of ‘Cyber Kinetic Conflict’, https://www.teamlewis.com/uk/magazine/team-lewis-launches-defence-advanced-tech-practice/ 
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