EM LawShare begins re-tender process; expands membership to all public bodies

Legal purchasing consortium EM LawShare has begun the process of re-tendering its legal panel, extending the membership to all public bodies in England in the process.

The new contract, due to commence in April 2014 for four years, will comprise approximately six firms covering legal work across 10 main areas:

  • administrative and corporate governance
  • adult social services
  • civil litigation
  • contract, commercial and procurement
  • conveyancing and property
  • criminal litigation
  • education
  • employment
  • housing
  • planning, highways and environmental

Firms on the panel will also be expected  to provide a range of added value services including a training programme, a conference for members every other year, running the EM LawShare website and providing telephone helplines for members.

The EM LawShare consortium presently consists of 63 member authorities, primarily local and fire authorities and housing ALMOs across the East Midlands. The new panel, however, will be open to any public body in England, although member authorities will not be obliged to exclusively instruct panel firms. The existing contract was worth £2.8m last year.

"We are expecting considerable interest in this contract which will be worth over £10 million," said Stuart Leslie, EM LawShare con-ordinator.

The consortium is presently seeking expressions of interest from firms for the next contract. Interested firms must be able to demonstrate expertise and experience over the full range of work and will be required to complete a pre-qualification questionnaire which can be obtained from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The closing date for the return of the pre-qualification questionnaire is 17.00 on 9th August 2013.

The existing panel arrangement consists of five firms – Anthony Collins, Browne Jacobson, DLA Piper, Freeth Cartwright and Weightmans – providing legal services across 13 areas of work.