Crown Commercial Service names 18 firms to £320m, two-tier legal advice panel
The Crown Commercial Service has named 18 law firms to a £320m, two-tier panel for the supply of general legal advice to crown bodies and other permitted users.
The following suppliers have been appointed to Tier 1 (45 offers having been received):
- Bond Dickinson
- Burges Salmon
- DAC Beachcroft
- Dentons
- DLA Piper
- Eversheds Sutherland
- Gowling WLG
- Linklaters
- Mills & Reeve
- Pinsent Masons
- PwC – consortium also including Holman Fenwick Willan, Sharpe Pritchard and Howes Percival
- TLT
Where suppliers on Tier 1 are unable to accept orders for services, then suppliers on Tier 2 will be used.
The following suppliers have been appointed to Tier 2:
- Bevan Brittan
- Browne Jacobson
- Fieldfisher
- Hogan Lovells
- Slaughter and May
- Simmons & Simmons
The panel agreement is for an initial panel period of two years, with the option to extend for up to two further periods of twelve consecutive months.
The contracts were awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender in terms of quality (weighting 70) and price (weighting 30).
The creation of a panel for general legal services was part of the CCS’ work on replacing a legal services framework that was due to expire in early 2017. That framework had 47 suppliers and, unlike the new panel, was divided into lots.
Commenting on being part of the PwC consortium, Alastair Lewis, incoming Senior Partner of Sharpe Pritchard, said: “This is a marvellous achievement and a great example of a successful collaboration between four firms with expertise and experience which complement each other. Between us we are putting forward a best of breed solution to enable the Government to benefit from the combined strength of the four firms.”