Southwark names 14 firms to £9m legal services panel

Southwark Council has appointed 14 law firms to a legal services framework worth an estimated £9m over four years.

The London borough divided the framework into the following lots:

1. Complex matters.

2.1 Corporate and Procurement.

2.2 General Litigation

2.3 Housing

2.4 Health and Social Care

2.5 Employment

2.6 Education

3.1 Residential Conveyancing

3.2 Debt Recovery

The successful firms were:

  • Ashfords (lots 2.2, 2.3, 2.5)
  • Bevan Brittan (1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6)
  • Browne Jacobson (2.1, 2.4, 2.6)
  • Clyde & Co (1, 2.5)
  • Dentons (1)
  • Devonshires (2.3)
  • DWF (3.2)
  • Judge & Priestley (2.2, 2.3, 3.2)
  • Michelmores (2.6)
  • Paris Smith (3.1)
  • Sharpe Pritchard (1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)
  • Trowers & Hamlins (1, 2.1, 3.1)
  • Ward Hadaway (3.2)
  • Womble Bond Dickinson (2.1, 3.1)

The framework arrangements will also be made available to other London boroughs, their wholly owned companies, London clinical commissioning groups, the Fire Authority, London Councils and the Local Government Association.

Doreen Forrester-Brown, Director of Law & Democracy and Monitoring Officer at Southwark, said: “The new framework will support Southwark to deliver its fairer future promises of achieving value for money, through the maintenance of competitive fixed rates and quality assured legal services. The framework is required to support the in-house team where increased capacity is required or where the expertise is not available in-house. 

“In addition to providing added value to the council’s legal team and other departments, the new framework will also generate considerable soft benefits for the local community in Southwark which include but is not limited to presentations at schools, mentoring for Southwark young people, work experience and placements, widening access sessions for the local community to provide information about how to pursue a career in law, the provision of pro bono advice and legal surgeries to local community groups, support for community groups and local based charities and sessions of professional skills support for new business start-ups.”

Judith Barnes, lead partner for the tender at Bevan Brittan, said: “Naturally, we are delighted to have been appointed to the framework and look forward to working with the council to help achieve its strategic objectives in the current challenging financial environment along with support for the other framework bodies, many of which partner with the council."