Social housing consortium names 22 firms to legal services framework agreement

The Central Housing Investment Consortium (CHIC) of social housing providers and local authorities has appointed 22 law firms to its latest four-year, multi-million pound legal services framework agreement.

CHIC has around 70 member landlords which manage more than half a million social housing homes across the Midlands, South and South Wales.

Worth an estimated £15m, the contract has been divided into the following lots:

1. Corporate, Governance and Finance.
2. Housing & Asset Management.
3. Property & Development.

The successful firms were (* new to the panel):

• Anthony Collins Solicitors (lots 1, 2, 3)
• Ashfords * (1, 3)
• Batchelors * (2)
• Bevan Brittan * (1, 2, 3)
• BLM * (2)
• Capsticks (1, 2, 3)
• Clarke Willmott (1)
• Devonshires (1, 2, 3)
• EMW * (3)
• Forbes (1, 2, 3)
• Glazer Delmar * (2)
• Judge & Priestley * (2)
• MSB Solicitors * (2, 3)
• Penningtons Manches Cooper * (1, 3)
• Sharratts (London) * (3)
• Shoosmiths (3)
• TLT * (1, 3)
• Tozers (1, 2, 3)
• Trowers & Hamlins (1)
• Ward Hadaway (2)
• Weightmans * (2, 3)
• Wright Hassall (1, 2, 3)

The new framework will go live on 1 July 2020. There are five more suppliers than there were for the 2016-20 framework.

The tender was run on CHIC’s behalf by legal management consultancy Kennedy Cater.

CHIC said the framework had been developed “to create significant saving for all of our members with more than 200 fixed-fee deals, plus hourly rates at an average 30% discount on firms’ standard charges.

“Our route to market has demonstrated significant efficiencies, generating over £1.1m of savings for our members from the ongoing framework.”

It added: “Each lot has an extensive list of fixed price services, fully reflective of the types of legal services that all registered providers may require. Members can directly select lawyers and/or conduct mini competitions. All of the legal firms were selected through a competitive OJEU tender process and demonstrated a robust service offer and cost competitive pricing.

“Social value remains at the core of all our frameworks and contracts. All firms are able to provide an extensive range of value added and social value benefits such as training opportunities, advice to improve employability of tenants and community engagement.”