South of England authorities name 30+ law firms and several barristers’ chambers to £40m framework

Orbis is a partnership between East Sussex County Council, Surrey County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council.

The contract is for an initial period of three years with a potential one-year extension.

The framework was divided into the following lots:

1. Adult Social Care

2. Pensions

3. SEN Tribunals & Education

4. Commercial Law, Contracts & Procurement, Telecoms & IT Law, Construction Law

5a. FOI/GDPR Information Law

5b. Monitoring Officer, Local Government Law

6a. Highways, Planning & Environment

6b. Property & Housing

7a. Employment

7b. Civil, Criminal, Environmental Health, Licensing & Housing, Contentious Construction

8. Advocacy (Lots 1–7)

9a. Children’s Social Care (Transactional)

9b. Children’s Social Care (Advocacy)

10. Costs Lawyer

11. Loss adjusters.

The successful firms, chambers and other providers were:

• Anthony Collins (lot 5b)
• Bevan Brittan (1, 2, 3, 4, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 9a, 10)
• Bird & Bird (4)
• Birketts (3, 4, 5a, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b)
• Blake Morgan (1, 2, 4, 5a, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b)
• Browne Jacobson (1, 3, 4, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 10)
• Burges Salmon (2)
• Capital Law (5a, 6b, 7a)
• Capsticks (1, 4, 5a, 6a, 6b, 7a)
• Clyde & Co (4, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b)
• CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang (2)
• Creighton & Partners (9a)
• DAC Beachcroft (2, 3, 4, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 10)
• Davies Group (7a, 11)
• Davitt Jones Bould (6a, 6b)
• DLA Piper (4)
• DWF (1, 2, 4, 5a, 5b, 6a, 7b, 9a, 10, 11)
• Eversheds Sutherland (2)
• Field Court Chambers (1, 9a)
• Freeths (4, 5a, 6a, 6b, 7a)
• Gowling WLG (4)
• HNK Data Consulting (5a)
• Hugh James (1, 7b, 9a)
• Invicta Law (1, 7a, 9a)
• Irwin Mitchell (4, 6a, 6b, 7b, 10)
• Pallant Chambers (6a, 6b, 7a)
• Sharpe Pritchard (4, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b)
• Sharratts (6b)
• TLT (2, 4, 5a, 6a, 6b, 7a)
• Tozers (6a)
• Venters Solicitors (9a)
• VWV (3, 5a, 5b, 6a, 7a)
• Weightmans (1, 2, 3, 4, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 9a, 10)
• Womble Bond Dickinson (4, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a)

Multiple barristers’ chambers have been appointed to Lot 8 – Advocacy. Along with law firm Browne Jacobson, they include:

• 1 Crown Office Row
• 11KBW
• 12CP Barristers
• 39 Essex Chambers
• 42 Bedford Row
• Cornerstone Barristers
• Field Court Chambers
• Landmark Chambers
• No.5 Chambers
• Pallant Chambers
• Francis Taylor Building

The sets of chambers appointed to Lot 9b – Children’s Social Care (Advocacy) are:

• 1 Crown Office Row
• 1GC Management
• 4 Brick Court
• 42 Bedford Row
• The Barrister Group
• Field Court Chambers
• New Court Chambers
• Pallant Chambers
• 5 Pump Court Chambers

The framework started on 21 November 2025.