Birmingham City Council throws panel open to all local authorities

Birmingham City Council has invited all the country's local authorities to use its new law firm panels announced last week.

The council, the largest local authority in the UK, has appointed 16 firms to its 11 panels which include civil litigation, criminal litigation, employment, highways, housing, licensing, property, and PFI/PPP. The new arrangements last for four years.

The review brought in eight new firms and saw 16 former panel members removed from Birmingham's law firm roster.

The firms on the panel are:

• Ashfords
• Berrymans Lace Mawer
• Cobbetts
• Davitt Jones Bould
• Eversheds
• Freeth Cartwright
• Hammonds
• Pinsent Masons
• Shoosmiths
• TLT
• Walker Morris
• Wragge & Co

Birmingham director of law and governance Mirza Ahmad said that the prospect of the panel being available to other local authorities had encouraged applicant firms to provide more competitive rates.

He said: “Opening up the panel provides a bigger pool of clients for them and greater kudos. It should also mean less tendering costs for law firms. It makes economic sense for local government and the public purse [to share panels]. There is no logic in every local authority tendering its own panel at great expense.”

Some 38 councils – including district, unitary and county councils – have already stated their intention to use the panel. There is no cost to councils for using Birmingham's panels. Councils using the panels will pay the fees directly to panel law firms, not via Birmingham. Councils interested in using the new panel should contact Mirza Ahmad at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..