Just a couple of weeks after online fashion retailer Boohoo.com became a stock market sensation, seeing its stock soar 50% on its first day of trading, netting its founders £125m in a matter of minutes, the Burnley-based start-up has appointed DLA Piper, TLT, Addleshaw Goddard and Pannone Corporate to its legal panel. Continue reading “The new ASOS? Boohoo.com announces new panel after expectation-surpassing AIM listing”
With an external legal spend in excess of $1bn since 2010, BP launches panel review
Energy giant BP, which has paid around $1bn in external legal fees in relation to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010, has announced a review of its UK law firm adviser line-up. Continue reading “With an external legal spend in excess of $1bn since 2010, BP launches panel review”
Adviser reviews: Irwin Mitchell replaced by Shakespeares on National Grid’s UK panel after review
Top 30 LB100 firm Irwin Mitchell has lost its place on energy giant National Grid’s legal panel, following a review by UK general counsel and company secretary Karen Clayton. Continue reading “Adviser reviews: Irwin Mitchell replaced by Shakespeares on National Grid’s UK panel after review”
Eyes on the prize: RFU to commence first law firm panel overhaul in six years
The Rugby Football Union (RFU)’s legal spend may be overshadowed by the majority of City clients but the prestige of advising a major sporting body means sports practices in the City are likely to be lining up when it launches its first panel review in over six years.
The review, which will be led by recently-promoted head of legal Angus Bujalski, will take place soon after the RFU has completed the hire of an additional commercial lawyer to its team. Bujalski took over as head of legal in November after previous incumbent Polly Handford left for sports boutique Couchmans.
Continue reading “Eyes on the prize: RFU to commence first law firm panel overhaul in six years”
National Grid conducts wholesale review of internal and external legal function
Energy giant to analyse in-house team and links with UK and US counsel National Grid’s group general counsel (GC) Alison Kay has launched a wholesale review of the FTSE 100 energy giant’s in-house and external legal function, which will look at whether the internal legal team is delivering the right services and adding value to the business, as well as a potential shake-up of both its UK and US external law firm panel.
The current UK panel, which was put together in 2011 when National Grid cut its roster of firms by 25% to 16, includes Allen & Overy, Linklaters, DLA Piper, Eversheds, CMS Cameron McKenna, Berwin Leighton Paisner and Field Fisher Waterhouse.
Kay, who has been with National Grid since 1996 and was promoted to her current role in January 2013 when Helen Mahy left to pursue outside interests, said she is responding to rate pressures across the business and the energy sector as a whole.
Continue reading “National Grid conducts wholesale review of internal and external legal function”
Panel review: Addleshaws and Linklaters new appointments as Nationwide completes adviser reshuffle
Addleshaw Goddard and Linklaters will sit alongside incumbent advisers Allen & Overy and Eversheds on Nationwide‘s new legal panel as the building society today (31 January) concluded its first review since putting together its first-ever roster in 2009.
Burges Salmon, Nabarro and Olswang have all lost their place on the group-wide legal panel for the building society, which started its review process last summer, led by group general counsel Liz Kelly, after plans to start the review in early 2013 were delayed.
Adviser reviews: Surrey County Council puts out tender for external legal panel
Surrey County Council (SCC) and 11 local authorities have again teamed up to launch a tender for a four-year legal advisory panel as its first, put together in 2009, is due to expire.
The panel, which is worth between £6m to £20m, will be divided into three subsets: care and education; general commercial; and environment and infrastructure. It will be accessible by local authorities within Surrey, East Sussex and Berkshire.
SCC first joined forces with its surrounding boroughs in 2009, appointing 21 legal advisors including Davies Arnold Cooper (now DAC Beachcroft), DWF, Trowers & Hamlins, Weightmans, Blake Lapthorn and Freeth Cartwright. Barrister sets appointed included 14 Gray’s Inn Square, 12 College Place, 4 Brick Court, 1 King’s Bench Walk, and 1 Chancery Lane.
Continue reading “Adviser reviews: Surrey County Council puts out tender for external legal panel”
Bond Dickinson wins AIG tender for volume contract work
Following a competitive tender process between five of its panel law firms, AIG has awarded its bulk contract work to Bond Dickinson, as the insurance giant’s general counsel for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Chris Newby focuses his team on more strategic, higher level legal work.
AIG concluded its main panel review in September, appointing a 25-strong list of advisers, including Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Berwin Leighton Paisner and DLA Piper.
A secondary tendering process was conducted among five panel firms for the job of updating and modernising hundreds of medium risk, high-volume but low-value contracts with AIG’s providers.
Continue reading “Bond Dickinson wins AIG tender for volume contract work”
Bond Dickinson wins AIG tender for volume contract work
Merged regional giant beats four rivals for out-of-London mandates
Following a competitive tender process between five of its panel law firms, AIG has awarded its bulk contract work to Bond Dickinson, as the insurance giant’s general counsel for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Chris Newby focuses his team on more strategic, higher level legal work.
AIG concluded its main panel review in September, appointing a 25-strong list of advisers, including Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Berwin Leighton Paisner and DLA Piper.
A secondary tendering process was conducted among five panel firms for the job of updating and modernising hundreds of medium risk, high-volume but low-value contracts with AIG’s providers.
Continue reading “Bond Dickinson wins AIG tender for volume contract work”
BG Group slims down legal roster to three
For a FTSE 100 company operating in 20 countries, BG Group’s panel of four law firms was already slim, but it just got slimmer, with news last month that Allen & Overy (A&O) and Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) have been dropped in favour of Clifford Chance (CC), which wins a place alongside incumbents CMS Cameron McKenna and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.
The appointment of the firms – which will offer full-service advice to the energy giant – came into effect on 1 November and follows a relatively short pitch process, which began in September.
Continue reading “BG Group slims down legal roster to three”