Sainsbury's has finalised its first-ever formal roster of legal advisers, with the supermarket giant gifting mandates to a panel of 11 firms.

Head of legal Nick Grant led the review, which saw historic advisers Eversheds, Dickinson Dees, SJ Berwin, Biggart Baillie and McDermott Will & Emery struck off the FTSE 100 retailer's list of preferred firms.

Thirty firms competed for places on the roster, which will be used to coordinate an annual legal spend of around £13m.

Those appointed are: Addleshaw Goddard; Bond Pearce; Shepherd & Wedderburn; Winckworth Sherwood; Charles Russell; CMS Cameron McKenna; Denton Wilde Sapte; Lawrence Graham; Linklaters; L'Estrange & Brett; and Croner Consulting.

Scots giant Shepherds is the only appointed firm not to have worked previously with Sainsbury's, which had informal relationships with around 20 law firms.

The appointments are for an initial three-year period, after which a review is scheduled in line with the retailer's growth plans.

Grant said in a statement: "We are please to have selected firms [that] endorse and reflect Sainsbury's' values. The review has given us an opportunity to think through and specify a fresh set of service expectations. In the process we have learnt a great deal about the exciting, industry-leading capabilities that firms can offer."

Grant said Sainsbury's plans to hold a conference between its advisers and its in-house team in the coming months in an effort to push for a higher level of collaboration and sharing of best practice.

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