MoD review set to cut two firms from coveted UK projects panel
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has launched a review of its projects panel, with the overhaul set to see two UK law firms trimmed from the eight-strong roster. Law firms have been invited to tender for the coveted panel, which covers the body's public private partnership and private finance initiative (PFI) work, by the end of October. The four-year contracts are to be awarded in January.
September 23, 2009 at 06:50 AM
2 minute read
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has launched a review of its projects panel, with the overhaul set to see two UK law firms trimmed from the eight-strong roster.
Law firms have been invited to tender for the coveted panel, which covers the body's public private partnership and private finance initiative (PFI) work, by the end of October. The four-year contracts are to be awarded in January.
An MoD spokesperson told Legal Week it intended to cut back the number of outside counsel it uses in a bid to reduce legal costs. The MoD is less reliant on external advisers as it has grown its in-house commercial legal team from 10 lawyers to 24 since the panel was last reviewed in 2006.
At that time the MoD cut the panel down from 12 firms to eight, with Herbert Smith and Mills & Reeve added to a roster that also included Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Denton Wilde Sapte, Pinsent Masons, Wragge & Co, Burges Salmon and Scotland's Shepherd and Wedderburn.
DLA Piper and Simmons & Simmons were among six firms that were dropped at that point.
Simmons, which is among the firms thought to be tendering for the new line-up, had a 20-year relationship with the MoD prior to losing its place. However, it has continued to advise the MoD, winning mandates including a role on 2008′s landmark £13bn PFI venture – the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft project.
Other firms that have advised the MoD in relation to major projects in the past include Linklaters and Bird & Bird.
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