BG Group has assembled its first formal legal panel, with four firms appointed to the energy company's roster.

The exploration and development company has named Allen & Overy (A&O), Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith and CMS Cameron McKenna as its four panel advisers.

It is understood that the review process was particularly complex, spanning a seven-month pitch period and requiring several face-to-face pitch meetings.

The review was led by BG Group general counsel Graham Vinter (pictured), who joined the group in 2007 from A&O, where he was head of the project finance department.

Freshfields, Camerons and Herbert Smith have ties to the group, having advised it regularly in the past. At the end of last month, Herbert Smith took a role advising BG out of its London and Singapore offices on the sale of its indirectly-held interests in two power stations in the Philippines to Korea Electric Power Corporation for approximately $400m (£253m). Freshfields, meanwhile, has advised the group on several pieces of litigation in the US.

BG Group was created following the demerger of British Gas in 1997, which also saw Centrica take over the gas sales arm of the business under the British Gas brand.

The existing gas exploration section of the business was spun off under the BG brand, which also develops and connects gas to markets. BG's headquarters are in the UK but 60% of its staff is based internationally.