Royal Mail has cut back its UK legal panel from eight firms to three, with CMS Cameron McKenna, Beachcroft and Bond Pearce winning coveted places on the roster.

The trio will formally start their three-year terms on 1 December, with the option of extending it for one year. The panel covers company & commercial, IT, intellectual property, pensions, dispute resolution and the higher value end of property and employment work for both Royal Mail and the Post Office.

Royal Mail said it decided to rationalise its use of external law firms earlier this year, in a bid to drive down costs, improve efficiency and gain better value-added services. The decision means Hogan Lovells, Eversheds, Bird & Bird, Pinsent Masons and Olswang no longer sit on the company's roster.

Group general counsel Doug Evans led the review, which he kicked off in September, inviting all of the previous panel firms to pitch for the new roster.

Evans said: "I am confident this new panel will fulfil Royal Mail's requirements. I would like to thank those firms that were unsuccessful in the review for the services they have provided to Royal Mail in the past."

Royal Mail will continue to instruct Slaughter and May on its City work, which was not part of the UK review.