Banco Santander has kicked off a review of its external legal advisers in the UK as it emerges that Barclays is set to grill its global panel firms on corporate hospitality spending for the first time.

Santander's review of its own-account legal panel began around two weeks ago and covers the legacy Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and Bradford & Bingley brands.

Company secretary and corporate services head Karen Fortunato is leading the review of the roster, which currently sees firms including Ashurst, Slaughter and May, Clifford Chance and Allen & Overy advising across eight areas of work including litigation, corporate, employment and capital markets.

The bank also operates a third-party panel for work where most of the fees are passed to the bank's clients. This was reviewed before Christmas resulting in eight law firm appointments, which Santander would not confirm.

A spokesman for Santander said: "Santander, in line with its procurement and supplier management practices, continually revises its supplier arrangements across all disciplines to ensure it continues to receive high quality services at competitive prices."

Separately, early details have emerged of Barclays' panel process, which launched last week (4 April). The review will, for the first time, see the bank ensuring its external legal advisers comply with the incoming UK Bribery Act. This includes submitting details of corporate hospitality spending.

The implementation date of the Act was pushed back to July to give businesses more time to prepare and adapt for the new regime. Barclays deputy group general counsel Michael Shaw said: "The implementation of the Bribery Act is only weeks away, and like all other UK companies we have to ensure that all our significant suppliers, including external law firms, have appropriate policies in place to prevent breaches of the Act."

One City partner commented: "We have been asked to provide details of the value of our corporate hospitality packages in order to avoid improper conduct. Other banks and corporates are likely to follow suit." Barclays' general advisory panel is expected to be completed by the end of June.

Around 20 firms were appointed as approved US advisers late last year, with Linklaters the only UK firm to make the preliminary line-up, which also includes Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, Sullivan & Cromwell, Davis Polk & Wardwell and Weil Gotshal & Manges.

Additional reporting by Sofia Lind.