Clifford Chance (CC) and Norton Rose have scored debut panel roles for LV= on its corporate legal roster alongside Eversheds and Bond Pearce.

The UK insurance company, formerly known as Liverpool Victoria, has appointed the four firms to advise on business affairs.

CC, which has offered specialist legal advice to the mutual in recent years, has been formally appointed to the roster for the first time. Meanwhile, Norton Rose, which is also new to the panel, will take on corporate and commercial affairs including regulatory issues, insurance law and M&A support.

Both Eversheds and Bond Pearce have been reappointed to the panel, which LV= last reviewed in 2009.

Eversheds handles a range of corporate and commercial work for LV=, including advice and support on M&A and business deals such as the outsourcing of LV's fund management arm to Threadneedle Asset Management last year. It will continue to provide specialist funds advice. Bond Pearce will continue to handle corporate and commercial matters including property, litigation and IT contracts.

LV= group general counsel Rachel Small commented: "Over the last two years we have strengthened our in-house legal team significantly and now is the right time to streamline the panel to ensure that those we work with are an extension of the skills we have developed within our own team.

"All four of our legal partners have a good cultural fit with our business and by working with this select few we can ensure we deliver a professional and cost effective service to the LV business while maintaining a large enough panel to support any major transactions that may arise requiring specialist sector expertise." 

In 2009 LV= appointed its first official roster of external legal advisers, with legacy Lovells and Eversheds selected to advise on corporate and finance matters, while Irwin Mitchell, Pinsent Masons and Bond Pearce were appointed to a generalist panel.

The panel is expected to be next reviewed in two years' time.