Virgin Group has re-appointed all eight firms on its legal panel after conducting a review of the roster, which includes Allen & Overy, Herbert Smith Freehills and Macfarlanes.

The informal review, which also saw spots awarded to Bond Dickinson, Bird & Bird and Dentons, did not open up to pitches from other law firms.

Harbottle & Lewis and Burges Salmon have also retained their positions following the review, which kicked off at the end of last year.

Legal requirements of Virgin Group includes advice for the conglomerate's Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Money and Virgin Active businesses.

Group legal director for Virgin management Robert Blok, told Legal Week: "We look at firms on an ongoing basis but every two years see if there is anything that requires any change. The same firms are on the panel."

"The Virgin Group companies will sit down and discuss the current panel make up," added Virgin Atlantic's legal affairs general manager Julian Hornerstone. "[We look at] how it is working for us; have we got the right areas of expertise we need, are getting the right value?"

"We have a mix of firms so we can tap into different areas of expertise and costs. The panel remains in its same format. If we needed some more expertise then that is something we can address as and when, it is a fluid panel."

Virgin Media, which was last year sold to Liberty Global, previously had its own roster, comprising Linklaters, Latham & Watkins and Sullivan & Cromwell as well as Ashurst and Fried Frank.

Other advisers to the company included Simmons & Simmons, Baker & McKenzie and Reed Smith for commercial, industry, employment and regulatory advice