Vodafone calls up key advisers for first panel review since 2014
Linklaters, Slaughters and Hogan Lovells among seven-firm line-up set to be reviewed
November 07, 2017 at 05:31 AM
3 minute read
Vodafone has kicked off a review of its legal panel, with the process set to be completed by the end of the year.
The panel covers work for Vodafone Group, Vodafone's UK business and Vodafone Group Enterprise, which provides telecoms services to large corporations.
It is understood that panel firms have already submitted written proposals, with in-person interviews scheduled for later in the month.
The current seven-firm line-up comprises Linklaters, Slaughter and May, Hogan Lovells, Norton Rose Fulbright, DLA Piper, Eversheds Sutherland and Osborne Clarke. However, the company is known to go off-panel for specialist work.
The panel was last reviewed in 2014, in a process led by group general counsel and company secretary Rosemary Martin and Vodafone Global Enterprise legal director Kerry Phillip.
A Vodafone spokesperson said: "Vodafone has started a planned three-yearly review of the legal panel which supports its Group, Group Enterprise and UK legal teams.
"The review will not necessarily change the composition of the panel, but will assess whether Vodafone has the right mix of support for its current business needs. The review is expected to be concluded by the end of the calendar year."
Linklaters, Slaughters, Hogan Lovells, Norton Rose, DLA Piper and Osborne Clarke have all been part of the panel since 2011, with Eversheds joining the line-up in the last review in 2014.
One partner at a panel firm said: "They did quite a large consolidation a few years ago, so like many of these big organisations they will review and see if there are any holes in the service they are receiving, but I am not sure this is going to be a huge overhaul this time around."
Separately, a recent job advert posted by Vodafone on jobs website Glassdoor stated that the company was looking to recruit a procurement specialist within the company's legal and financial services team.
The description of the role stated that the successful candidate would also be responsible for putting in place new legal panels in countries which Vodafone operates but does not have panels set up, such as Ireland, South Africa and New Zealand.
Last year, Vodafone Global Enterprise completed an overhaul of its in-house legal team after an 18-month transformation project that saw the company introduce new technology and set up several offshore teams, a process also led by legal director Phillip.
The company is using new contract management technology from Riverview Law, called KIM, which frees up lawyer time for more complicated work by making more straightforward contracting more efficient.
Legal Week, in association with CMS, is hosting a panel discussion on how to take advantage of the business opportunities in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and reduce the potential risks of doing business there. The debate will be looking at these issues from an in-house perspective, with commentary from leading private practice and general counsel who work in the region. To register your COMPLIMENTARY place click here https://goo.gl/TmioPY
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View All'Send These Guys Back to the US': Lawyers on Google's EU Antitrust Complaint Against Microsoft
4 minute readTrending Stories
Who Got The Work
Joseph G. Petrosinelli, C. Bryan Wilson and Angela Pyo of Williams & Connolly have entered appearances for Motive Technologies in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The complaint, filed Aug. 27 in California Northern District Court by Shaw Keller LLP and Kirkland & Ellis on behalf of Samsara Inc., assets three patents related to dashcam video footage technology. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge James Donato, is 4:24-cv-06049, Samsara Inc. v. Motive Technologies Inc.
Who Got The Work
Moez M. Kaba, Christina Von der Ahe Rayburn, Dennis Ojogho and Yegor Fursevich from Hueston Hennigan have entered appearances for Amazon.com in a pending trade secrets lawsuit. The complaint was filed Aug. 26 in New York Southern District Court by Merchant & Gould on behalf of Select Research Ltd., a 3-D body imaging developer involved in the use of human health calculator body volume index (BVI). The suit contends that Amazon improperly embodied and incorporated SRL's trade secrets in their 'Halo' and 'Made For You' products. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman, is 7:24-cv-06419, Select Research Ltd. v. Amazon.Com, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Attorneys from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and Irell & Manella have stepped in to defend Foresight Diagnostics in a pending trade secrets lawsuit. The action, which is sealed, was filed Aug. 29 in California Northern District Court by Richards, Layton & Finger and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Eumi K. Lee, is 5:24-cv-06117, Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. et al v. Foresight Diagnostics Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
David A. Robinson, John F. Wood and Brendan H. Connors from Holland & Knight and attorneys from Proskauer Rose have entered appearances for Scientific Drilling International, S. Westley Shedd, Pamela Pierce and other defendants, respectively, in a pending shareholder lawsuit. The suit was filed Aug. 29 in California Central District Court by Umhofer, Mitchell & King on behalf of Matthew D. Van Steenwyk and Gretchen M. Van Steenwyk-Marsh. The suit accuses the controlling shareholder of Scientific Drilling of self-dealing. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha, is 2:24-cv-07401, Matthew D. Van Steenwyk et al v. Kedrin E. Van Steenwyk et al.
Who Got The Work
Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete partners Laura A. Balson and Ashley L. Orler have entered appearances for Avfuel Corporation in a pending data breach class action. The case, filed Aug. 30 in Michigan Eastern District Court by Kopelowitz Ostrow PA, centers on a 2024 cyberattack that allegedly exposed the personally identifying and private data of 'potentially billions of individuals.' The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith, is 2:24-cv-12274, Clark III v. Avfuel Corporation.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250