Croydon names ten firms to £10m framework agreement

The London Borough of Croydon has selected ten law firms for a legal services framework agreement estimated to be worth £10m in the initial four-year period.

The council has appointed the firms to four panels: commercial; litigation; housing and property; and conveyancing and sundry debts.

The successful firms were:

• Ashfords (litigation; conveyancing and sundry debts)
• Bevan Brittan (housing and property)
• DLA Piper (commercial)
• DMH Stallard (all four panels)
• McGrigors (commercial)
• Sharpe Pritchard (litigation)
• Trowers & Hamlins (commercial; housing and property)
• Watmores (litigation)
• Weightmans (all four panels)
• Wragge & Co (all four panels)

The framework, which went live on 1 April, is open to any other public body, including local authorities, fire services, police authorities and NHS trusts. Croydon said the London Boroughs of Enfield and Newham had signed up and that other authorities had expressed an interest.

The council said these bodies would be able to “take advantage of bulk cost savings, capped fees and hourly rates for a full range of legal work without each authority having to undertake a full procurement process”.

There is an option for two extensions of one year each after the initial four years.

Croydon said it had received more than 60 expressions of interest in the course of the procurement exercise.