Cornwall Council reveals winners of legal panel framework

Cornwall Council has selected three law firms and nine barristers’ chambers for its first framework agreement since becoming a unitary authority in April 2009.

The six lots for the framework agreement, which is estimated to be worth in the region of £4m over a four-year period, were:

1. Property, planning and highways
2. Commercial (excluding PFI)
3. Criminal and civil litigation
4. Social welfare
5. Employment, equalities and pensions
6. Governance, parliamentary agency and electoral law

The most successful law firm was Cobbetts, which was assigned lots 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. The two other firms to be chosen were Ashfords (lot 2) and Beachcroft (2 and 4).

The nine barristers’ chambers selected were:

• Albion Chambers (5)
• Colleton Chambers (3, 4, 5)
• Garden Court Chambers (6)
• 2-3 Gray’s Inn Squre (2, 6)
• 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square (1)
• Henderson Chambers (2)
• Landmark Chambers (6)
• Rougemont Chambers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
• Walnut House (1, 3, 4)

The framework agreement was awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender in terms of price (given a weighting of 75) and operational requirements (given a weighting of 25).

It will be made available to all directorates at Cornwall Council as well as other public bodies in the South West Region, including the Isles of Scilly.

Philip Hoult