UK law firms of all sizes risk being dragged into the debate surrounding parliamentary lobbying, as pressure to make consultancy agreements more transparent was stepped up this week.

UK law firms engage 15 Lords and four MPs as consultants a Gazette investigation has found. A number of MPs and Lords practise as solicitors and barristers, but do not necessarily undertake consultancy work.

While there is no suggestion that any rules have been broken, such roles are coming under increasing scrutiny.

Gordon Prentice, MP for Pendle, who took part in the recent Public Administration Select Committee investigation into lobbying, was due to call for a mandatory register of lobbyists in an adjournment debate as the Gazette went to press.

The committee called for a statutory register of lobbying activity ‘to bring greater transparency to the dealings between Whitehall decision-makers and outside interests.’

Among the law firms identified in the MPs’ and Lords’ registers of interests are: National firm DLA Piper, which employs two lords as consultants.

The firm employs Lord Clement-Jones, who is also a partner in the firm, as co-chairman of its global government relations practice, which ‘advises clients on government and parliamentary matters’. DLA Piper also employs Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean as a non-parliamentary ‘international consultant’.

National firm DWF employs two lords as non-parliamentary consultants: Lord Henley and Lord Wade of Chorlton.

Other large commercial firms also employ lords.

National firm Eversheds employs Lord Foulkes of Cumnock as a political and parliamentary consultant for £36,000 a year. City firm Berwin Leighton Paisner employs Lord Paul as a non-parliamentary adviser. National firm Thompsons employs Lord Sawyer as a member of its supervisory board.

Smaller regional firms also figure on both lists of interests.

In the Commons, Peterborough firm Greenwoods employs Edward Garnier, MP for Harborough, as a ‘consultant on legal and public policy issues’ for up to £20,000 a year. Tunbridge Wells firm Fynmores employs Michael Foster, MP for Hastings and Rye, as a consultant. Surrey firm TWM employs Humfrey Malins, MP for Woking, as a consultant.

In the Lords, south-west firm Stephens & Scown employs Lord Burnett as a parliamentary consultant for £48,000 a year plus a share of profits. London firm Moon Beevor employs Lord Temple-Morris as a ­parliamentary consultant for £20,000 a year. London firm Clintons employs Baroness Hamwee as a consultant. ­London and Reading firm Doyle Clayton employs Lord Jones of Cheltenham as a non-parliamentary, non-executive adviser. London firm Streeter Marshall employs Lord Bowness as a non-parliamentary consultant.

National firm Beachcroft merits two entries in the registers. One of the firm’s partners, Lord Hunt of Wirral, is something of an exceptional case. A former Cabinet minister, he is a rare example of someone who has simultaneously pursued a career in the top echelons of both politics and the solicitor branch of the law.

The former Beachcroft senior partner served as Welsh secretary and education secretary before leaving the cabinet in 1995. He is now shadow minister, business, enterprise and regulatory reform. In the Commons, Beachcroft pays Charles Clarke, MP for Norwich South, up to £30,000 a year for consultancy work.

A number of MPs and Lords hold senior positions in law firms across the world. Jonathan Djanogly, MP for Huntingdon, is a partner at City firm SJ Berwin; Lord Falconer of Thoroton is senior counsel at US firm ­Gibson Dunn, and Lord Goldsmith is a partner at US firm Debevoise & Plimpton.