Thirty-two firms selected for government legal panels in bid to save 7 million

L-CAT: four departments among those to sign up to legal services agreement

Thirty-two law firms were last week named on the first cross-departmental government legal panels, which could save taxpayers at least 7 million in legal fees over the next three years.

The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) worked with the Treasury Solicitor's Department and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to launch 'L-Cat', a series of seven framework agreements for the provision of legal services to government.

The areas covered are: IT, telecommunications and e-commerce; property and estates; human resources; construction; company and corporate; finance and banking; and other general commercial matters.

The arrangement is for three years, with a possible extension to four.

City firm Field Fisher Waterhouse was the big winner, as the only practice to win through the competitive tender process to be on every panel.

Three firms were named on five panels: west country-based Bevan Ashford, City firm Denton Wilde Sapte, and Veale Wasbrough in Bristol.

Beachcroft Wansbroughs is on four panels, while several other firms are on three, including Addleshaw Booth & Co, Bird & Bird, Masons, Pinsent Curtis Biddle, CMS Cameron McKenna, DLA, Wragge & Co, Simmons & Simmons and Dickinson Dees.

Eversheds is on just one panel (property).

Use of the panels will be encouraged but not demanded.

Four departments have already signalled their intention to use L-Cat: DfES, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and the Department of Transport.

The OGC, Treasury Solicitors' Department and water regulator Ofwat have also committed themselves.

The OGC spokesman said the government wanted to open its marketplace to many firms of different sizes, rather than just have a few large practices.

Some of the smaller firms to feature include Exeter-based Michelmores, which is on the property, construction and corporate panels, Taunton's Davitt Jones Bould and Cripps Harries Hall in Kent, which are on the property panel, and Nottingham firm Freethcartwright, which is on the human resources panel.

L-Cat forms part of the government's response to the National Audit Office's 2001 report into the purchasing of professional services, which highlighted the potential benefits of collaborative procurement and framework agreements.

The office estimated that in 1999/2000, 70 million of the government's 610 million spend on professional services was on lawyers.

While the estimated savings of 7 million over three years on the legal spend appears modest, the OGC spokesman said this could rise as more government departments and bodies take advantage of L-Cat.

Noting that most of the legal work done for the government is of good quality and good value for money, he added: 'We were anxious not to be seen to be taking a hatchet to lawyers' fees.'

Neil Rose