Press Releases

Government Lawyers Sign New Agreement

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

This innovative cross-departmental initiative puts in place contracts to facilitate the procurement of quality legal services for government and achieve better value for money.

L-Cat has been established following a comprehensive competitive procurement, with firms being assessed on their ability to provide quality, value for money services. Framework agreements have been awarded to 32 law firms across 7 categories of legal work.The successful bidders encompass a good range of small and medium as well as larger commercial firms. Government clients can call on the services of 'panels' of law firms, which have demonstrated expertise within a given category, without the need for lengthy and expensive procurement exercises.

A significant range of government clients have already signalled their intention to utilise L-Cat. It may well be that, in time, L-Cat becomes the vehicle through which the greater part of government's external legal services requirements are met.

The value for money savings to be generated by L-Cat will be based on uptake, and are predicted to be of the order of £7M over the life of the new arrangements. The framework agreements will run for a period of three years, with the option to extend to four.

L-Cat forms part of government's response to the NAO's report into the Purchasing of Professional Services, which highlighted the potential benefits of collaborative procurement and of framework agreements. The NAO has been represented on the L-Cat Project Board as an observer.

Commenting on this week's award of contracts, Juliet Wheldon, the Treasury Solicitor said:

"Government recognises the importance of adopting a rigorous and commercial approach to its purchasing of external legal advice. L-Cat facilitates just such an approach, offering government clients access to a range of quality, value for money law firms. The Treasury Solicitor's Department is pleased to have played a key role in the development of L-Cat, and looks forward to working to ensure the success of this important new initiative".

Hugh Barrett, Chief Executive of OGCbuying.solutions, the commercial trading arm of OGC and the body responsible for managing the agreement commented:

"L-Cat is a major advance in improving the value for money obtained by government in its purchasing of legal services. The success of L-Cat lies in its truly collaborative nature, and OGCbuying.solutions is pleased to have worked closely with the other stakeholders in making this arrangement available to our central government customers".

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Established in April 2000, the OGC was set up to act as a catalyst in procurement issues and to work with civil departments to achieve best value for money in their commercial activities. Responsible for civil central government procurement policy and best practice including Construction, Property Management, IT, the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), supplier relations including opening government contracts to SMEs, e-commerce including the Government Procurement Card, the Gateway Review Process, OGCbuying.solutions, including the Government buying catalogues, G-Cat and S-Cat and developing strategic procurement partnerships with the private sector.

2. OGCbuying.solutions is the commercial trading arm of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), which is itself an office of HM Treasury. OGC was launched on 1 April 2000 as a result of a review of civil procurement in Central Government. Its aim is to achieve substantial value for money improvements in the Government's procurement budget. OGCbuying.solutions was launched on 1 April 2001 and is responsible for identifying and producing value for money purchasing initiatives, offering measurable cost savings to the taxpayer. Among the services available from OGCbuying.solutions to public sector purchasers are utilities procurement provision, IT products and services, IT-related consultancy, energy, fuel and water services and specialist procurement packages tailored to specific needs. The OGCbuying.solutions website is at: www.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk

3. The April 2001 National Audit Office (NAO) Report, Purchasing Professional Services identified £610M expenditure on Professional Services (for the financial year 99-00). They identified 4 major areas of interest - Management Consultancy, Legal Services, Financial Consultancy and Human Resource advice and assistance. They estimated that in the year 1999/2000, government spend on Legal services alone was in the region of £70m. Click on the link to view this Report http://www.nao.gov.uk/pn/00-01/0001400.htm

4. The Public Accounts Committee reported on "Better Value for Money from Professional Services" on 14 March 2002. The Committee considered that "where it is cost effective to do so departments should adopt the initiatives that the Office of Government Commerce has taken to help them improve their purchasing of professional services". The report is available from the PAC website at www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmselect/cmpubacc/cmpubacc.htm

5. L-Cat is divided into seven categories, each with a panel of law firms. The categories relate to particular areas of project or transaction common to most government organisations. The categories are:

· IT, Telecommunications and E-Commerce

· Property and Estates

· Human Resources

· Construction

· Company and Corporate Matters

· Financial and Banking Matters

· General Commercial Matters (not covered in 1-6).

6. L-Cat will cover the provision of advice under English Law. All departments and agencies will be encouraged to use the arrangements, which will also be open to NDPBs - but utilisation will not be mandatory.

7. The 12 firms awarded L-Cat framework agreements in category 1 (IT, Telecoms and E-Commerce) are:

· Addleshaw Booth & Co

· Beachcroft Wansbroughs Solicitors

· Bevan Ashford

· Bird and Bird

· Charles Russell Solicitors

· Field Fisher Waterhouse

· Hugh James Solicitors

· Masons

· Pinsent Curtis Biddle

· Veale Wasbrough Lawyers

· Ward Hadaway Solicitors

· Weightman Vizards

8. The 10 firms awarded L-Cat framework agreements in category 2 (Property and Estates) are:

· Beachcroft Wansbroughs Solicitors

· CMS Cameron McKenna

· Cripps Harries Hall Solicitors

· Davitt Jones Bould

· Denton Wilde Sapte

· DLA

· Eversheds

· Field Fisher Waterhouse

· Michelmores Solicitors

· Veale Wasbrough Lawyers

9. The 12 firms awarded L-Cat framework agreements in category 3 (Human Resources) are:

· Addleshaw Booth & Co

· Bevan Ashford

· CMS Cameron McKenna

· Crutes Law Firm

· Dickinson Dees Law Firm

· DLA

· Field Fisher Waterhouse

· Freethcartwright

· Pinsent Curtis Biddle

· Simmons & Simmons

· Veale Wasbrough

· Wragge and Co

10. The 10 firms awarded L-Cat framework agreements in category 4 (Construction) are:

· Beachcroft Wansbroughs Solicitors

· Bevan Ashford

· Denton Wilde Sapte

· DLA

· Field Fisher Waterhouse

· Masons

· Michelmores Solicitors

· Nabarro Nathanson

· Trowers and Hamlins Solicitors

· Wragge and Co

11. The 10 firms awarded L-Cat framework agreements in category 5 (Company and Corporate Matters) are:

· Addleshaw Booth & Co

· CA Legal

· CMS Cameron McKenna

· Denton Wilde Sapte

· Dickinson Dees Law Firm

· Field Fisher Waterhouse

· Lawrence Graham Solicitors

· Michelmores Solicitors

· Veale Wasbrough Lawyers

· Wragge and Co

12. The 9 firms awarded L-Cat framework agreements in category 6 (Finance and Banking Matters) are:

· Berwin Leighton Paisner

· Bevan Ashford

· Bird and Bird

· CMS Cameron McKenna

· Denton Wilde Sapte

· Dickinson Dees Law Firm

· Field Fisher Waterhouse

· Pinsent Curtis Biddle

· Simmons & Simmons

13. The 12 firms awarded L-Cat framework agreements in category 7 (General Commercial Matters) are:

· Beachcroft Wansbroughs Solicitors

· Bevan Ashford

· Bird and Bird

· Burges Salmon Solicitors

· Denton Wilde Sapte

· Dickinson Dees Law Firm

· Field Fisher Waterhouse

· Masons

· Mills and Reeve Solicitors

· Osborne Clarke

· Simmons & Simmons

· Veale Wasbrough Lawyers

14. All Press Enquiries (OGC, DfES or Treasury Solicitors Department) to Martin Day on 020 7271 1318/1366 or Martin.Day@ogc.gsi.gov.uk