Further education purchasing body appoints eight firms to £49m legal services framework

A purchasing consortium owned and run by the further education sector, has appointed eight law firms to a legal services framework worth up to £49m over four years.

The purchasing body, Crescent Purchasing, divided the contract into the following lots:

1. National One-Stop-Shop
2. Human Resources, Pensions and People
3. Academy Conversion and Post Conversion Services
4. Property
5. Commercial - Contracts, Procurement, Governance and Related Matters
6. Dispute Resolution and Litigation Services
7. Education

Each lot is worth an estimated £7m.

The successful firms were:

• Capital Law Limited (Lots 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7)
• Eversheds Sutherland (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
• Forbes Solicitors (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
• Rollits (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
• Shakespeare Martineau (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
• Stone King (3, 7)
• Ward Hadaway (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
• Weightmans (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

The framework mainly services schools but is also open to all contracting authorities across the UK public sector.

The framework is expected to last 48 months from the commencement date, with 36 initial months and the option to extend by 1 x 12 months.

Adam Carey