Legal Panel for Government

Summary

This framework agreement, let under Public Contracts Regulations 2015, will provide comprehensive legal services across a wide range of specialisms to support government projects, regulatory compliance, and dispute resolution. It will cover core legal needs, complex litigation, high-risk and innovative initiatives, major infrastructure and financial matters, and international trade and investment issues. Additionally, it will include specialised legal expertise for negotiating trade agreements, handling international disputes, and addressing sector-specific regulatory challenges, such as those within the rail industry. The panel will ensure the government has access to expert legal guidance for both routine and highly complex legal matters.

Description

This agreement will offer a compliant and user-friendly solution for legal services, designed for use by Central Government and its Arm’s Length Bodies. It will consolidate the expertise currently available under the following live agreements:

The new agreement will be structured into seven distinct lots, ensuring comprehensive coverage across the following:

  • Lot 1 – Core Legal Services: Lot 1 requires a full-service capability across a wide range of mandatory legal specialisms to meet the government’s core legal service demands. It is designed to support buyers by providing general legal advice necessary for project delivery and addressing various legal issues.
  • Lot 2 – Major Projects and Complex Advice: Lot 2 covers Major Projects and Complex Advice , requiring suppliers to manage high-risk, innovative initiatives with multiple priorities across a wide range of mandatory legal specialisms, including Litigation. Suppliers must navigate evolving project lifecycles, proactively addressing risks and advising on new or existing policies where established solutions may not yet exist.
  • Lot 3 – Finance and High Risk/Innovation: Lot 3 covers the highest-risk and most complex legal matters across a wide range of mandatory legal specialisms, including groundbreaking projects, major regulatory challenges, large-scale infrastructure programs, and high-value litigation. It also encompasses intricate finance and capital markets work, such as international capital markets, asset finance, restructuring, and insolvency.
  • Lot 4a – Trade and Investment Negotiations: Lot 4a covers legal advice on negotiating and implementing trade and investment agreements, ensuring compliance with international law, including WTO regulations, free trade agreements, international treaties, and EU law. Work includes drafting UK treaty text, supporting negotiations, analysing UK obligations, and providing treaty-related legal guidance on trade and investment.
  • Lot 4b – International Trade Disputes: Lot 4b provides legal advice and support for international trade disputes, representing the UK government in both offensive and defensive cases. It covers all stages of dispute resolution, WTO procedural rules, litigation strategy, and substantive legal issues, drawing on extensive experience in WTO and free trade agreement litigation. It also includes guidance on trade remedies and related investigations.
  • Lot 4c – International Investment Disputes: Lot 4c provides legal advice and support for treaty-based international investment disputes, representing the UK government in investor-State and inter-State proceedings. It covers all stages of dispute resolution, including written and oral advocacy, risk assessment for policy development, and managing disputes under the UK’s investment treaties. This work spans diverse economic sectors and technical areas, often involving high-sensitivity or public interest matters. 
  • Lot 5 – Rail Legal Services: Lot 5 provides specialist legal services for the rail industry, requiring in-depth knowledge of its regulatory framework. It recognises the unique nature of rail law and its critical role in supporting national transport objectives.

Important links

Prior Information Notice (PIN) Read PIN
Contract Notice in Find a Tender (FTS) FTS Link 
Tender documents Tender documents 

Timeline

Activity Estimated dates
Pre-market engagement Ongoing till Autumn 2024
Drafting of procurement documentation November 2024
Publication of find a tender (FTS) notice 19 February 2025
Framework Award September to November 2025