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Eversheds Sutherland will replace BLP to manage the water company’s legal work
Thames Water has appointed Eversheds Sutherland as its managed legal services provider, following a competitive tender process.
The five-year contract, which will take effect from 1 April 2018, will see the global law firm provide day-to-day legal work for the water company.
Eversheds Sutherland will take over from Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP), which has been responsible for much of Thames Water’s legal services since 2010.
Thames Water said there will be a three-month transition period to ensure a “seamless transition and business continuity”. It will see the existing Reading-based legal team transfer from BLP to become part of the wider Eversheds Sutherland legal team advising Thames Water.
The water company will also launch a new legal panel of five specialist law firms, including Eversheds Sutherland, BLP, CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang, Herbert Smith Freehills and Pinsent Masons. The panel will compete for major projects, which sit outside of the managed legal services arrangement.
Sarah Sear, Thames Water’s head of legal, said: “Our managed legal services model has worked very well since we launched it in 2010 and, after a rigorous tender process, we’re delighted to appoint Eversheds Sutherland as our new legal services provider for the next five years.
“As an essential services company, it’s absolutely vital that we get things right and Eversheds Sutherland is very much aligned with our thinking as we embrace the next chapter.”
She added: “Our competitive new legal panel is an important addition to the legal framework at Thames Water. Made up of five prestigious legal firms, including Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, which has been a valuable asset to the company during the last eight years, the panel will ensure we have the right expertise at the right price for major projects.”
Lee Ranson, chief executive, Eversheds Sutherland (International), said: “Securing work of this size and complexity has been one of the highlights of our year at Eversheds Sutherland, and has increased significantly since the announcement of our transatlantic tie-up on 1 February. We were able to demonstrate to Thames Water the difference in our firm’s innovative and creative approach to managing complex, high value legal services for our clients.”
Thames Water recently announced the appointment of Ian Marchant, who will become the company’s independent chairman on 26 January. He joined the board earlier this month and has been tasked with leading a review of the company’s corporate structure and governance.
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