Legal Panel for Government

All central government and their executive agencies can access a wide range of legal services to support core needs, complex projects, high-risk and innovative initiatives, international trade and investment and specialist rail legal needs.

Description

This agreement provides a simple route to market for buying a wide range of legal services. It is split across the following lots:

  • Lot 1 – Core Legal Services
  • Lot 4a – Trade and Investment Negotiations
  • Lot 4b – International Trade Disputes
  • Lot 4c – International Investment Disputes

 

We have developed this agreement in partnership with the Government Legal Department (GLD) and Department for Business and Trade (DBT). 

It is the default route to market for all central government departments and their executive agencies to buy legal services. It will replace the following agreements:

 

  • RM6179 Legal Services, expiring 30 November 2025
  • RM6183 Trade Law Panel, expiring 30 October 2025

You can access over 60 legal specialisms through this agreement, including:

  • contracts
  • corporate finance
  • dispute resolution and litigation
  • employment law
  • high value or complex merger and acquisition activity
  • intellectual property law
  • public procurement law
  • real estate and real estate finance
  • rescue, restructuring and insolvency
  • projects of exceptional innovation and complexity
  • public inquiries and inquests
  • international trade law negotiations, dispute and resolutions
  • rail regulatory law

 

Benefits

  • flexible route to market with the option to award through further competition or direct award
  • discounted rates by lot; with aggregated spend discounts available, ability to negotiate alternative fee arrangements and further rate reductions at call off
  • flexible terms and conditions, based on the Public Sector Contract
  • encourages innovative legal solutions to reduce costs and improve efficiency
  • access to value added benefits such as secondments, exchange schemes, training, meeting and event space and strategic support
  • robust agreement management with CCS and GLD, monitoring supplier quality, performance and value for money
  • up to 2 hours free legal consultation at the beginning of each contract

Product types

Lot 1: Core Legal Services
Provides a full-service capability across a wide range of mandatory legal specialisms to meet the government’s core legal service demands. Supports buyers with general legal advice for project delivery and routine matters.

Lot 4a – Trade and Investment Negotiations
Provides legal advice on negotiating and implementing trade and investment agreements. Ensuring compliance with international law, including World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, free trade agreements, international treaties, and EU law. Work includes:

  • treaty drafting
  • negotiation support
  • implementation of trade agreements
  • providing treaty-related legal guidance on trade and investment

Lot 4b – International Trade Disputes

Covers legal support for all stages of international trade disputes. Includes litigation strategy, WTO procedural rules, and significant legal issues. Suppliers represent the UK in defensive and offensive cases, including trade remedies and investigations.

Lot 4c – International Investment Disputes
Provides legal advice and representation investor-state and inter-state disputes under UK investment treaties. Covers all written and oral advocacy, risk assessments, and disputes across economic sectors. Often involves sensitive or high-profile matters.

Products and suppliers

There are 25 suppliers on this agreement

Lot 1: Core Legal Services

Expires:

12 suppliers

Lot 4a: Trade and Investment Negotiations

Expires:

6 suppliers

Lot 4b: International Trade Disputes

Expires:

6 suppliers

Lot 4c: International Investment Disputes

Expires:

8 suppliers

How to buy

Before using this agreement you need to read our buyer guide. It will help you to select the right award procedure for your needs.

You can buy services under this agreement in two ways:

  • further competition
  • direct award

Before running a further competition or direct award, you have to complete Framework Schedule 6 which consists of order form templates and call-off schedules.

Apart from Framework Schedule 6, there are no templates that you need to complete as part of your call-off procedure. You may use your own internal tender documents as part of your bid pack.

You can also use your own internal eSourcing system to run your further competition or direct award  or you can use our eSourcing tool. If this is your first time using our eSourcing suite, you will need to register an account.

If you have already registered, sign in to your eSourcing account.

Check your own internal policies and processes to make sure they follow your standard operating procedures.

Further competition 

To award a call-off contract through further competition you should:

  1. Write a clear specification that defines your needs. 
  2. Shortlist the suppliers you wish to invite to bid by issuing an Expression of Interest (EOI); alternatively, you must invite all suppliers listed on the lot.
  3. Use Framework Schedule 6 order form template and call-off schedules as the basis of your call-off contract. 
    • refine your contract deliverables, including liability caps
  4. Develop your further competition award criteria, including the intended pricing mechanism
    • this will form the basis of your decision to award your call-off contract
  5. Invite all identified suppliers to submit a tender in writing by publishing your tender documents in line with Public Contract Regulations. 
    • this can be by email or through your preferred e-Sourcing tool 
    • contact details for each supplier representative can be found in the RM6360 supplier contacts document
  6. Set a deadline for the submission of tenders. Allow enough time based on how complex your needs are.
  7. Keep all tenders confidential until the deadline has passed.
  8. Apply your published award criteria to each submitted tender.
  9. Award your call-off contract by sending the following to the successful supplier:
    • a completed and signed Framework schedule 6
    • a completed and signed order form
    • suppliers should promptly sign and return this document 
  10. Provide unsuccessful suppliers with written feedback. 
  11. Publish your contract on Contracts Finder.  

Direct award 

To direct award under this agreement you should:

  1. Write a clear specification that defines your needs.
  2. Determine which suppliers are capable of meeting your needs by reviewing the capability matrix, prospectuses and/or pricing.
  3. Apply the direct award criteria to the prospectuses for each supplier to establish which supplier provides the best solution for your needs. 
  4. Contact the supplier that you have selected and provide them with your specification so that they can:
    • complete their conflict of interest checks 
    • confirm that they have the relevant capability and capacity
  5. If you want  the work to be done under a different fee arrangement, ask for a fee quote.
  6. Award the call-off contract with the supplier by sending a completed and signed framework schedule order form template and call-off schedules.
    • suppliers should promptly sign and return and this can be done electronically

Agreement pricing request

To request pricing for this agreement  email info@crowncommercial.gov.uk stating the  RM6360 and the lot number. 

 

Documents