Scandinavian furniture giant IKEA has launched a UK panel review, Legal Business has learned. The review is thought to be for a period of three years.
According to Who represents Who data from The Legal 500, IKEA currently uses national firm Shoosmiths for a number of mandates in England including corporate and commercial, crime, fraud and licensing, employment, insurance, real estate and construction and TMT.
The company’s current head of legal in the UK and Ireland is James Hanlon who leads the legal department for IKEA and its subsidiaries. His team reports to the group legal head Kurt-Jörgen Olsson, who is based in Helsingborg, Sweden and provides support to the organisation on matters including governance, corporate transactions, privacy, purchasing, legislative analysis and regulatory support.
A spokesperson for the IKEA legal team said: ‘This information is commercially sensitive and we cannot confirm or deny whether or not a review is taking place.’
Recent concluded panel reviews include BT, which formalised its long-awaited panel review with a raft of Magic Circle firms including Allen & Overy, Freshfields Brukhaus Deringer, Clifford Chance and Linklaters winning places.
Additionally, Deutsche Bank is close to completing a review of its global panel, with the entire Magic Circle heading up the list of those who have already made the cut. Combining its UK and global panels into one roster, Deutsche Bank has enlisted Ashurst and Simmons & Simmons in addition to a contingent of US heavyweights.
Latham & Watkins, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Mayer Brown and White & Case comprise the US firm offering alongside transatlantic firm Hogan Lovells.
