One of the UK’s largest supermarket chains, Morrisons, has revealed its first-ever legal panel, with Allen & Overy (A&O), Ashurst, DAC Beachcroft and Eversheds are among the 15 firms selected, which was overseen by the company’s recently appointed general counsel Mark Amsden.
40 firms made the long list, which was whittled down to a shortlist of 22. Amsden divided the panel into six categories: employment, property, personal injury, licensing and regulatory as well as one panel covering ‘everything else’ – corporate, commercial, litigation, pensions and intellectual property. One more panel covers Scotland, with DWF and MacRoberts selected.
Property is perhaps the most lucrative panel for external advisers, as this is where over half of Morrison’s legal spend is allocated. Wragge & Co and Gordons had previously advised the company on its property deals and are now joined by DAC Beachcroft, Eversheds and Browne Jacobson.
Gordons has been a long-time main adviser to Morrisons in the past, having advised the supermarket on an exclusive three-year supply contract with EDF in 2011 and wins a place on each of the four panels the firm applied for.
John Holden, senior partner at Gordons, told Legal Business: ‘We’ve had a great relationship with Morrisons for a number of years and are looking forward to the opportunity to develop the relationship further with our panel appointments.’
The employment panel is made up by A&O, Ashurst, Eversheds and Gordons with DAC Beachcroft and Gordons on the personal injury panel.
Douglas Lamb, a partner with MacRoberts, said: ‘Morrisons is one of the biggest brand names in the UK and we are delighted to have been appointed as Scottish solicitors on their new legal panel. We look forward to continuing our longstanding relationship with them and supporting their business objectives in Scotland.’
Ashurst recently advised Morrisons on its £216m deal to launch an online grocery service with Ocado in 2014, with Slaughter and May advising Ocado. It is understood that the Ashurst and A&O will handle the larger corporate mandates of the supermarket as key firms on the ‘everything else’ panel, which includes DWF, Eversheds, Gordons, IP specialist Marks & Clark and Wragges.
Amsden has seen his in-house legal team double in size to eight since joining the supermarket from Addleshaw Goddard in February.
david.stevenson@legalease.co.uk
The panels
Employment
Allen & Overy
Ashurst
Eversheds
Gordons
Licensing and regulatory
Blake Lapthorn
Browne Jacobson
DAC Beachcroft
DWF
Gosschalks
MacRoberts
Personal injury
DAC Beachcroft
Gordons
Property
Browne Jacobson
DAC Beachcroft
Eversheds
Gordons
Wragge & Co
Scotland
DWF
Macroberts
Everything else
Allen & Overy
Ashurst
DWF
Eversheds
Gordons
Marks & Clerk
Wragge & Co
