Gordons and A&O on Morrisons panel as L&G cuts roster

One of the UK’s largest supermarket chains, Morrisons, last month finalised its first-ever legal panel, with Allen & Overy (A&O), Ashurst, DAC Beachcroft and Eversheds among the firms selected. Selection was overseen by the company’s recently appointed general counsel Mark Amsden.

Forty firms made the long list, which was whittled down to a shortlist of 22. There are 14 firms on the panels. 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 Morrisons’ 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, which has been a long-time adviser to Morrisons, having advised the supermarket on an exclusive three-year supply contract with EDF in 2011, won a place on each of the four panels the firm applied for.

John Holden, senior partner at Gordons, said: ‘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.’

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.’

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 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 & Clerk and Wragges.

Amsden has seen his in-house legal team double in size to eight since joining the supermarket from Addleshaw Goddard in February.

Meanwhile, financial services group Legal & General (L&G) has overhauled its panel, cutting a 19-firm roster to just five advisers. The new line-up is Clifford Chance, Eversheds, Pinsent Masons, Slaughter and May and Macfarlanes. Firms to lose panel places include Berwin Leighton Paisner, Simmons & Simmons and Wragges.