Seven Bristol law firms have secured places on the legal panel of a major housing services organisation.
The 24-strong panel making up the Communities and Housing Investment Consortium (CHIC) legal services framework will share work with an estimated value of £50m over four years.
CHIC supports housing providers and local authorities to ensure they can provide the best service to their residents.
National law firm Clarke Willmott, whose specialist social housing team is one of the largest in the UK, has retained and expanded its position on the panel.
The framework has four ‘lots’, with Clarke Willmott retaining its position on those for ‘corporate, governance and finance’ and ‘housing and asset management’ while also being appointed to the new ‘development’ and ‘property’ lots.
Bevan Brittan and ), Shakespeare Martineau also appear on all four lots, while TLT is on three (corporate, governance and finance; development) and Ashfords on two (development, property).
Those appearing on one lot are Foot Anstey (development) and Clyde & Co (housing and asset management).
Clarke Willmott’s lots will be led by its senior social housing lawyers Lindsay Felstead, Vicky Kells, Olly Smedley and Kate Saunders.
Lindsay, pictured, who jointly heads Clarke Willmott’s social housing sector with Vicky, said: “We very much look forward to continuing to work with existing clients and developing future relationships.
“Not only did we retain two important lots, we also gained two more, meaning we won all the lots we went for.
“This is a great testament to our work and the services we have provided to CHIC in the past several years.
“Being able to offer CHIC members a ‘one stop shop’ of legal support is great news and we are excited to start helping them with their legal issues.”
CHIC, formed in 2010 as a not-for-profit organisation, is a member-owned and governed consortium that delivers compliant procurement solutions and commercial support to members.
The consortium secures savings for members and is committed to the delivery of improved environmental outcomes and added social value.
Clarke Willmott’s social housing solicitors act for more than 100 registered providers, social landlords and major frameworks across England and Wales, including housing associations, local authorities and arms-length management organisations (ALMOs).