Soft drinks group Lucozade Ribena Suntory (LRS) has appointed Bristol-headquartered national law firm TLT to its first legal panel to provide specialist legal advice and support to the company across the UK.
TLT was one of 10 firms chosen from a shortlist of 23 based on the strength of their capabilities and practice areas in relation to LRS’s current and future needs as well as their alignment with LRS’s company culture and their innovative capabilities and pro bono work. 
TLT was selected for its sector experience and expertise. The firm, which has 100 partners and 1,000 staff across its offices in Bristol, London, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast, is a leading provider of legal advice and support to some of the UK’s largest grocery retailers and consumer goods companies, including Sainsbury’s, Boohoo.com and WH Smith.
LRS general counsel Mary Guest said: “The selected firms were chosen not only for their strong capabilities and experience, but also for their strategic alignment to our vision and principles. We wanted to work with firms that can deliver innovative solutions and work collaboratively with our in-house team to enable LRS to achieve its vision from the perspective of not only the legal team but also the wider business.
“We are pleased to be working with TLT and looking forward to collaborating with the team.” 
TLT Bristol-based partner Dan Read, pictured, who led the tender process, said: “LRS is an ambitious company with an abundance of creativity and big ideas for the future. The consumer goods industry is transforming rapidly as consumer habits open up opportunities for brands to engage with them in new and exciting ways. We are very excited to have been appointed to the LRS legal panel and looking forward to supporting them on that journey.”
LRS, part of Japanese-owned Suntory Beverage & Food Europe, is one the leading soft drinks businesses in the UK and Ireland. Its brands include Lucozade Energy, Lucozade Sport, Ribena, Orangina and V Energy.
LRS appointed Eversheds Sutherland as primary provider across the UK and Ireland with TLT a specialist provider on the panel along with Addleshaw Goddard, Clifford Chance, DWF, Norton Rose Fulbright, Stephenson Harwood and Walker Morris. McCann Fitzgerald and Philip Lee are specialist providers in Ireland.
