The Legal 500

This section is new to the guide this year and recognises firms with leading practices in public and private sector outsourcing and procurement. Readers are also referred to the IT and telecoms section, where outsourcing and procurement work in those areas is also taken into account.

Baker & McKenzie LLP continues to lead the way in ITO and telecoms outsourcing work, handling a stream of high-value mandates. The team recently advised Telefonica O2 on its pan-European telecoms service agreement with Deutsche Post World Net. With ‘a genuine weight of expertise on technical and commercial issues’, it regularly advises both customers and suppliers, and recently advised several suppliers on their public sector contracts. Richard Hawtin has ‘a great combination of vigour, accuracy and negotiation skills’, while ‘responsive and knowledgeable’ partner Duncan Reid-Thomas is also recommended.

The ‘unique depth of industry expertise running through the team’ has helped Bird & Bird LLP apply its prowess in the IT space to large commercial projects. Although the lead partners have continued to reinforce the reputation of the practice in the public sphere, including recently acting for the Environment Agency on outsourcing its IT infrastructure, it has also made up ground on its rivals in the private sector. Graeme Maguire’s advice to Mobile Broadband Networks on outsourcing, following last year’s role in its formation as a joint venture, was a particular highlight. Group head Mark Leach ‘can always be relied on to make the best use of resources to give exceptional service’, and Chris Holder’s practice is ‘second to none’.

Led by ‘superb’ practice head Richard Bonnar, DLA Piper UK LLP has both an ‘efficient and client-led’ public sector practice, and strong ties to financial institutions for which it undertakes large-scale outsourcing mandates. The group’s wide geographical presence and ability to draw relevant expertise from outside London has been an advantage to its presence in both the public and private sectors. Recent highlights include several mandates for central government, the NHS in particular, as well as advising on a series of major public procurements for the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority to support the Personal Accounts Scheme. Kit Burden and Mark Crichard are recommended for their ITO expertise, while Mark O’Conor is recognised for his public procurement work and ‘first-rate legal acumen’.

‘One of the premier legal advisers on procurement matters faced by government’, Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP’s core outsourcing and procurement team of around 50 lawyers had an outstanding year. It advised the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on an appointment to manage Sellafield, the largest public procurement in Europe, as well as continuing to act in connection with the national identity cards project. David Gollancz has ‘excellent understanding of public sector issues’, while head of EU competition and procurement Charles Whiddington provides ‘exceptionally intelligent insight’. The outsourcing component of the technology group has a growing reputation in the private sector, a focus of the ‘professional and knowledgeable’ Simon Briskman. This has led to new instructions from BP and Orange. Public sector outsourcing is another key strength, with Paul Barton, Tim Davies and Hamish Sandison all highly recommended.

Pinsent Masons LLP’s large team of procurement specialists handle a range of contentious and non-contentious work for utilities, contractors and major public sector clients. It advised Firebuy on its procurement of fire and rescue services, and public procurement group head Ruth Smith (a ‘dynamic and well-rounded lawyer’) recently led advice to key new client Royal Mail. Kate Rees is also recommended for her public sector and utilities work. On the outsourcing side, the ‘superb’ David Isaacs counts the Home Office, MoD and Cabinet Office as clients, while Iain Monaghan heads the outsourcing group and applies his ‘vast experience and creativity’ to ITOs, as it continues to add to its existing base of public sector clients.

The team at Allen & Overy LLP regularly handles high-value multi-jurisdictional outsourcing with a particular specialism in the financial services sector. Clients include BNP Paribas, GE Capital and JPMorgan, and the team also acted for HBOS on the renegotiation of its voice and data services outsourcing contract with BT. Ian Ferguson leads the group, and Claire Wright is ‘a joy to work with’, On the public procurement side, it recently acted on disputes for several major bidders, and also counts several utilities among its clients.

Herbert Smith LLP has several partners with extensive outsourcing experience, and continued to act for TfL on its significant PFI contract. Mark Turner and Christopher Rees co-head a group that ‘is capable of translating complex problems into simple negotiable terms’, and Nick Pantlin (now a partner) recently led on a number of large IT outsourcing products. The UK public procurement team is part of a wider European competition group, and recently acted for London Underground on various procurement issues.

Outsourcing is a significant part of the Latham & Watkins’ London offering. Gail Crawford was recently made up, adding a fifth partner to a practice that has ‘proficiency on every piece of the deal process’. It advises large financial institutions, such as Deutsche Bank, HBOS and Lloyds TSB, as well as providing an ‘excellent service’ to UK blue-chip corporates, including Diageo, BskyB and Alliance Boots. Andrew Moyle heads the practice.

Mayer Brown International LLP continues to advise on multi-jurisdictional ITOs and BPOs. The team, led by the ‘dynamic’ Peter Dickinson, acted for Unilever on the high-value outsourcing of its international computer services. On the telecoms side, it is on the panel of several international providers and continues to handle significant outsourcing work for longstanding client AT&T.

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP has a strong outsourcing practice led by Laurence Jacobs, who has ‘unbeatable experience and knows just what makes a particular strategy successful’, and has recently worked with the NHS, Reed Elsevier, Invensys and ProSieben. Other notable recent work includes asset management outsourcing advice for JPMorgan, Citibank and Mellon. Sean Keaton advised AstraZeneca on its global applications maintenance outsourcing, and is ‘always able to provide top-quality service and a personable approach’.

Morrison & Foerster (UK) LLP has ‘an amazing team of lawyers’ in its outsourcing group. Alistair Maughan chairs the global practice, and is ‘among the elite in his particular discipline’. The group recently advised HMRC on its £80m outsourcing contract with CapGemini and continues to do significant supplier-side work as a member of the TCS panel. Jon Edgell is recommended, and recently advised Lloyds TSB and new client Investec.

For public procurement work, Addleshaw Goddard LLP is ‘a cut above the rest’. The team, led by Manchester-based consultant Garth Lindrup, acted for the Department of Health, the MoD, and the NHS in 2008. Margaret Harvey leads the outsourcing practice.

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP has a practice with a broad outsourcing platform from which it advises customer-side and supplier-side clients, in the form of TCS and Diligenta, among others. Displaying a ‘blend of aptitude for the industry and commercial awareness’, the team includes head of outsourcing Mark Lewis and a strong team of associates. David Harrison leads a six-partner public procurement practice that advises local and central government, as well as private sector clients Arup, Ascent and Veolia.

Headed by Dr Mark Watts, Bristows’ outsourcing clients include Capgemini, Gap, MTV, Cerner and Diageo.

Burges Salmon LLP applies ‘first-rate service and close knowledge of the key issues’ to outsourcing and procurement mandates in the UK. The team is on the panel for the MoD, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the Metropolitan Police, and advises several other local and central government clients. Andrew Dunlop is ‘consistent and great to work with’.

CMS Cameron McKenna LLP has a strong record advising financial services clients such as RBS on outsourcing, and also handles a high volume of work for energy and utilities clients such as National Grid. The ‘versatile and strongly recommended’ John Armstrong leads a ‘superb team’, which includes outsourcing disputes specialist Susan Barty.

Clifford Chance continues to advise international clients such as Shell on multi-jurisdictional outsourcing matters. David Griffiths leads a small team with a strong customer-side, private-sector focus.

Dan Burge heads Denton Wilde Sapte LLP’s large, nine-partner outsourcing practice. The team has ‘the brains, the legal talent and the depth of resources to deliver on not just one project, but on any kind of outsourcing transaction’. It has seen a significant flow of work in the energy and financial services sectors, while international procurement matters for telecoms clients is another key strength. It was boosted by the arrival in 2009 of ‘communicative and intelligent’ specialist Amanda Lewis from Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP

Across its UK offices, Eversheds LLP has a spread of outsourcing and procurement capabilities that make it ‘a leading national practice’. Rex Parry heads an outsourcing group that in 2008 added WNS, Hermes and Equitini to an already impressive client roster. The procurement team, headed by Leeds-based Mike Mousdale, counts the Department of Transport, the Highways Agency, the Ministry of Justice and the NHS as clients.

Richard Lister heads Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP’s outsourcing practice, and is ‘the key contact for any potentially difficult international transactions’. Sally Roe co-heads the public sector group and recently advised the Department of Health on outsourcing arrangements in preparation for a flu pandemic.

Headed by Bridget Treacy and Peter Brudenall, Hunton & Williams’ London outsourcing practice complements the firm’s strong US-based practice. The team has won substantial work from India-based clients, including WNS and TCS, which the group recently advised on a Europe-wide IT system implementation for a UK law firm.

Kemp Little LLP continues to add to its roster of blue-chip outsourcing clients, which includes Burberry, Expedia and Thomson Reuters. Paul O’Hare has ‘outstanding commercial awareness’; he leads a team that ‘always delivers in time and at a good price’, and excels at mid-market outsourcing deals.

The outsourcing practice at Linklaters LLP had a strong year under the leadership of John Crozier, who is ‘a major force in the market’. The team recently advised the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority on its high-profile termination with ETS Europe, as well as working with Citibank in its successful tender for the government banking service project.

Lovells LLP’s outsourcing specialists have a strong reputation for acting on major customer-side transactions, where clients include Cineworld, ITV and SAB Miller. Recent work with the Post Office on its tender to the Department for Work and Pensions was a highlight, while the financial services sector has also been a fertile source of instructions. Andrew Skipper and Quentin Archer head the group.

Nabarro LLP’s outsourcing group was bolstered in 2008 by the arrival of George Wheeler-Carmichael from DLA Piper UK LLP. His expertise in the financial services arena and on public sector outsourcing augments the capabilities of a ‘responsive’ and ‘attentive’ team spread across the firm’s Sheffield and London offices.

Norton Rose LLP’s ‘highly commendable’ outsourcing practice has considerable capability on both the supplier side, where clients include Capita and Netstore, and the customer side, where it regularly handles work for financial services clients. Practice head Mike Rebeiro advises on large-scale IT and BPO deals.

Olswang’s growing practice, under Nigel Swycher, has continued to broaden, recently adding TCS, Nasdaq and Global World Check as clients. Highlights included representing the Post Office on its procurement of a biometric identity capability service, and ongoing work advising the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Rob Sumroy heads Slaughter and May’s outsourcing practice and is ‘a very effective and pragmatic lawyer’. The team advises major customer-side clients from a range of sectors. It acted for established client Aviva on a high-value outsourcing to WNS, as well as winning new work for Royal Mail and Marsh. On procurement matters, it advised GlaxoSmithKline, United Utilities and Grosvenor Estates.

‘Dedicated and experienced’, Stephenson Harwood’s outsourcing practice is led by ‘trustworthy adviser and excellent business strategist’ John Buyers. The team added significant Middle Eastern clients Al Tayer and Fawaz Al Hokair in 2008, and acted for MMA Insurance on outsourcing its claims-handling services to WNS.

2008 saw Taylor Wessing LLP recruit financial services outsourcing specialist Jonathan Rogers and Len Murray, who has a strong public procurement practice. It also added TCS as a client. Glyn Morgan heads a team that ‘has always exceeded every expectation in its quality of work’.