Thames Water has gone out to tender with a contract for legal services which is worth an estimated £48 million.

The water company  is looking to procure a replacement for its current managed legal services arrangement, which is a fixed fee outsourced solution for the majority of its legal services requirements.

The contract is being tendered in two Lots:

Lot 1 covers a fixed-fee, outsourced arrangement for the majority of its legal services requirements - to be known as the Managed Legal Service. (£40 million)

Lot 2. Covers the establishment of a Legal Services Panel using a framework agreement for high-visibility, substantial and complex work. (£8 million)

Legal service requirements under the Managed Legal Service include:

• Competition;
• Construction;
• Corporate Crime;
• Data Protection and Information;
• Employment (including right to work status);
• Energy;
• Information Technology;
• Infrastructure;
• Intellectual Property;
• Outsourcing;
• Procurement

The Managed Legal Service will include the retention of the on-site team based in Reading.

Legal services for Lot 2 will cover the same specialisms required for Lot 1. The services themselves include formal regulatory investigations; specifically, legal services required in relation to formal regulatory investigations against any company within the Thames Water or Kemble Groups where enforcement action is expressly stated in writing as being anticipated or contemplated by Ofwat, the CMA and/or the European Commission as the enforcement authorities.

Other services covered include

• class actions; specifically, group, or class actions or litigation against Thames Water where the total number of claimants (individual or company) forming the ‘group’ exceeds 30 at the outset.
• disposals, mergers and acquisitions (with the exception of any land or property transaction); specifically, the sale/disposal, merger or acquisition of all or part of a company and/or business by or within the Thames Group or Kemble Group.
• major projects; specifically, work which goes beyond ‘business as usual’ due to the size, complexity or significance of the work.

For the avoidance of doubt, Thames said the procurement expressly excludes legal services in relation to the Price Review and the Thames Tideway Tunnel.

The contracts for both Lots will be awarded for an initial term of 5 years with options to extend for up to 3 years, giving a maximum duration of 8 years.

Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 6^th July 2017 – click here to access the tender documentation.