BT Group confirms new Legal Panel

BT Group has today confirmed the law firms on its new Legal Panel, which will be in place for the next 3 years.  Firms on the panel will have the opportunity to bid for all external legal work across BT Group over that period, supporting the company’s key objectives and programmes.

BT Group has reduced the number of firms on its Legal Panel from 15 to 11, as part of a drive to focus its legal work with a smaller set of key strategic partners. This will enable those firms to gain a deeper understanding of BT Group, and ensure greater alignment across different projects. The firms who have been chosen are:

• Addleshaw Goddard
• Allen & Overy
• BCLP
• Bird & Bird
• Clifford Chance
• CMS
• DWF
• Freshfields
• Osborne Clarke
• Simmons & Simmons
• TLT

As part of the selection process, BT Group reviewed law firms from across the UK, benchmarking them on a range of criteria including experience, cost and their ability to support the development of BT Group’s in-house legal talent. Clear evidence of inclusion, equity and diversity in their practices was also key – with Addleshaw Goddard having already been confirmed on the panel due to their success in this area.

For the 2024 panel, usage and incorporation of AI in their operations was also a key selection metric, as BT Group seeks to capitalise on advances driven by the adoption of AI. BT Group has also confirmed that it will include an automatic place on the next panel (2027-2030) for the firm that evidences the most efficiencies through the use of AI and other technologies over the next three years, alongside the continued place for best inclusion, equity and diversity performance.

Sabine Chalmers, General Counsel, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Company Secretary for BT Group, said: “The firms selected for our next Legal Panel underwent a rigorous selection process, during which they provided clear evidence of best-in-class capabilities across a wide range of fields. We’d like to thank all the firms that took part in the review, and we look forward to working with our confirmed Legal Panel firms to help drive BT Group’s strategy and objectives.”

BT Group has also confirmed a further 6 law firms that will be able to bid for specific categories of legal work going forward. These firms are: Cleaver Fulton Rankin, Covington and Burling LLP, DACB LLP, Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP, Trowers & Hamlins and Winckworth Sherwood.

BT Group is the UK’s leading provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications and related secure digital products, solutions and services. We also provide managed telecommunications, security and network & IT infrastructure services to customers across 180 countries.

BT Group consists of three customer-facing units: Consumer serves individuals and families in the UK; Business covers companies and public services in the UK and internationally; Openreach is an independently governed, wholly owned subsidiary wholesaling fixed access infrastructure services to its customers - over 650 communications providers across the UK.

British Telecommunications plc is a wholly owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

For more information, visit www.bt.com/about