The "TradeMe" Legal Tender Sees Small Firm Winners

LawFuel.co.nz - NZ Legal News Daily - Surprises emerged from the government's all-of-government legal services panel results announced this week with several smaller practices and sole practioners receiving appointment as legal suppliers to government.

Wellington property, commercial and Maori law specialists Greenwood Roche Chisnall, a six-partner firm, was among the big winners, scoring in five of the seven categories of work, while other firms omitted from the process raised some eyebrows among legal circles. Some firms have been bitterly disappointed and raised protestations at the manner in which the process was handled.

Prominent public law firm Chen Palmer, for instance, failed to make the public law panel, unlike firms like Greenwood Roche Chisnall, while high profile public law specialist Stephen Franks' firm also missed the public law round but scored in the commercial and banking and finance sectors.

Indeed the public law panel provides a group of smaller firms and some interesting 'arrivals' on the public law scene with few names that might have been regarded as certainties in that fast-developing space.

failed to make the panel notwithstanding protestations made by them as to the process that was followed to

The process was focused on quality of service provided, including their expertise and value for money and followed a series of online negotiations to secure their position, described by the Ministry of Economic Development as "like 'TradeMe', but in reverse.

Eighty seven out of 125 tenderers received a place on the Crown panel.

Small practitioners and firms also had a slice of the government legal action with public law providing several small firms with work. Fiona Wakefield, Christchurch, Jonathan Kaye, Robert Buchanan and Vicki Owen all of Wellington. Former Buddle Findlay partner and Ministry of Commerce and Fisheries lawyer Tim Power also receivedappointment to the environmental and resource management panel.

A consortium of sole practitioners calling themselves Best & Hancock also won work in the corporate and commercial law area.

Similarly, some of the large firms doubtless felt left out and disappointed in the results. Kensington Swan and Simpson Grierson only appointment as "panel providers" in two areas each, with Buddle Findlay getting three.

The most successful tenderers were: Bell Gully (6),Greenwood Roche, DLA Phillips FoxRussell mcVeagh (5),Chapman Tripp, Meredith Connell, Minter Ellison (4),Buddle Findlay (3),Kensington Swan, Simpson Grierson, Franks & Ogilvie (2).

ENDS

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