BT has launched its delayed UK panel review and revealed plans to launch a number of international legal panels in the coming year.
The review is being led by BT’s group director of ethics and compliance Gareth Tipton, who had intended to review the company’s UK advisers at the start of 2016.
The process was delayed following BT’s acquisition of EE in January, with the last review taking place over three years ago.
Firms currently on BT’s UK panel include Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, CMS and Bird & Bird, while a number of boutique and regional firms also made it onto the list, such as Wiggin and Wright Hassall.
One of BT’s main aims with its new panel is to have a mix of both international and regional firms that can advise on matters including corporate, litigation, employment and commercial.
BT is also expected to increase the number of firms on its roster to limit the need to go off-panel in future.
After completing the UK review at the end of the year, Tipton will look to establish separate panels for barristers chambers, as well as the European, US, EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions.
BT currently has a global network of panel firms, which is understood to consist of over 140 firms. The telecoms giant also restructured its in-house legal team at the end of last year to bring its lawyers closer to the wider business.
BT has made a number of major changes to the way it runs its legal team in recent years, including launching BT Law as an ABS in 2013.
The organisation also signed a landmark litigation funding deal with Burford Capital last year to bring a raft of claims in the UK courts.
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