Leading regional law firm for business, Muckle LLP, has been appointed to the North East Purchasing Organisation (NEPO) for eight legal service specialisms.
Following the invitation to tender for NEPO’s £60million multiple lot procurement framework, Muckle has been appointed for the following specialist legal services: conveyancing, housing, education, litigation, insolvency, debt recovery, highways and employment.
Participating local authorities include: Newcastle, Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Redcar & Cleveland, South Tyneside and Stockton.
The public sector panel appointment comes less than a year after Muckle was appointed to the £320million UK-wide legal services panel for the public sector, by the Crown Commercial Services (CCS).
Muckle managing partner Jason Wainwright said: “We are delighted to be appointed to the NEPO framework for such a broad range of specialist legal services, which illustrates the extent of expertise we offer the region.
“The public sector is a crucial part of the North East economy and we’re proud to support more and more organisations in this area, building better relationships and developing our reputation within the region and beyond.
“We act for some fantastic clients and global brands throughout the UK and overseas, but the North East business community is where our primary focus has always been. Through our long-term commitment to giving back, we have also built strong relationships with our local communities and, unlike many large firms, all our lawyers live and work within the region.
“We have also invested heavily in IT infrastructure and performance efficiency and I’m excited to see the difference our blend of efficient systems, extensive expertise and rich local knowledge can make to the region’s public sector organisations.”
Muckle already supports the broader public sector, including advising Newcastle University on several landmark developments such as Newcastle Helix, and acting for NCG, one of the UK’s largest college groups, as well as many of the region’s biggest social housing providers, including Home Group.
Muckle also holds a place on the national Higher Education Procurement Consortia for universities across England and Wales, featuring on three lots, including the ‘one stop shop’ legal services panel.