Legal eagles help local authorities through the maze

A pioneering partnership between local authorities and law firms in the East Midlands is being extended for a further four years. The EM Lawshare consortium, the largest partnership in the UK and the first of its kind when it was set up in 2005, includes 50 local authories and five firms who provide legal services in addition to council in-house teams. Through the partnership, local authorities receive services such as training programmes in conveyancing, employment and procurement issues, phone help lines and an annual conference held in October. The consortium, which originally had only 14 member councils, will see five firms - Anthony Collins, Browne Jacobson, DLA Piper, Freeth Cartwright and Weightmans - working jointly to deliver services to authorities including Nottinghamshire county and Derby city councils. It is also the only partnership to offer services to all public local authorities including county and district councils, unitary authorities, fire authorities and registered social housing providers. Stuart Leslie, chief legal officer at Derby City Council, said: "The consortium, which has members from all three tiers of local government, not only provides authorities with the ability to secure quality legal advice at very competitive rates and short notice; it also delivers significant added value benefits such as an annual training programme solely for and tailored to our members' needs." Jayne Francis-Ward, service director of legal and democratic services at Nottinghamshire County Council and leader of the partnership, said while other local authorities had since established similar arrangements, EM Lawshare was still "unique in both its size and strong partnership working ethos." Francis-Ward said: "This truly is a model of public and private sector partnership." The consortium said the partnership offered cost benefits to local authority members. A shared training course that would normally cost around £300 from a non-partnership firm could be delivered at £80. They said that these courses would also be provided locally, cutting down on transport and accommodation costs. Other services include a 24/7 legal helpline to provide advice and share knowledge and pamphlets with practical legal guides for councils. "John Riddell, partner in Weightmans' local government team said: "When the Gershon Efficiency Review recommended public authorities to make savings through shared services, the founders of EM LawShare took notice and did just that. The Total Place agenda is now looking to make savings across the public sector by sharing services and expertise – avoiding duplication. The ambitious plans for sharing information and training under the EM LawShare umbrella will echo that sentiment wholeheartedly." Peter Taylor, a partner at one of the new member firms, DLA Piper, said the firms were "an extended part of the client's in-house team." He added: "From a personal development point of view, our lawyers also enjoy the sense of co-venturing that evolves through working and building long-term relationships."